Alex Wittering from Worcester, who teaches people Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) yoga to people in the region, has been named as one of Eventbrite’s most innovative yogis this International Yoga Day (Friday 21 June).

Novel yoga formats on event marketplace Eventbrite - such as SUP, alpaca, laughter, goat and forest yoga - are growing in popularity as they bring the benefits of the ancient practice to whole new audiences.

Eventbrite recorded a 55% uptick in people attending yoga events over the last year (2022 to 2023), when almost 200,000 attendees enjoyed more than 12,000 yoga experiences all over the UK.

A 200hr qualified yoga instructor, qualified SUP instructor and fully qualified ASI SUP yoga instructor, Alex is one of only a handful in the UK with all three qualifications and uses these skills to teach people SUP Yoga on the River Avon, at Lidos in Cheltenham, Chipping Norton and on a private lake in the breathtaking Malvern Hills.

From May to September, weekly classes for people at all levels, from beginners to advanced, are becoming increasingly popular among those keen to practice yoga on the calming presence of water. Alex also runs two full day retreats involving SUP yoga, good food, swimming and mindfulness workshops led by her husband, MBCT (mindfulness based cognitive therapy) teacher, James Wittering.

Alex says: “SUP yoga was very niche when I started but it’s most definitely on the up. The perception is that it’s going to be difficult and while it can be challenging – there’s a need for more balance, more focus and more mindful movement – anyone can have a go and get the benefits of SUP yoga. The added challenge of balancing on our boards leaves us little room for busy thoughts, it’s a fun way to improve your strength, flexibility and balance. It’s about getting outdoors, embracing a new perspective and restoring even the most frazzled minds.

“I think it’s becoming more popular because anyone who has ever laid by the sea listening to the waves, or meandered along a riverbank will know the calming effect of the water. It adds another special dimension to your yoga practice.”

With British practitioners continuing to keep yoga fresh by experimenting with novel variations of yoga there’s a class or event to suit a wide variety of tastes, lifestyles and personality types. Boxing yoga, chair yoga, pregnancy yoga, tantric yoga, aerial yoga, vegan yoga, queer yoga, pregnancy yoga, dancing yoga, cold water yoga and yoga for children are just a few of the formats enticing people to sign up, whether it’s as a one off or a regular thing.

Eventbrite’s Sebastian Boppert said: “Yoga provides many body and mind benefits through poses, breathing techniques and meditation, but there’s no rule book to say you can’t have a little fun when doing so. Some yogis may prefer to do things the traditional way but alternative classes on Eventbrite can be equally effective even when they’re a little different - Alex’s SUP yoga classes are a great example of this.”