Osha Paddle Boarding and Yoga celebrated their launch, June 21st 2012, in conjunction with Council Fire’s Aboriginal Day Celebration at Cherry Beach and has since been doing lessons, tours and yoga at Sunnyside Beach in Toronto’s western beaches. Paddle Boarding is a new paddle sport that has hit waterways everywhere. The sport is a unique mix of surfing and canoeing, done standing up. The benefits are balance and core strength, but the reason founding principle Jenifer Rudski got into it, is the deep connection to the water and environment. “Paddle boarding physically connects you to the water, creating a holistic approach to living with and thinking about the environment” – says Jenifer.
Osha Paddle Board & Yoga is a Toronto’s first stand up paddle boarding company to bring stand up paddle boarding lessons, yoga and guided paddle tours to Sunnyside Beach. The most popular tour is up the Humber River. Once the major “highway” and trade route used by the Huron-Wendat First Nations, the Five Nations Iroquois and the Mississaugas, the Humber River is now a relaxing getaway from Toronto life without the hassle of leaving the city. For the more adventurous Osha offers Toronto Island and Scarborough Cathedral Bluffs tours. The bluffs prove to be an amazing adventure for paddle board enthusiasts as well as providing awe inspiring scenery for the eyes and soul, trade those palm trees for spruce and you will still find it hard to believe you’re not in the tropics.
Osha Paddle boarding & Yoga was founded by Jenifer Rudski, and is run by herself and sister Sharon Rudski who are both Tetlit Gwich’in and have grown up in Toronto but trace their roots back to The Northwest territories. Jenifer has worked extensively with Aboriginal youth in Toronto and with an entrepreneurial spirit and passion to strengthen community Jenifer’s goal is to run a successful business while encouraging aboriginal youth to get into the recreation field. Her intention is to provide new and meaningful training and employment opportunities so youth can become paddle board instructors, life guards, yoga teachers etc.
Paddle board classes run daily from June to September and Jenifer teaches yoga year round and can be contacted at jenifer@oshaosha.ca to set up a class. For more information and details or to sign up for lessons or classes go to oshaosha.ca
Follow on Intagram @oshaoshaosha Like on Facebook Osha Paddle Boarding and Yoga
Biography
Jenifer Rudski is Tetlit Gwichen/English/Polish/Scottish. She has always felt a deep connection to water and paddle boarding’s balancing connection to body, breathe and water compliments her Yoga roots. She loves sharing her passion of early morning paddles, sun-salutations and full moon paddles on Lake Ontario. Jenifer is a Certified Paddle Board Instructor through Paddle Canada, Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, and CPR & First Aid Certified.
Sharon Rudski is Tetlit Gwichen/English/Polish/Scottish, and is an active first year university student at U of T and a mother to an equally active 7 year old. She believes that health/happiness are important for one’s well being and expresses this through leading an active lifestyle. Having an aversion to keeping fit by working out in a gym, Sharon has found paddle boarding to be a unique exercise that is almost effortless in it’s enjoyment. Sharon is a Certified Paddle Board Instructor through Paddle Canada, and CPR & First Aid Certified.
