Practice Around The World
How to stick to your practice while traveling
Keeping up with your yoga practice when traveling isn’t always easy.
Either you’re traveling for work with a very busy schedule or you’re on holiday enjoying some down time, exploring exciting places or just too busy sipping on pina coladas… it often seems harder to make time for your practice when traveling. I find myself often saying, “I’ll do it tomorrow”. Practicing on the road is hard, and committing to it can be even harder. At home our routines are in place: we have our favourite studios, our yoga friends, and when traveling we lose all that, it’s just more effort. But, it’s all doable, you just have to find the one reason why you need to go, not the million reasons why you don’t want to go.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only the first page”
Saint Augustine
Traveling is amazing and such an enriching experience but it can also be quite tiring and demanding on our body and our mind and we could probably benefit even more from the power of yoga and meditation while traveling. When our practice slips away its our awareness , our mindfulness, our connection with ourselves that diminishes.
In my life, I’m on the road almost half the year, I’ve visited countless countries and stayed in too many hotels to remember.
Let me share some tips and advice that help me keep up with both my meditation and yoga practice while traveling.
8 TRAVEL TIPS FOR KEEPING UP YOUR PRACTICE
1. Holidays do not mean taking a holiday from yourself. Remember to check in, tune in, listen and connect with yourself.
2. Schedule time for your practice the same way you would plan a meeting or a holiday activity. Make these meetings non-negotiable!
3. Go easy on yourself! Set achievable and enjoyable goals. It doesn't have to be your 90min class you usually do back home: 5min, 10min, 20min just move, stretch, connect- whatever time you’ve got is great!
4. The practice is within you! Mediation can be done anywhere at anytime and comes in many forms.
It could be the moment of peace and quiet you get to enjoy from an early wake up caused by jet-lag (you might even catch a beautiful sunrise)
Or make use of time in transport! Meditating while traveling will not only make the long haul flight go quieter but also ground you and make you feel better. Any moment you can take to pause and reflect is beneficial for you.
5. The beauty of yoga is that it can be done anywhere! I like to travel with my yoga mat (there are some great super light travel mats) but to be honest you don't even need a mat. You can practice and flow anywhere: morning session in bed, playtime on the beach, in the park, in your hotel room! Take your practise with you and have fun!
6. One click away from your practice! If self practice isn’t something you enjoy, feel comfortable doing or struggle to find motivation don't worry there are options for you. Use apps like @alo.moves or @yogaglo- you will practice by yourself but be guided through a sequence by some of the best teachers out there. There are even sometimes live online classes for free. I’m in the process of filming yoga and mediation classes on here so you will soon be able to practice with moi!
7. Yoga is about community Yoga studios are flourishing on each and every corner around the world!
-Find a class! I’ve had the chance to practice with some amazing teachers in some awesome studios around the world and even in different languages including some I don't speak! You just put yourself at the back and follow the flow. MINDBODY is a great app to find local studios (they don't only do yoga but all fitness workouts etc). Another great way is to ask your yoga teachers as it's a pretty well connected industry and often you will get recommendations on where and with who to practice.
8. Remember you're human, just like the rest of us. It’s totally fine if there are days you can’t get on the mat or if you feel like you need a break. Remember that practice goes above and beyond the physical practice. There is yoga on the mat and yoga off the mat.
Movement is movement, and yoga is much more than touching your toes.