Yoga and Travel

This is a hard one. I wish there was a secret formula I could share with you and then everyone could just practice anywhere and every day.

Even when I am back home, it can sometimes be tricky to maintain a constant, regular, daily yoga practice. Sometimes 2 hours go by so quickly, it feels like i have been practicing for only 20 minutes. Other days, those first 20 minutes feel like two hours. Having a daily yoga practice just has to become part of your day, like brushing your teeth. But that is always easier said than done.

When traveling, it can be even harder to maintain a constant yoga practice. There are many factors that can affect this: Early flights, late nights, jet lag, lack of a space (for example, super small hotel rooms, no outdoor spaces, too visible/public space).

During this trip, I tried to find tricks that would help me maintain a daily yoga practice. Here, I have decided to share the ones that helped me the most:

#1 Find a site
When you arrive at your hotel, ask where the common areas/terraces are. You can also just go explore and search for an area yourself that would be good for your practice. For instance, this space might have a view, or be free of people, it could also be indoors or outdoors. This all really depends on what you want.

#2 Set small, achievable goals
Make a small daily objective. For this trip, this was mine: 5 sun salutations a day. That way, if I was short on time, it was very feasible. And some days, I would do a longer practice.

#3 Schedule it in your day
Choose a time of the day that you know will not be too occupied. Mornings are probably the best since you have the whole day to explore afterwards. But if you are taking a tour and know you will be back at your hotel around 4pm, this could also be a good time.

The idea here is to move your body, keep stretching and not letting that extra fascia set into your body. It is also great for your mind, and to keep the connection between both.

Since I travel so much, I need a yoga mat that I can fold up and carry along with me anywhere I go. Mine comes from Halfmoon Yoga, and it is thin, light and perfect to fit in a suitcase or backpack. I even hesitated to bring it on a few hikes, and regretted not having it when I got there. So really, there is NO reason to NOT bring this one along!

What are your yoga and travel tips? Please share any you may have!