School's almost out! The weather is toasty warm! Maybe you've banked all your vacation time for the summer and that trip you planned is just around the corner!
As much as I'm a sucker for getting out in the world to travel, I do love the feeling of coming home and getting back into my regular rhythm and routine. Vacations are amazing (and NEEDED!), but how can we bring a little bit of regularity to our days away from home? Well, depending on the kind of trip you have planned, you may be more or less active than usual. So what we can do is find a BALANCE through our yoga practice to help regulate our bodies and nervous system.
With that, let's take our yoga practice ON THE ROAD!
What will my "on the go" practice look like?
It should be whatever you want it to be and however frequent works for your vacation schedule (or lack thereof). But let's start with a few basics if you don't know where to start... and these are simply just my SUGGESTIONS! Feel free to flow how you choose. :)
Adventurous vacation or laid back getaway?
If you've got an excitingly active and adventurous vacation coming up, think about cooling your yoga practice down while on the trip. I love a good go-go-go trip, but how I start and end my days can make a world of a difference for the energy to see everything each day. So my suggestion is to start and/or end the day with some cooling asanas and a short meditation.
**Sample practice: supine twists 2 minutes each side, legs up the wall 5 minutes, quiet mind meditation with 10 deep breaths.
BONUS TIP: this could even be done in BED for extra coziness!!
If your holiday is looking a little more laid back, then maybe invite some fire to your yoga practice! I could personally vacation at the beach for the rest of my life - literally very few things sound better than sitting on the beach all day every day with a good book and just soaking in the rays. HOWEVER, I know I would find that I'd desperately need movement in my days as well. Even with the fire from the sun, my body needs the fire from movement. So my suggestion is to start and/or end your day with some heat building and heart pumping pranayama and asanas.
**Sample practice: 5 minutes breath of fire practice, 3 sun breaths, 5 sun salutations
BONUS TIP: if you have a favorite sequence that you find invigorating, do that instead of sun salutations to make it more personalized!
Do I need my mat or any props?
My short answer is simply no. You never NEED your yoga mat to have a yoga practice. It's obviously a wonderful thing to have - as are props (I love all the props!) - but not needed, especially for being on the go. We just need to grow into and accept the idea that our yoga practice will probably be different when traveling.
But if you're curious about mats/ props on the go, this is what I would suggest:
Mats: I love my 3mm yoga mat because it rolls up quite small and is very light weight. If you had large luggage, it would probably fit! For something even more compact, you can use a yoga towel.
Blocks: Foam blocks are obviously going to be the lightest ones making them easier to travel with. But I would personally still find it quite bulky to bring blocks anywhere but to a local or home practice. This is where creativity comes in! Soup cans, rolls of toilet paper or paper towels, a stack of books, maybe a chair could be used in place of blocks - all depending on what you'd be using the blocks for.
Bolsters: these are usually used in place of blocks for a more restorative feel. No need to tag along a big bolster for your practice, use pillows and/or blankets instead!
Straps: These are honestly super easy to travel with because they will roll up super small. But if you don't bring one and find you want one while on vacation, a neck tie is a good substitute, or a blanket/ towel.
Looking for some guidance in your practice?
Free flowing can be really challenging, especially if you're newer to yoga or want something specific out of your practice. If you have your phone, tablet, or computer, there are TONS of resources for guided meditations and asana practices.
Just exploring some options? Then I'd say YouTube is the best place to start because you'll find many FREE videos with varying lengths and levels of ability.
Some of my favorite subscriptions services for yoga videos are Alo Moves and Peloton. Both offer a wonderful variety and have great instructors.
Now, this may still seem like a lot to bring your yoga practice on the go. But just remember that your practice is completely personal to YOU and there is no right or wrong way to go about it as long as you feel like it's filling your cup.
Got any favorite travel tips when it comes to your yoga practice?! Send me a DM on Instagram here. :)
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