Yoga when Traveling

Vacations and relaxation belong together. Yoga is the perfect way to leave the stress of everyday life behind on your travels. With a suitable environment, inspiring people and the right mindset, yoga will help you to find yourself. Bring your body, mind and soul into harmony – and you’ll return from your vacation feeling more refreshed than ever. Let us tell you why you should make yoga part of your routine on your next trip.

Yoga routine when traveling

You will get the most out of yoga exercises by doing them regularly. That’s why it is important to develop a routine that lets you take time for yourself and your yoga sessions at regular intervals. Your muscles and your mind have a memory. If you do yoga on a regular basis, your body (strength and flexibility) and your soul (mental stability) will remain in harmony. If you have not yet incorporated this routine into your everyday life, then a trip is the ideal starting point. Being away from all the stress allows you to concentrate fully on yourself and practice mindfulness.

Little time? More meditation!

Time pressures, to-do lists, one thing after another: everyday working life soon becomes hectic at home. And even on vacation it is possible to experience stress during leisure time – as a result of too much activity. Anyone whose itinerary is too full to fit in any yoga exercises should internalize the following maxim: if you have little time, then meditate – and do it more and for longer. Meditation practiced as a part of yoga helps you to concentrate on what really matters. Yourself, in other words. It helps you to become more relaxed. After all, that's what vacations are all about.

Yoga and van life: little space, lots of om

Yoga fits perfectly into van life. Yoga can be a great additional extra if you are planning to take a road trip in a campervan for your next vacation. Targeted exercises can build strength and thus compensate for long transfers. All you need is a mat and perhaps a few items of equipment and your yoga session can begin, either “on demand” through YouTube, for example, or by putting together your own exercises. It takes just 5 minutes to get that great feeling. What's more, you’re sure to meet many like-minded people in the van life community. Nature, freedom – they unite us. And yoga is far more enjoyable in a group.

Yoga: goodbye to back pain

Whether van life or backpacking, both can take a toll on your back when traveling. It might be an uncomfortable campervan mattress or a rucksack that weighs too much. In both cases, yoga can help to alleviate or even prevent pain. There are many exercises designed to strengthen back muscles. If you do them regularly, you can be sure that you will sleep better, and your next backpacking trip will be a breeze.

Yoga and surfing: the dream combo

Yoga is the perfect complement to surfing. It is not for nothing that many surf camps also provide yoga sessions. There are many yoga exercises that strengthen the exact muscles you need when surfing or bring benefits in terms of your balance. For example, Chaturanga (push-up, arms close to the body) is very similar to the take off in surfing. Virabhadrasana B (Warrior II) is a good exercise for balance and standing position on the board. At the same time, yin yoga can help to relax your muscles after strenuous surf sessions.

Journey to yourself

You will find that there is far more to yoga than the training side. It is a means of helping you to connect with yourself. At home, in the world between work and private life, it is all too easy to lose contact with yourself. Traveling gives you the time to take a really close look at yourself. Yoga is not simply a matter of practicing asana. Yoga is a lifestyle that brings mindfulness to the fore. It embraces meditation and breathing techniques as well as the ethical principles that guide our interactions with ourself and others – the yamas and niyamas. You are less distracted by the “outside world” when traveling and you can concentrate fully on yourself. How am I? What do I want? What do I need? These are the questions you can ask yourself.

Destination yoga: inspiring journeys

The world of travel can be incredibly inspiring, especially if you travel around countries or regions with a distinct yoga culture. These include Bali, India and Sri Lanka, for example. Portugal, Morocco and Fuerteventura are much closer, but even in these destinations you will find a strong yoga community where you can immerse yourself in the world of yoga. Whichever site of cosmic energy you decide to visit, it is highly likely that you may not want to return to the office afterwards.