Planning Ahead
A little planning goes a long way when traveling. Know what you need to bring for your yoga practice and figure out if you will take any classes while you are away. No one wants to waste valuable vacation time tracking down yoga classes, studio locations, and playing phone tag in another country.
On the other hand, taking a class while you are traveling is a great chance to learn from notable teachers you may not otherwise encounter.Whiel plannign a vacation in Hawaii I visited the local school's web site and found out that one of the top Iyengar teachers in the US was teaching a week-long intensive while I was there. I was able to combine a vacation with a yoga intensive!
Visit local yoga schools is also a great way to connect with the community and to travel to a venue that is not on the tourist maps. Research the teachers before you go. Find senior teachers, or their schools and determine if they are going to be there when you are. (Visit bksiyengar.com for worldwide listings of certified teachers and iynaus.org for the most up-to-date US listings.) Find out if you need permission to visit a class (drop in) that is at the appropriate level for your practice. Be prepared to tell them how long you have practiced and with whom. Speak honestly about your abilities, if they ask. Determine if the language is going to be a problem. Even the Sanskrit names will have a different accent in another country. Get on-line maps and directions before you leave. |
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Props and Packing
It doesn’t make sense to load up your luggage with yoga props, but I like to travel with a yoga mat designed for travel–it folds up to the size of a t-shirt and doubles as a water-proof barrier for sitting on the ground (so I keep it handy in the outside pocket of my suitcase). They can be found from many on-line vendors with a search for “yoga travel mat.” You can use your pant’s belt as a strap if you have one and need it. sometimes I'll pack a cork or foam brick and a strap -- they are compact, light, highly utilitarian, and easily jetisonned if they start bogging you down.
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Whenever I start thinking about practicing I scout the venue for potential props. There are books for bricks and tables for benches, and beds and chairs and pool furniture, all of which can inspire a special practice. Look for unique spaces or structures that may help you get an asana in a different way. Find the right wall for inversion support or to work standing poses against. Just make sure that you and the props are safe, stable and that you are not going to fall or run in to something (use a clear, cautious eye).
Doing Your Own Practice
Taking classes while you are on the road is fun and a special part of travel, but maintaining your practice is more challenging, because the regular rhythm of your life is disrupted. Fit your practice in everywhere, especially while you are traveling. I like to do standing poses in the emergency exit space of the aircraft near the galley. I do my hip work (padmasana and variations) in my seat. I have been known to take a chair sarvangasana (shoulderstand) in my aircraft seat as well.
Since your mat is handy, why not do a few poses in the waiting area of the airport while you are killing time? Sirsasana (headstand) and virasana (hero) are both great for relieving achy, tired legs. When I get to my hotel, I find inversions and ujiyi pranayama help dissipate jet lag.
An efficient sequence to kick off a practice that can be done “on the go” is: adhomukha svanasana (downward facing dog), adhomukha vrksasana (downward facing tree pose or handstand), and pinchamayerasana (forearm balance). Each pose can be done in equal duration (say a minute each), and you can repeat the sequence as often as desired. Often this will lead to a more extensive practice that can focus on standing poses, forward extensions, or backward extensions. I try to get my headstand and shoulderstand into a daily practice as well. Apply the sequencing principles that you learn in class and be inquisitive and adventuresome in your self-study. |
Chad Balch writes from Italy:
Yoga Practice on the Road - Notes
Two and a half weeks traveling in Italy with spouse, two young daughters, and in-laws, none of whom practice yoga. Can a daily yoga practice fit in to this? Of course, but an important characteristic cultivated by yoga is needed: flexibility.
What to bring? Not lots of props. Traveling light is so simple, comfortable, and yogic. One old yoga mat, very thin and worn, folds up small. You can buy a travel mat with similar characteristics. Books, furniture, walls, and whatever is around supply the needed props and invite creativity. Special yoga clothes? Nope, my swimsuit worked fine.
I wanted to see the sights and spend time with my family, not sequester myself doing yoga. But finding a way to maintain a daily practice in some form felt important for health and peace of mind. The rhythm of an early morning practice, which comes more naturally in the home routine, would not work. Too much going on in tight quarters in the morning. But an hour or so in the afternoon almost always fit in, after the day's activities and before an evening meal.
Lots of walking and high stimulation generally led to a need to be upside down and calmed. The practice moved towards inversions. Sirsasana on the mat, modified sarvangasana using beds, chairs, walls, ledges, and ujjayi pranayama were cornerstones. Virasana and suptavirasana proved therapeutic to weary legs. Downward dog with head supported works so much of the body so nicely and rejuvenates.
Another fun thing about yoga on the road is getting home. The excitement of the trip is over, but the adventure of yoga continues to unfold.
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