Take Your Yoga With You When You Travel This Holiday Season
Happy December, everyone! ❄️❄️The weekend after Thanksgiving, I took a short trip to Santa Barbara to visit family. Even though I packed my travel mat and yoga clothes, I never found the time to practice. Looking back on it, I should have left my mat at home and taken another pair of shoes. (I really needed that other pair of shoes!) The day after my return, I was so achy and tired that I was convinced I had Covid or some other virus. Luckily though, I wasn't sick. My body aches and fatigue were the result of too many hours spent on flights and the fact that I hadn't practiced yoga for several days. When I felt a bit better, I took the time I needed on my mat to heal myself even more. Nothing intense or fast-paced; just restorative poses and super slow and gentle movement over a couple of days. These practices helped me feel so much better.I find that yoga practice while traveling is difficult. Most of the time, I manage to figure it out. Sometimes, though, I can't. It just doesn't happen. I let it go and find my way back to my mat when I return and that's okay. So, while I'm going to give you some suggestions to help you practice when you travel this holiday season, if you never find your way to your mat, give yourself some grace and just let it go. Your mat will be waiting for you.
Some quick tips for yoga while traveling:· Bring a foldable travel yoga mat if you can. It takes up a lot of valuable space in your bag, but a mat will make practice on-the-go safe and enjoyable. My favorites are Manduka eKO Lite and Superlite Travel Yoga Mats. You can find them on Manduka.com.· Get creative about where you might be able to practice, and at the same time, remember to be safe.· Keep your face, hands and feet off hotel room or gym floors. A travel yoga mat will make this so much easier, but you can also use a towel or two. If you are using towels, avoid standing poses. It's just too slippery, even on carpet.· Take the time to really feel into your body in order to understand what you need from your practice. Pick poses and movements that will give you what you require, and let go of everything else, especially if time is limited.· Travel is the perfect time to bring your yoga off your mat. For example, can you be mindful and present even when you are rushing to catch a flight? Can you remember to breathe and be kind to everyone around you when your flight is cancelled?· Take the time for a long, happy practice when you return. Post-travel practices are often the best practices. You may find that you have a deeper sense of appreciation for your yoga once you get home.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. It can be a very busy time, but as always, I encourage you to continue to find your way to your yoga mat as much as you possibly can. Whether you are staying home for the holidays or traveling, your yoga practice will help you enjoy the season even more!With much love,Molly
