Leave the mat at home, grab a towel
Sounds obvious but mats not only require baggage space but they are bulky SOB’s! When I traveled to IDEA WORLD and Blogfest I left my yoga mat at home and instead just packed a yoga towel. Yes these are originally for putting on top of your yoga mat but who said you had to use a mat? Just packing a yoga towel means it can also double as, well, a towel. It’s not rocket science people! Stuck for a towel to put on your poolside lounger? BAM. Plus this yoga towel by Clever Yoga comes with a free smaller hand towel too. Bonus! Disclosure: It’s always my policy to make you aware… I received this product for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Check out the local studios
Yoga studios are pretty much everywhere these days, and almost all will offer a drop in rate. Think of yourself as a yoga tourist. Maybe it’s a local gym that offers yoga classes and you can get a free pass? This is also a great time to try something new, maybe it’s hot yoga, yoga outdoors, or on a rooftop? There are so many types of yoga these days you’d be hard pressed NOT to find something nearby. At the IDEA convention I had two yoga workshops and took my yoga towel with me to each session.
Opt for the bigger hotel room
Ok this one might just be me, but I like a lot of room. When I stayed at the Ritz Milner Hotel last week instead of staying in the smaller room I chose to get a suite… just because it had a nice big open area that would be great for my daily yoga practice. It was a big enough space that I could comfortably do my practice without breaking the budget. I’d rather stay at a lower quality hotel and get more room to move around. Failing that I could have done yoga in the lobby I guess haha. Plus if I paid up front I would only pay $15 extra per night. The suite really is nice too btw.
Virtual yoga classes
Unless you have a good consistent daily practice now is NOT the time to go solo. Instead look at apps for your iPhone or iPad that stream yoga classes. You can find these in varying price ranges, including some that are free. They also come in varying time durations and abilities so you’ll be sure to find something to fit your yoga needs. These make yoga really accessible for newcomers to the practice. There are also youtube videos for yoga practice so you are sure to find something “in case of an emergency” but remember these apps may need internet, so make sure you have hotel wi-fi or lots of bandwidth on your phone.
[tweetthis]Check out these 5 tips for #yoga while traveling by @workoutwithdi[/tweetthis]
Give yourself a break
Sometimes life happens. You spend the hours of 8-6 doing Zumba training. You get back to your hotel and quickly shower and change for dinner with a friend you haven’t seen for 15 years, since you moved to America. You get back to the hotel and spend an hour chatting to your family on skype and then remember… YOGA! Stop stressing. Breathe. The world won’t stop if you miss a day of your practice. Your hamstrings won’t seize up because you didn’t do a downward dog today. Sleep and see how you feel in the morning. Remember that we need to live in the moment.
Question:
What’s your favorite way to practice yoga while traveling?
Vegan Food at Blogfest and IDEA World 2015
Bain
Travel is no excuse not to yoga, I agree. I usually pack a regular simple yoga mat and fold it into quarters; then I put it on top of everything in my suitcase, and use the suitcase’s internal straps to strap the mat down to my clothes and other things. (Bonus, it keeps things from moving around!) Since I just won a travel yoga mat from Merrithew, I’ll be trying that next.
Here are some content possibilities for you!
Streaming services: YogaGlo (one of my favorites–it has excellent teachers), myYogaWorks, GaiamTV, YogaDownload. Most of these have a monthly subscription option, though you get a discount if you subscribe for a year.
If you have a laptop with you, you can take a DVD, too. Or does that make me sound old? Do people buy DVDs anymore?
To find local yoga studios, try the MindBody app, ClassPass (if you’re not a member, you could still look at the listings). If you’re a member, CorePower Yoga has an app, as does YogaWorks; if you’re not a member, you can likely buy a single class–be sure to call ahead in case you need a reservation.
Apps: YogaHour (Darren Rhodes), lolo Yoga (Janet Stone), Women’s Health Hot Body Yoga, Yoga Studio, Hillary’s Yoga Practice. These are fairly low-cost, if I recall correctly.
If nothing else, you can ask at the front desk. Depending on where you are, they might have some great suggestions. Personally, I like to plan ahead, so I will use the internet to search for local studios and use facebook and my network to get recommendations.
Di Hickman
Great tips Elizabeth! I agree no excuses. Let me know how the travel mat is, it looked very interesting.
Hahaha DVDs…. I admit I own a ton but haven’t watched an actual DVD in years.