When the holidays arrive, you want to discover new horizons and break routines.
Go to the beach, the countryside, travelling to the unknown or simply be without doing anything, this is somewhat necessary not only to get your energy back, but also to give your head a rest. And you feel so good by doing it!
After the first days of decompression, your body and your mind ask you to jump to your stiky-mat (carpet) and start to feel your body, hear the sound of your breathing, of your Ujjayi, to connect yourself with your essence.
And you know that once you finish your practice, you feel good inside which is so pleasant, and you recall that is always worth holding your determination and persistence in your Yoga practice .
But do not turn your vacation into an adventure because of the yoga, be careful to avoid the following situations:
– Compulsive Yoga practitioner
These are a real nightmare for the family!
At mealtimes, they complicate everyone life’s with their self–imposed food restrictions.
They’re doctrinaires, want to turn friends and family into eating sadhus of alfalfa, soybeans and other Middle Eastern strange delicacies .
They complicate the easygoing family vacation schedules, with hours and hours of yoga practice, which for some surrealistic reason they think they should meet.
Travel the most wonderful places, spending all the time enclosed practicing, while family and friends explore new places and cultures.
– Possessive Yoga practitioner
Are those that take all the yoga material paying extra weight in the aircraft, or filling up the car and the patience of the family, but then leave all the stuff neat in bags or aligned in a nice place ready to practice during the vacations, giving them no use. I mean, they just take the yoga material so that it can get some air and have a holiday too!
In the end they like that comforting feeling that they have everything ready while they wait for the miracle that the will to practice arrive. But the only thing that comes is the end of the holidays is a bunch of yoga stuff to bring back home.
– Minimalist Yoga practitioner
Are those who do not have Material because they think its unnecessary, or do not carry the minimum yoga material for their holidays.
Are convinced that when they have the will to practice, everything will be fine.
But when that will arrives, what they have available is a stone floor (very hard) or carpet (abrasive and soft) or a carpeted floor (which slide and provides showy and sometimes serious falls!).
Usually they solve by convincing themselves that is best to do some pránáyámas or meditations on the couch, but in the end is just a great excuse for have some great naps through the whole afternoon!
– New Age Yoga practitioner
1º As for the Yoga material
Be practical!
Just take your travel stiky-mat and a belt, the normal practice clothes, and some other material if you have a specific condition requiring its use. Don’t complicate it, make your life easier and you will see that everything goes well and you are much happier.
Blankets, pillows, chairs, usually you will find anywhere where you travel. Do not stress.
2º Hours to your Yoga practice
In the morning:
If you really like to practice in the morning, get up early while the family is asleep, and make your practice. Has some advantages:
- You’re not disturbed by friends and family. At that time the house is quiet and the beginning of the day is optimal to let you full of energy and good mood.
- When everyone woke up you’re already in a good mood, light and available to play with the sleepy ones. You can still make them a breakfast: some fruits salads and some juices, are great to wake them up in a good mood.
The midday:
It is always a critical time for your practice.
Family and friends have the whole brain activity directed to fill the belly .
Difficult to find peace and quiet at home. You have to be very creative!
You either rented a palace, or you need to find a place away from contact with the friends and family.
You can wait for all finish their meals and go to sleep, to begin your practice. But so you become anti-social because you don’t share meal time with them.
If you decide to practice before lunch, you have to manage well your routine not to disrupt the morning program, of your family and friends.
In our opinion, it is the time of day to practice more tricky to manage.
If you do not have great communication skills and mental flexibility, forget this time.
Late Afternoon:
It may be a great option.
While all are bathing or entertained in the preparations for dinner the night out, they don’t notice that you are missing. You can slip away for a quiet or simply close the door of your room, and you have an hour to practice safely before they sheach for you.
From our experience, we think it is a time that you should try to do your practice.
End of the Day:
1 – Going with a group of friends who like to practice and so you have your problem solved, because they arrange among all, the hours to practice together or at different times of the day.
As they are all practitioners, they know how to respect the practice routines of each other, and generally a great atmosphere is established during the holidays.
2 – Your partner , is also a practitioner. Thus, the two manage to find the routines during the week in order to make the practice and to fully enjoy the planned holidays .
3 – Go on vacation alone , and so you do not have to give explanations to anyone. You organize your practice and your programs, the way that suits you better and in the end gives you even more pleasure. You already have the experience of making this group holidays, usually ends in a great weariness.
Get home more exhausted from vacation than when you left for these. Because than trying to adjust the routines of a group of people, it’s no joke.
If you do not have team spirit, stay out of it.
4 – You have children at your responsibility . Your children, or the children of your friends.
There is no drama that you can not solve, but it will force you to have lots of patience and mental flexibility. Get ready to practice on different hours during the week.
You have to adapt your practice to the context of the day. It is an enriching experience for your self control and unselfish spirit.
You’ll see that at the end of the vacation, everything is relative, and your ability to resolve situations has greatly increased. Believe that after this, nothing can disturb you, even, it is likely that you are now enlightened, I mean, in Samadhi, after a vacation with a group of kids!
Advices for your Yoga on vacations
To simplify your life, you better establish two or three practices of asana, pranayama and meditation, basic ones.
It is appropriate to follow a previously established routine, otherwise you‘re gonna encounter with the feeling of looking at the stiky-mat, not quite knowing what to do next. Believe me that this will be the beginning of the end of your willingness to practice in vacations.
On these you can improvise a bit according to the sensations of the day, by introducing or removing some techniques in accordance with the time and the inner willingness characteristic of an relaxed holiday.
If you have not experience in practice alone, you should ask your teacher a program for the vacations or seriously think about registering yourself in the course of personal practice at CPYoga.
This course gives you the necessary foundations to practice with autonomy, not only on vacations, but anytime you may think appropriate.
We wish you some great practices during vacations, and that you come refreshed for an excellent new beginning of the year!
If you need anything we are at your disposal.