We are accustomed to our routines and behavioral patterns. Daily routines that have a positive effect on you are definitely good, yet sometimes it’s also good to break your pattern. The essence in all is the balance. When we wish to cultivate something new into our lives, incorporating new ways is most easily achieved by creating a routine, such as brushing our teeth and hair in the morning, drinking coffee after we wake up or giving a good night kiss to our spouse.
The routines are easy to drill through even in a hurry, without giving a bigger thought. We hurdle through our morning wash and brush up without a second thought, however, if we are camping, we need to pay more attention: where do we get the water? Where can I go to the toilet and the easy daily routines come more challenging to follow through? Many of us like the feeling of clean teeth and a fresh body after a shower, so we push ourselves to manage these basic things even when camping, as they do give us comfort and engagement in civilization.
Same is with our daily or weekly practice: Is then Yoga, Pilates, Running, body work that we practice to keep us going, fit and balanced in life, if it is routine, it gets done. Incorporating practice as rituals and routines at home, familiar environment is usually effortless. We go to the studio for a class, we might have personal temple and space at home for yoga, we go running on the same tracks, meet with the same personal trainer or meet with a friend for a jog. So when we have pulled away from our daily routines and environment, following our daily routines becomes a challenge.
Have A Routine When You Travel
So we have now recognized the obstacle. The challenge comes, as there is no routine, regular environment of comfort. On a travel or on a holiday, your senses are continuously stimulated, your brain, mind and body get overwhelmed by these new external stimulations and your mind thinks your body wants to relax.
This is the point when you can trick your mind. Think of your practice as a way of relaxing. Releasing tension. Listen to your body and nurture it with the practice it requires.
Come up with a routine that is different from your normal daily practice. Consider this as a travel treat. Get playful, be adventurous, get creative, go bit crazy. Explore and incorporate local environment.
Set Intentions To Practice Yoga
Think before your travels, what you wish to accomplish with your traveling yoga or traveling exercise. What are the motivation and objective? To keep fit, keep flexible, explore the surroundings while exercising? Take your daily routines as comfort in adjusting to the new environment?
Plan your routine and think ahead how it will fit into your holiday schedule. Think a routine of your practice to be integrated into your travel/vacation program: consider e.g. three walks, runs or bike rides in a week, think in advance a yoga series that you can practice on your own, see few body works drills that you can easily do in e.g. in hotel room or at the beach. You may even print out the sequence or practice on paper to make things easier and more motivating.
Share these plans and ideas wth your travel companions, maybe they wish to join, and with more people, there is definitely more will power.
The rule is – there are no rules! Let it go and go with the flow. If you miss your routine, cherish the restorative day your body and mind has been blessed with and don’t worry. But if missing out on your routine, think what you can do differently tomorrow.
The Gear To Practice Yoga When You Travel
Some of us need a physical space for our practice. Take with you the exercise clothing specifically for your practice and make those your physical space.
If you practice yoga and you are dedicated to your practice with mat, bring your mat with you. There are light travel versions available. At Blue Osa, we have mats to bring your practice on. Another choice is to bring your yoga towel with you, which will take very little space and will give you grip in asanas.
Get Creative
If the environment where you land is not ideal for the sequence you had in mind, or the run that you had planned, let go of your expectations, and make quick adjustments in your mind to meet the reality. Simple things become complicated when you expect too much. So let’s get creative!
In yoga sanctuaries such as Blue Osa, imagination is the limit for your practice locations. The surroundings are so inspirational, you strat to think: “Where I can take my practice?”
8 Places You Can Take Your Yoga Practice At Blue Osa Retreat Center
1. The Blue Osa Shala
The most obvious choice. At Blue Osa, we have beautiful shala where you can practice on your own or with our teachers. We have all the props for you: blocks (wooden and foam), yoga belts and blankets. The Shala has amazing energy, and if you wish to have a beautiful experience of how it feel to be a seashell, try we have beautiful shala where you can practice on your own or with our teachers. We have all the props for you: blocks (wooden and foam), yoga belts and blankets. The Shala has amazing energy, and if you wish to have a beautiful experience of how it feel to be a seashell, try karnapidasana in the Shala. Ears covered by knees echoing the ocean waves surrounding you in a comforting humming of Mother Earth.
2. The Blue Osa Pavillon
The pavilion by the pool is a great option for private practice, embraced by nature, gaze across the pool to the temple. Share your practice with parrots, butterflies and geckos. by the pool is a great option for private practice, embraced by nature, gaze across the pool to the temple. Share your practice with parrots, butterflies and geckos.
3. The Blue Osa pool
There is no better place to practice standing, bending and balancing poses on a hot sunny day, than in the pool. The warm yet refreshing water helps to get into the poses and gives the support and challenge your asana requires.
Try out great water yoga poses such as Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, practice your Vrksasana (tree pose), make your Garudasana a beautiful water bird, and go crazy with it make your eagle jump. Practice Bhujangasana standing up, as back bending asanas as Cobra work really well with the restriction of the water. Trikonasana and warriors are easy to practice as well.
4. The Beach
The beautiful Pacific Ocean Beach front starts right from the garden of Blue Osa. The beach at the Playa Tamales offers great scenery and surface for beach yoga. Salute the sun or the moon wth your surya namaskars. Get wild and dirty with the sand and explore your practice. Take it where it needs to flow, yet be careful you don’t get sand in your eyes.
5. The Blue Osa Garden
The lush green garden and lawn of Blue Osa invite you to play. Practice inversions, handstands, cartwheels. Relax your body and mind with barefoot walking meditation, sit under a tree and just root yourself to the ground and feel the connection to Mother Earth. you to play. Practice inversions, handstands, cartwheels. Relax your body and mind with barefoot walking meditation, sit under a tree and just root yourself to the ground and feel the connection to Mother Earth.
6. The Blue Osa temple
In the garden of Blue Osa, they have recently built a beautiful temple. Take your time and space and mediate with Ganesha. Center yourself, listen to the nature surrounding you and let your spirit wander.
7. Your imagination is the limit
Get creative with your Yoga Practice. Imagination is a limit. Combining Yoga with other activities such as horseback riding or SUP paddle boarding is becoming a very trendy sport in holiday and yoga resort places.
You can easily rent a paddleboard and practice simple asanas. Paddling to open water from the shore is a good warm up. Stay away from the reefs and rocks. Be alert that at the ocean the wind can pick up fast and wave change radically. Choose a paddle board that has the nose, which will allow you to concentrate on your Asanas. Check out some Yoga sequences to try out on your SUP
My favorite SUP poses are cat-cow, adho mukha svanasana, Dandasana and Savasana.
8. Bedtime yoga
After hurdling through a day, bedtime yoga is the best cure to calm your mind and body and prepare for sleep. Bedtime yoga can be few asanas on your bed, such as virasana, balasana, setu bandhasana, thread the needle, supta baddhakonasana, supine twist, supta vista, supta virasana. Then go to savasana and sleep.
The beautiful rooms at Blue Osa will give you the benefits of goodnight sleep. listen to nature, the magnificent sound of ocean waves and wake up to the sounds of nature. We enjoy silence every morning until 7:30.
You are welcome to share with us your Yoga travel tips and coolest places you have had yogic experience.
How To Keep Up Your Yoga Practice During Travel
At the Blue Osa, Your travel is filled with amazing exercise and yoga spots. But till you get there, you might need some Travel yoga as to get to our silent, peaceful place, you need to travel a bit. But not to worry, your journey will be filled with excellent opportunities to let your practice conquer new locations.
Airports
Airports have this energy of movement, so definitely a great place to practice yoga. And if you break a sweat, usually there is a toilet with running water to freshen up after practice before taking flight. Another bonus of practicing on airports is that you might draw in other yogis and get an opportunity to meet new people.
Find a nice corner, near a window to benefit the most of the energy and movement. Be mindful about your belongings. Airports, unfortunately, draw in thieves..
Example Practice:
-Warm-up by standing or seated on bench
-Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) A + B
-Ashtanga primary series standing poses are great to perform with out a mat
-Take your long relaxing savasana on the plane
Airports are great places for relaxation if you choose so. Most airports have prayer room where you can quiet down, relax and breathe, meditate before your net adventure takes off.
Bus
On long bus rides, “Buscasize” will really freshen you up. So take your yoga practice on a bus and inspire people around you to join. Share your practice!
Great “Buscasize” Asanas are:
– Side twists, such as bending over one side and thorastic spine rotation sitting down
– Eagle hands: bid and stretch those shoulder blades
– Namaste hands to back, fingers pointing up or dow: Open your chest and squeeze the shoulder blades together
– Forward fold sitting down, keep back straight
– Tighten core and lift your legs one by one
– Tighten your glute muscles, keep core tight extend the leg, flex foot, and toeas and palm, twinkle your strats, flex and toes and palm, twinkle your to activate nervous system. Relax in savasana.
If you are on a business travel, take these Buscasize to your desk at the office or meeting room. I had a colleague who would get into headstand in-between meetings with his suit and tie. Headstands refreshen your brain and change your perception of life.
And after traveling ad being on wings and wheels, you might have the urge to get grounded. So connect with mother Earth and get grounded.
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