Yoga retreats Archives - Surya Retreats

Going on a retreat… from what?

14 July, 2015/in Meditation, Surya Retreats, Travel, Yoga retreats/by Laura

More and more, I find new people who, when I tell them I organize yoga retreats, tell me they have been looking for something like that. They are looking for meaningful and transformational holidays, well beyond the typical days off. A few days, a long weekend, a week, or even a month can achieve so much more than just one yoga class or workshop!

There is a change in life perception happening –when someone makes a conscious decision to explore their spirituality through a yoga or meditation retreat it certainly means they are going on a lifelong journey of discovery. For many others, though, you might still be struggling to find time to snug in some more time for one more yoga class in the middle of your busy day. Taking part in these classes makes you feel better, more grounded, more flexible…

Is, then, a yoga retreat for you?

Even when you feel you don’t have time, if this idea has crossed your mind –don’t let it die! A yoga retreat will positively change you inside-out. Attending several in-depth classes in a short period of time in a setting far from one’s home can fuel energetic and emotional connections. Not only will you spend lots of time with other people with similar interests, but you will also have time to observe yourself in the presence of others and your place in the world.

If you’ve ever slightly considered a retreat, read on –these are a few reasons that should make you go for it!

Deep rest, clean air and relaxation will help your body rhythm readjust to its natural state.
Getting out of your daily routine and regular landscape will help you make space for something new when you go back.
Practising yoga regularly on a retreat is a good way to get the feeling of starting your own personal practise. Consistency will also improve your flexibility –in and out of the mat- so you can approach situations more peacefully.
Meet new people for real. Mindfulness and meditation exercises will open people’s hearts and help melt down barriers so authentic connections are born within the group.
Get on track with healthier eating. With organic, vegetarian meals provided, you don’t have to stress about the preparation and you can dive into how to sustain a healthier lifestyle through new types of cooking and food in general.
You will find the time you need to reflect upon some life questions. Meditation will help you in countless ways, and some of the bonuses of sitting in silence regularly on a retreat, you will notice when you go back home –you will start acting more naturally, quit spending your valuable time and energy on things that don’t serve you, and happiness will naturally expand.

Bottom line, what’s most important is that everything (or most things!) you learn on a retreat you can take back home with you and start applying in your daily life. The choice is yours: if you’re ready to pursue a new, happier and healthier lifestyle, go on a yoga retreat! Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Why coming alone on a yoga retreat should not scare you

16 June, 2015/in Spain, Surya Retreats, Travel, Yoga retreats/by Laura

I know the feeling. You love yoga, and can’t live without it. This time, you’ve decided you’re going to jump in and invest on a yoga retreat for your holidays. You’ve pictured it all in your mind, and it looks perfect: the warm Spanish sun, amazing beaches, a beautiful villa, your morning yoga practise and some meditation, and a group of friends sharing some delicious food toasting for the good times.

Except… who are these friends again? Oh-oh. None of YOUR friends are THAT much into yoga –let alone your partner! Some have tried it, and some are going to regular classes, but they don’t feel the same way as you, and you can’t seem to convince them to go with. More often than not, if you wait for your friends to go along with you, you’ll end up going nowhere.

So do not fear! 🙂 Consider coming alone!

I know it seems scary, but know that a yoga retreat is probably one of the best situations for you to be on your own: mentally, physically, and emotionally. When you come with your friends you are more likely to experience your yoga retreat through their eyes and expectations, or you may find that you are too distracted to experience the richness of the retreat.

However, if you come alone you are opening yourself up to the possibility of new friends, new experiences, new thoughts, and new a perspective.

For many people, going on a solo adventure travel can mean a lot of anxiety, but a yoga retreat is a safe in-between trip you can take while you get used to the idea of travelling alone. At a yoga retreat, the teacher, the organizer and the group might have your back, but you still need to learn who to trust, how to make new friends, and decide what you really want to do. This is the biggest reward of travelling solo: personal growth.

Well, isn’t that what you came here for? 😉

I will never get tired of saying this: the connections made on a yoga retreat are the best that will happen to you when you finally take the plunge. What are you waiting for?

How to plan your dream yoga holiday?

2 June, 2015/in Spain, Surya Retreats, Travel, Yoga retreats/by Laura

I hear you -you’ve had enough of the same old rushed, overcrowded and stereotypical holiday destinations. This year is different, you need a REAL break, and you need time to work on your own well-being and inner peace. You’ve heard about yoga retreats, and you’re curious about them, but you’re not exactly sure how to pick the right combination.

Here are a few tips on how to plan your dream holiday this year! Just ask yourself a few questions, and it will be super easy to choose!

Define your yoga

Yoga retreats and yoga holidays come in all shapes and sizes, but one of the most important things you need to consider is how committed you are to your yoga practise. Remember there are usually two types of retreats: retreats and holidays. Yoga retreats usually dedicate a lot of time to yoga, and yoga holidays are more relaxed and will include more activities and cultural visits. Take this into account so as not to be disappointed!

Consider as well which school of yoga you follow and remember to bear that in mind!! At Surya Retreats you will frequently find flow-based yoga styles like Ashtanga or Vinyasa, but other yoga schools like Sivananda or Hatha are also common in our yoga retreats.

Pick a teacher

If your teacher already offers yoga retreats, you’re in the right direction. They will be able to guide you and tell you if the retreat they’re organizing is right for your level and your expectations.

But if your teacher is not planning any retreat anytime soon, make sure you get to know the teacher before attending their retreat. Learn about their biography, their experience, and if you can, connect with them directly to express your concerns, tell them about your practise and even your injuries. It will be easier to decide if you will get along with your teacher once they have explained their style of teaching and their goals on the retreat.

Mountain or Sea?

In terms of destinations, you want to narrow down the field of options. Perhaps you don’t want to travel too far from your country of origin, perhaps you’d like to the roots of yoga in India, or perhaps you think it’s safer to start with a Mediterranean country.

If your choice happens to be Spain, beware that you will still find very many different destination options with different atmospheres in this country too: yoga retreats can take place near the Mediterranean Sea and include plenty of water and sun-bathing time, they can happen in the Pyrenean Mountains and offer ski and snow-shoeing, or they can happen in the middle of the serene countryside in idyllic farmhouses.

Consider the advantages of prearranged packages

A couple of the upsides of buying a prearranged holiday package are convenience and comfort. This basically means some other person will worry beforehand about your safety, health conditions, and reliability of all the providers so you can concentrate on the joy of your yoga practise.

It is true –packages will be more expensive than if you buy an accommodation-only type of retreat, but consider all the decision-making time you are saving! Additionally, yoga retreat packages also include adventure and free-exploration to your holidays!

Whatever option you choose, yoga holidays are transforming experiences that will help you discover a new you. Peace and stillness, but also improved energy and strength are only a few of the gifts you will take home after attending a yoga retreat. Yoga holidays will also allow you to meet fellow yogis and other interesting travelers on the same spiritual path while having lots of fun.

Is your perfect retreat clear in your mind? It’s time to choose, then!

10 original places to sleep in your next yoga retreat in Spain

19 May, 2015/in Spain, Surya Retreats, Travel, Yoga retreats/by Laura

There are as many retreats out there as yogis in the world.

If you’ve never been on a yoga retreat before, the first thing that may come to your mind when I say “yoga retreat” might be a luxury resort with plenty of pampering options for your senses. Or perhaps you’re thinking of an eco-lodge with simpler facilities and surrounded by nature…

On the other hand, if you’ve attended a couple of yoga retreats before, you know there’s quite a variety out there, and you know what your ideal yoga retreat looks like.

Well, I’d like to surprise you today with some places you’d never imagine you’d be attending (or hosting) your next yoga retreat! We have all of these in Spain. 😉

Take a look:

1. A Gipsy caravan

If you’re a wild soul, and you’d like to enjoy your retreat as if you were Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there’s a hidden place on the Costa Brava where your dreams can come true. The yoga shala, made of wood and bright colours, will blow your mind!

2. A luxury villa

There are plenty of exclusive destinations in Spain, but none like the Costa del Sol and the island of Ibiza. The Mediterranean breeze and the palm trees are a great inspiration for architects who create luxurious villas that combine all the glamour with a yogic atmosphere.

3. A Modernist house

In the early 20th century, Art Nouveau geniuses in Catalonia created mind-blowing mansions and apartments for the upper class. Today, you can host or attend a retreat in one of them! Cement tiles, high ornamental ceilings, cozy patios and an amazing rooftop with views of Barcelona.

4. A tent

Camping has gone one step further with “glamping“. Nowadays, several retreat centers in Spain offer the possibility for you to be in touch with mother nature while enjoying all the comfort of a hotel. With our mild weather year round, you can sleep in a tent from early Spring to late Fall, and practise yoga outside too!

5. An old farmhouse

There are many traditional farmhouses throughout Spain that have been recently renovated as rural hotels or rural retreat centers. It is the case of old masías in Catalonia, or old cortijos in Andalucía. They are surrounded by peace, calm, and endless fields!

6. A kitsch hotel

Who said yoga retreats need to be all white and boring? Colour is fun! If you agree with me on this one, you will love this venue on the Costa Brava: each room is decorated with different themes, the kitchen, living room and terrace are colourful and sassy, and the outdoor meditating circle is a real treat for all yogis out there!

7. An urban hotel

We yogis have all probably attended a long weekend workshop in our city, but… taking a retreat in a city? Why not? With the right facilities (amazing yoga room, relaxing rooftop pool, and vegetarian restaurant!) who can say no to a few days of culture, tapas, sightseeing and yoga?

8. A tree house

Maybe you’re a wild soul, but don’t feel like Esmeralda. You’re more like Tarzan! In this case, a retreat on top of a tree will definitely suit you best!! Don’t expect a full-running shower up there -but rest assured that both the views and the sounds of the forest at night will be worth it!

9. A yurt

Yurts are portable tents traditionally used by nomads, especially in Turkey and Mongolia. Their large and quite solid structure makes for a very comfortable and atypical place to sleep! Oh, as a plus -in this venue in Andalucía, you will also find one of the biggest yoga shalas in Europe…!!

10. A mountain cottage

And for all altitude-junkies… a yoga retreat in a cottage, of course! All complete with wooden furniture, a fireplace, good food, indoor swimming pool, beautiful shala… and a lawn with impressive views towards a National Park!! Spain might be best known for its beaches, but the Pyrenees are just as awesome as the Alps!

How do I overcome my retreat nostalgia?

6 May, 2015/in Spain, Surya Retreats, Travel, Yoga retreats/by Laura

It’s been only 5 days since I said goodbye to my last group. I’m still in Andalucía, the land of the eternal Sun in Southern Spain. But even if the sunlight and warmth is trying hard to keep me in a good mood, my spirit is somewhere else –I’m overwhelmed from the past week.

This is what usually happens on the day after a retreat. You’re back to reality without previous warning: you stumble on the familiarity of your home, your pots and pans, your emails, your job, your gym and your cat. The shock of going back home collides with your struggle to bring back with you those moments of bliss and connections you felt while on retreat.

Your body might feel sore, yet you are relaxed, flying, you feel your body soar with every breath… and you wish you would feel like this forever. You start noticing the happiness that invaded you on your holiday slowly fades away…

I’m at this point right now, so I’d like to share a few tips on how to overcome your post-retreat gloom:

Keep up with your practise

One of my biggest struggles when I go back home is finding the time to practise. The schedule we usually follow on retreat is completely shattered once I get home. Morning alarms and mealtimes are a lot more relaxed on my daily basis (after all, I live in Spain!), and that’s specifically true for the first few days after a retreat. But the opposite may also be true for you: you have a family and children to care for, or a very demanding job that leaves very little room for yourself. All in all, it’s quite easy to make excuses and complain.

However, the post-retreat high should remind us that our yoga practise is non-negotiable, and no matter what is going on, we should always make time for it, just like we take time to brush our teeth and do our laundry. If you committed yourself to go on a yoga retreat in the first place, it’s because you needed some sort of push to change something in your life –so why not starting now that you’re still pumped from your last retreat?

Do not be too hard on yourself

Letting go of your graceful practise on retreat and finding the right time and space on your daily life will be hard. Obligations and stress will take over, and you may just not feel up to it. Forgive yourself. Everyone can have a bad day, or a bad week, or a bad month…!

Do not beat yourself up or get too disappointed for choosing to just throwing yourself on the couch in front of the TV instead of meditating for a few minutes. If that’s what you needed today, just acknowledge your needs and tell yourself tomorrow will be another day. Discipline is needed, but so is kindness and self-compassion.

Share the love

I will not stop saying one of the most beautiful aspects of yoga retreats are the people you will meet. People from very different walks of life come together with one same goal, which usually revolves around bettering oneself. You will undoubtedly open up, so will the others, and in no time, you will be bonding with possibly life-long friends and sharing beautiful stories you will want to tell over and over again.

Sadly, these connections will be missed back home. Make sure your yoga-friends support you and can give you the same sort of real and positive environment you experienced on your retreat. If you’re lucky, you might live in the same city with some of the participants, but if you don’t have such a community, look for one! There are plenty of meet-up groups that will help you find these like-minded people and build new and inspiring friendships!

Live in the present moment

The most important yogic teaching is to live in the moment, so it’s highly possible that holding on to your past experience will only make you miserable. Instead of dwelling in your travels or your retreat nostalgia, ty to cherish your current situation while being conscious of where you’re coming from. Tell your story to your friends, but don’t forget where you are now.

Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll forget these feelings and sensations I went through, and that’s why many of us hold on to the memories… so I like to keep a diary instead. Try that! Carefully write all your experiences, describe the retreat, the location, the teacher, the other participants, how you felt every morning and every evening before going to bed. This will help you release the experience while keeping it safe forever.

I hope your yoga retreat was SO AWESOME it was hard to go back to reality. But I also wish you a graceful transition and that you will book again soon!

7 things to expect from our yoga retreats

21 April, 2015/in Meditation, Surya Retreats, Travel, Yoga, Yoga retreats/by Laura

So we’re leaving on our yearly Mindfulness and Ashtanga Yoga Retreat in a few days, and first-timers are always a little nervous to see what they’ll find. Even people who’ve been on yoga retreats before are curious to find out how this one is going to develop.

So these are a few things you should expect when you come on a yoga retreat with us:

1. It’s mostly girls

European and North American yoga is mostly dominated by women (around an 80%). This means that most possibly this proportion will be present in your yoga retreat as well.

2. Time for yourself

At our yoga retreats we usually give you some free time for you to just relax and breathe. You will always have a couple of hours a day with nothing on the program so you can reflect, observe and clear your mind.

3. Setting new goals

Getting out of your daily routine and taking time away from home will help you see things from a different perspective. Take advantage of this distance, take a look at your life, evaluate it and reassess your goals.

4. Asana practise

Our yoga retreats are designed so you practise at least once a day every morning, and perhaps twice. The difference with your routine practise is that you might be practising with a different teacher, or you might be focusing on special poses or transitions. Take it all in.

5. Time to meditate

After a couple of days of an intense yoga practise and meditation your emotions will start to come to surface. By opening the physical body through yoga, your emotional body will start to release as well: don’t hold them back. You usually do that on your daily life, so acknowledge any new feelings that may come up during your yoga retreat, and let them go.

6. New friends

You won’t feel like the odd one out in a new group of friends. Think about it: you already have lots in common with the rest of the participants –you all love yoga. And most probably, you will all have a common interest in healthy eating, wellness and self-improvement. A yoga retreat is the perfect place to meet new and interesting people!

7. Time outdoors

All our yoga retreats contemplate time in nature. Whether it is on a hiking excursion at a natural park or a sightseeing trip in Seville, make sure to breathe the new and fresh air, and let it nourish your body.

You will have been working on your body and soul, clearing your mind with meditation, and filling it will all new experiences and people. So if all goes well… you will not want to go home!

How to find your purpose on a yoga retreat

3 sure ways a yoga retreat will help you find your life purpose

7 April, 2015/in Meditation, Surya Retreats, Travel, Yoga, Yoga retreats/by Laura

There exist only a few who have discovered and grasped their true potential in life. Indeed, this is a very challenging task. Our society values those things that have barely any spiritual significance: money, status, goals… so it’s really hard not to believe that your happiness and well-being lie in the better-paid job, the bigger house, the more expensive clothes, or the faster car.

With all this noise, how can we provide some clarity to our inner selves and open up to discover our own unique gift to this world? First and foremost, remember that the answer is already within you: nobody else can teach you how you have to live your path and what your potential really is. Remember though, that you need to find time to connect with yourself, and that you must believe in your inner voice above anything else.

A yoga retreat will undoubtedly help you find some answers to these challenges. A yoga retreat will remove you from your routine, both physically and rationally, and consequently will make you face new points of view which will eventually lead you to your life purpose.

These are some ways in which a yoga retreat will guide your inner self:

1. There will be compulsory inner work.

Be it yoga and/or meditation, that is what you came here for. Take advantage of it! A daily spiritual practise during one whole week will spark a change in habits. This practise will help your brain get used to a newfound silence, acknowledge your calling and listen to the needs of your spirit. Rejoice and learn from stillness.

2. You will be surrounded by like-minded souls.

Being around other people who are emphatically looking for answers is one of the best experiences on a yoga retreat. While sharing some holiday time with similar people, you will realise that we are all the same; we are all looking for truth and happiness, and we are trying to make the most of our brief time on earth. Feel the energy!

3. You will be introduced to inspiring teachers.

You may be following your all-time yoga teacher, but it’s possible that other spiritual guides will be present at the retreat offering extra activities: massages, reiki, Ayurveda teachings, Kirtan sessions, etc. Don’t judge other traditions, and be open to ancient knowledge from different backgrounds. Take it all in! You never know where your true calling is hiding.

Whatever phase you’re at in your inward journey, a yoga retreat can help you arrive to where you have to be. The clarity you will find on your retreat will travel with you as you go back to your everyday life –this time more alive, more confident, calmer and happier.

Buy holidays, not things!

10 March, 2015/in Spain, Travel, Yoga retreats/by Laura

I’m working non-stop these days. I love my work, but I happen to spend pretty much all time that I’m awake, working. I work when I’m cooking lunch, when I’m taking a shower, and during my spinning class. I must admit –sometimes even when I do yoga (wroooong!!). Because when I’m not sitting in front of my computer, my mind is still wandering, thinking about all those things I could do to improve my business, or the to-do list I haven’t finished yet.

Apparently, 47% of the time, our mind is wandering. As yogis, we know this isn’t quite healthy! Happiness is only found on the present moment. When you’re anxious, it’s because you’re dreaming (or having nightmares!) about the future. And it’s true –our mind tends to wander to dark and ugly places more often than they do to bright and happy ones. But hey, if you can’t live in the moment, you’d better live in anticipation of a gratifying experience! There are studies which say that at least “waiting for experiences tends to be more positive than waiting for possessions”.

On the anticipation

What do they mean by that? Well, in a few words, that people standing in line to get the new iPhone will have higher possibilities of being angry at each other than those standing in line to get tickets for the next Imagine Dragons concert.

And why is the anticipation of buying an experience vs. buying a thing a more pleasant one? Well, I like to think of the theory of infinite possibilities. When you buy your next yoga holiday, you have no idea what it’s going to be like! You expect lots of good things, but the truth is it could turn out a whole lot of different ways. And that’s what makes the anticipation so much fun!

You will start imagining what your room will look like. Will there be lots of light? Will it be comfortable? Who will I be sharing it with? Will they be fun and smart? You will then wonder about the yoga. Will I be able to get up so early every morning? Will I be sore after a couple of days? Will I improve my twisting technique? And you will also start picturing Spain in your head… the Sun, oh, the Sun!!

On the lasting memories

If you decide to buy that new iPhone instead of the yoga retreat you’ve been thinking about for so long now –oh well, I’ve lost you 😉 Just remember that things become obsolete. When they’ve lost its first days flashiness, they become part of the background of your daily life (remember your super cool iPod? Yes, it’s sitting next to that Walkman portable CD-player!).

That trip you took to Ibiza with a couple of your friends, though, and where you saw the sunset with a bunch of happy hippies and got up every morning to practise some yoga? That memory gets sweeter and sweeter every time you recall it!

So if you want to make your yoga retreat even more long lasting, start planning well in advance! 🙂 This will allow you to savour your future trip for days, weeks and months prior to itself, and its memories and new friends will certainly last a lifetime!

Buy a yoga retreat, instead of things -the experience will be a lot more valuable! 😉

Top 5 moments of our Yoga Your Heart retreat in Barcelona

24 February, 2015/in Spain, Travel, Yoga, Yoga retreats/by Laura

Oh wow. It was only a couple of weeks ago, and it already seems like an eternity… This is what happens right after a retreat –you just wish it lasted forever, that that was your regular day to day, that you got to spend your days chilling, travelling, practising yoga, and spending your time with positive and fun people… but I’ll write about that some other day.

Today I want to remember the top 5 moments of our Yoga your Heart retreat in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago!

1. These yogis playing around at Barceloneta beach

Well, this is what happens when you mix Spain and yogis coming from mostly northern latitudes…! 😉

Anna, our yoga teacher, invited us to play around with some postures and flows, and the group responded just taking off their shoes and socks and jumping right in!

2. A visit to the biggest Modernist site in the world

While many who have been in Barcelona before might have visited world-renowned sites like the Sagrada Familia or Park Güell, Sant Pau Modernist Site only opened its doors a few months ago, so I was sure none of the yogis in the group had had yet the chance to see it.

They were all utterly amazed at the typically Catalan architecture, the magnificence of the site, and the history of the buildings and the old hospital.

3. A yogi levitating down the stairs

This is just how yogis like to travel, you know. 😉

4. Magic and food

Well, this is the beauty of yoga retreats: you never know what talents the other people in your group may have. And as it turns out, they are usually very interesting and mostly entertaining! On this occasion, we had our own private magician!!! He left us all wondering and wow-ing with all his tricks!

Every time we sat down to eat some delicious croquetas and other tapas, Guillaume took out his pack of cards!

5. That moment when you complete a challenging sequence!

Being it Valentine’s Day weekend, the focus of the retreat was on heart-opening postures and vinyasa sequences. Anna made us practise the following sequence: downward dog – leg up – bend and flip the leg to the floor to Camatkarasana – hand to the floor to Urdhva Dhanurasana.

That last step, placing your hand on the floor to full wheel, involves a major change in the position of the body. It may only look like a small shift in posture, but you have to be willing to open your chest and your heart without fear, and you have to trust yourself enough to know your hand will support you when you will be completely upside down.

On the first and second days of practise, I could not get myself to do it. I did not think my back, my wrists, my arms, my shoulders or my chest could support me. I thought I would break. Something changed on the third day of practise –my body, and my heart, had opened. I completed the sequence.

I was free, and I was happy.

Namasté, Anna. And namasté, to the wonderful yogis who joined us in Barcelona.

5 tips to stay grounded while traveling

10 February, 2015/in Meditation, Travel, Yoga, Yoga retreats/by Laura

Building some sort of routine is quite easy when you’re at home, where you are in control of your calendar and can fit in an agreeable schedule. However, when you travel, that rhythm is altered, and it can catch you off-guard. To set yourself out for an awesome trip, learn how to keep yourself grounded with the following techniques:

Staying grounded far away from home truly comes down to being mindful and focused even when changing landscapes, time zones and your meal time schedules (quite evident in Spain, right?!). Staying grounded means being able to stay present at all times during your trip, being able to breathe without effort and feeling no anxiety for the changes applied to your body and brain.

When you can do that, you appreciate your every minute away to the fullest. Don’t try to stick to your regular schedule. Instead, try these techniques while on the road:

Create a peaceful space for yourself

Cluttered environments can make you feel restless and maybe even anxious. Unpack your bags upon arrival, and take some time to arrange your new room so it feels more homey and cozy for you. Maybe you even have personal items like family photos or a little Ganesha figure that always travel with you. Take your time to familiarize with your new and temporary home before setting out to explore more.

Energize with oils

Like candles, essential oils stimulate your smell, which undoubtedly impacts how you feel. Ayurveda recommends lavender scents for vata imbalances, jasmine or sandalwood for pitta, and eucalyptus for kapha. Bring some of these always with you together with your other personal items, and add a few drops to your bath or massage them into your skin while setting down.

Light a candle

For me, candles do the trick even better than the oils. There’s a calm warmth to the flame, and this is especially true when the candle is scented with familiar fragrances, like lavender, lemongrass or musk. These will help you refresh and quiet your nerves.

Let go of expectations

It is normal to have expectations when we travel. We look for the perfect trip because we’ve invested time and money into it. But when an unforeseen accident happens, like a delayed plane, getting sick, or a minor car breakdown, it is helpful to remember some little yoga philosophy: what would Patanjali do?

He would probably apply two of the observances (niyamas) of the eight limbs of classical yoga: Ishvara pranidhana (practise of surrender) and santosha (contentment). This can help you remember that pleasure must be found in the journey, whatever unexpected turns it may take.

Modify your yoga routine

If you go on a yoga holiday or retreat, expect to have a detailed yoga schedule that may alter your usual routine. However, if you travel for any other reason, you might not have room schedule-wise, or the right space, or even the energy for your full yoga practise. Do try to stick to some sort of yoga practise –you will undoubtedly notice some improvement. Attempt to meditate a few minutes a day and practise a few standing yoga asanas: by grounding your feet, you will immediately feel steadier.