I have been practicing, studying and teaching Yoga as a whole ever since I started traveling to Asian countries over 5 years ago. Today my daily practice is part of my life whether I am traveling or not. From the physical rebalancing to meditation, breathing or understanding of life, Yoga has many benefits indeed. But how helpful it really is while traveling the world is still and always striking me when I look back on my trips now. Whether you are backpacking, couchsurfing, wooving, helpx-ing or workaway-ing - here are some of the many practical benefits of a healthy yoga practice!
Carrying your backpack: While others may struggle, you have a strong back and enough muscles to walk miles and miles with your backpack, which seems to be lighter than before
Elegance on boat trips: While on small remote paradise islands, getting on and off a boat might be tricky, but your yoga body will help you look far less ridiculous climbing around, jumping off and getting onto a boat - you have great balance, strong legs and even strong arms to help with luggage
Easy farmwork: If you happen to do exchange based help work on farms or in guesthouses, you will be thankful for all the forward folds and hip opening poses you've ever prepared your body for - they will help you a lot while working on the ground, with the soil, when planting seeds, cleaning floors or any other kind of physical work. Your body (and mind) will be less tired, less exhausted and you will recover faster. You will be able to work better and faster with far less effort and with so much more ease.
Karma work: You will see any kind of work you do anyway as karma yoga - selfless service. You will do it with love and devotion, without any thought of goal or return, whether it be cleaning the toilets, rubbing the floor or picking fruit. You will see the beauty in all of it anyway.
Having epiphanies from random things: You will be delighted to observe all the theoretical things about Yoga philosophy in practice - like the importance of circles while cleaning a window, the 7 coulours of the chakras in a sunset, the time lap between action and reaction while diving, and many, many more.
Getting up early: As you know and understand that the best energy is in the morning and that you feel so much better when you follow your natural rhythm and get up with the sun, you will have no problems and no rush to check out early and on time anymore. You will also be able to fully enjoy day trips that start early instead of being badly hangovered. And of course, couchsurfing on floors, short sofas or hammocks will cause no problem for you - you can easily rest your body anywhere.
Saving money on parties: As you don't see the point in drinking alcohol so much anymore as you are naturally happy, high and fully yourself anyway, you spend far less on alcohol and you can party and dance with so much more grace and energy. Of course your body feels great after a night with fresh fruit juices and water and you are fully fit the next day.
Energy and focus during activities: All the breathing, meditating and exercising will help you enjoy all the great activities that traveling has to offer with so much more ease and joy, like doing your diving certificate course, hiking, skydiving, kajaking... You will climb mountains easily!
Perception and senses: As yoga will heighten your senses and your awareness, you will be experiencing the world around you in a more rewarding way. Landscapes, beaches, sunsets, mountains will appear ten times more beautiful and stunning. Fresh food will taste so much better than before, new smells and sounds will be so subtle and so much more amazing. You will feel and sense everything with no judgment but with pure happiness and contentment.
Flowing Relationships: You attract who you are. You are so comfortable, joyful and loving that you attract only great loving people around you. Connections are made instantaneously and easily. It is never hard to say good bye as you understand non-attachment and that you are connected forever anyway. You will never be alone unless you choose to as you feel exactly when it is time to be alone to recharge and when it is time to be accompanied.
Understanding when things get rough: In times when things are not flowing, when you miss a flight, you get robbed, you loose things or when you get sick or heart-broken - you will always understand or seek to understand the karmic lesson behind it. You will see the bigger picture. You will know that it will pass. And you will have all the tools to deal with anything that may come into your way. You know which asanas or breathing method will help in which case or in which unease. Because you observe, you know and accept all that is more easily. And you know that a few minutes of meditation will make seem everything unsignificant and yet perfect as it is.
Giving a sense to your travel: As you start observing travelers and people around you, you might wish nothing more than to spread your happiness and the tools that made you access that happiness with the world. Meeting so many people from so many different places and backgrounds, you will have loads of opportunities to share your knowledge and help people around the world, which gives more meaning to your journey and yet more motivation to go traveling again.
Of course once you are back home from your trip, Yoga will help you a great deal to deal with that "other" world, too. I really recommend you start looking into Yoga as a whole if you haven't already. Put simply, Yoga is not that fashion hype trend sport, but an over 4000 year old science of life. It is neither a religion nor a strict rule. To me, I would say it is simply a great tour guide for my trips, a tourguide for my journey. The journey of life.
I am sure you can you see more benefits from Yoga while traveling. What are your experiences and stories?
With love & heart
YogAngelika
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