How to Maintain Your Yoga Practice While Traveling

Traveling is exciting and inspiring, yet it can shake up your yoga routine. While not catastrophic, getting away from regular practice can be stressful for those who count on yoga for relief from stress and anxiety. So how can you keep your practice afloat even as your schedule is turned upside down?

1. Pack smart. Most yoga mats easily fold into a suitcase, but you can take yours as a carry on without penalty if you don’t have room. Some hotels, like Omni Hotels, Even Hotels, and Kimpton Hotels provide yoga mats in-room, or you can request one for free when you book. Pack multi-purposeful clothes, and get creative with props if you don’t have the space to bring a block or strap.

2. Set realistic goals. Don’t set lofty expectations for your practice while you’re gone. Things always come up when traveling, so plan for that. Give yourself wiggle room within your goals for practicing, and reinforce your resolve by remembering why you practice.

3. Plan a routine, not a schedule. Rarely do we have control over our time when we travel, but we do have control over what we do with our time. Instead of committing to practicing at 7 a.m. each day, make your practice the first thing you attend. Give yourself options as far as length of practice too. Maybe your usual hour-long routine isn’t workable on the road. Plan a 15-minute and 30-minute option.

4. Explore new ways to practice. Maybe chair yoga or specific breathing exercises aren’t something you normally focus on, but travel is full of hurry-up-and-wait moments, so be prepared to take advantage of that time with some creative yoga practice.

5. Live your yoga. Remember that the mat is just a runway. Practice yoga in everyday life by being patient, gracious, detached from expectation, and mindful as you move throughout the world no matter where you are.

6. Practice in the airport. Several airports in the US and abroad have yoga spaces available. If your departing or connecting airport doesn’t have a dedicated yoga room, be brave, adventurous, and creative with finding a spot in the terminal or baggage claim to do some sun salutations while waiting to board your flight.

7. Use a yoga/meditation app. When you are on the go and don’t have access to a yoga class you might find it difficult to self-motivate or properly self-guide yourself in a yoga practice. If you have a smartphone you have a plethora of options for guided yoga practices. Yoga Studio app has 65 different yoga and meditation classes that range from 10 to 60 minutes. The difficulty ranges from beginner to advanced, and you can even design and save your own classes. If you have a short trip, you can use Yogaglo, YogaToday, or YogaVibes for free for a two-week trial period. Although these yoga apps do offer more content, the classes aren’t customizable. OM Finder is a free app that uses your current location to find a class in your preferred style from nearly 7,000 in 63 countries, so you can practice no matter where you stay.

8. Stay at a yoga-friendly hotel. Several hotels now offer free yoga as an amenity to their guests. See our list below for locations that offer classes. If you can’t find a hotel in your destination city that offers yoga consider booking a hotel or AirBnb walking distance to a yoga studio.