Benefits of Yoga While on Vacation

A vacation can be a great opportunity for spiritual growth as I explained in the article Planning a Spiritual Vacation, but it can also sometimes be disruptive to an established practice, as discussed in the article, It’s Wonderful but Dangerous to Your Meditation Practice.  With summer time around the corner for us, it is time for vacations and travel once again, and this time I want to present to you the benefits of doing yoga while traveling and while on vacation.  This article is by guest author Wesley Vonn, who is a fitness enthusiast and blogger, and is dedicated to healthy living for mind, body and soul.

If you would like to be a guest author on Master of Meditation and Yoga, please email me at anmol@anmolmehta.com.

Benefits of Yoga for Travelers and Vacationers

By

Wesley Vonn

People who travel for business or vacation on a consistent basis can reap great results by practicing yoga when they travel.  Yoga is stimulating to the mind and body, and it also reduces anxiety that many people often run into during extended travel periods.  When a person is traveling to another state, country or continent, numerous things can happen to cause physical or mental anxiety.  If a traveler experiences stress or discomfort while traveling, yoga may be the simplest and most effective solution.

Many times, when people travel from one location to another, cramped necks, headaches and sore muscles can surface in abundance.  Yoga is an excellent physical activity that can be done in small time increments between flights or during a quick car break on a long road trip. Yoga can also be done in a hotel room and the best thing about it is you can do it whether you are staying at a luxury hotel in Las Vegas or a cabin in the woods.  Releasing pressure from swollen joints and improving the blood flow to allow oxygen to circulate better in the body are two important benefits that yoga can provide to travelers.  

The American Osteopathic Association provides an informative online article that details the numerous health benefits people can experience by engaging in regular yoga sessions.  Less mental stress, spiritual benefits, sharper clarity of mind and stronger bodies are just a few health-related positive aspects that yoga can have on a person’s life.

Performing yoga on a regular basis can also help to alleviate hunger cravings that many travelers experience. Busy people who travel often for business or pleasure often snack while they are on the go because they rarely have time to prepare healthy meals when they are traveling.  Taking part in a yoga session a few times each week helps the body to get better sleep at night; and this reduces restlessness and lethargy that many people try to make up for by eating more food and consuming more caffeine.

Because yoga requires such a small investment of time and monetary contributions, it is easy for a person to try it out without much risk.  You may be surprised to learn how well you feel after just a few yoga workouts in one week.  Many people begin to make a morning habit of participating in a yoga session before starting their day so they can reap maximum benefits from the activity.

(Added by Anmol:)

Here are some nice yoga sets and poses to do while traveling which will help you achieve the above benefits outlined by Wes.

Kundalini Yoga Morning Wake-up Series

Yoga Poses for Beginners

Spinal Warm-up Series

Wesley Vonn is dedicated to fitness and living healthy for the positive effects it had on my mood, anxiety, sleep, and overall well-being. He is a true believer in living healthy for the mind, body and soul.