Fitness Friday #26: Yoga in ________

If you follow me on instagram or facebook, you might find that I take yoga pictures in all kinds of places.

I don’t talk about it much here, but I travel frequently for my day job in admissions. I’ve been fortunate to work in some of the most beautiful parts of the country. Because of work, I’ve traveled to some of my new favorite places:

Jackson, Wyoming
Austin, Texas
San Diego, California
Boulder, Colorado
San Francisco, California
New Orleans, Louisiana

Beyond work, I’m always up for an adventure. Luckily, I have a partner-in-crime who is crazy enough to indulge me in additional travel. He even came with me on my first trip to Wyoming.

One thing I’ve learned with all of this travel: it’s good to find something constant, especially since I’m always moving, heading to a new place. One of my go-to constants for travel, especially for work, is my yoga practice.

Even more, I love, love, love when I can take my practice outdoors, to admire and enjoy the local views.

Like – the Grand Teton National Park:

or the Colorado River overlook in Austin, TX:

or the Flatirons in Boulder, CO (my favorite place outside Chestertown, MD):

or The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA:

or the streets of Indianapolis, IN:

and in the open green spaces on the Stanford University campus:

I love outdoor practice. I practice yoga just about every day, for 5-60 minutes. It’s a range based on how I feel, whether I’ve taught 2 classes that day, and the time I have allocated for my workout on that day. Sometimes I need a deep stretch, sometimes I need to get lost in practice. No two days are alike!

I love taking yoga ‘on the road’ with me, because it keeps me grounded, keeps me focused, and keeps me moving when the rest of my daily routine has changed. When I practice during travel, I usually begin with 20-30 minutes of cardio before bustin’ a few moves.

On occasion, just to commemorate the happiness or excitement of a moment, I’ll pose in a certain spot for fun.

Like the entrance of Yellowstone National Park:

or on a stone wall overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge:

Or by a giant redwood tree in Muir Woods National Park:

While I know yoga is not just a series of poses and postures, I find it fun to get into some of these forms to capture the essence and mood of a place I’m visiting. (Tree for a tree, bridge for a bridge, etc.) It’s all in good fun. I am also aware of my body and I know of any limitations I have on a particular day. So, these postures are accessible to me on a normal day.

Do you have any fun travel go-tos? Do you like to workout when you travel to new places?