yoga

Yoga around the US; Find bliss wherever you are: Haute Travel
let the sun shine in...#OM

let the sun shine in…#OM

I am lucky to be able to travel around the country on a regular basis, and no matter where I go, I often try to find a yoga class during my trip.  Yoga for me has been a way to get better in touch with my body, and understand what it needs to be the most effective for my life.  Doing yoga around the country has allowed me to experience various styles, and understand what I like and what I should do to keep myself balanced and whole.  Like wine, yoga can be as different as the studio, teacher, style and experience, and it’s definitely worth sharing both internally and externally.

Here is a list of some of my favorite yoga spots from the left to the right coast.  (Note:  I will keep updating this post as I attend more classes to ensure we cover all the good spots.)

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Finding Pura Vida in Costa Rica: Haute Travel
the lovely pacific coastline of Jaco Beach, Costa Rica

the lovely pacific coastline of Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica at dusk

Welcoming black coastline is only one of the wonders to be had not the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.  “Pura Vida” is not just a saying, but a way of life here; one which I experienced this past week on my first Yoga and Surfing Retreat with Sanga Retreats.  Being my first retreat of this kind, I was pretty curious about how the week would go, but with very little time to plan, I ended up basically “winging it” and stepping out of my planning-based comfort zone.  I wasn’t going in blind however, and what I did know was:

  1. I found the retreat on an awesome website called bookyogaretreats.com.
  2. The Sanga Retreats founder, Jamie, was super helpful in answering many questions.
  3. I was going to do yoga every day!
  4. The retreat included lodging and all the meals at an eco-lodge called Vida Asana near Jaco Beach.
  5. I was finally going to visit Costa Rica, a country which I have longed to see for some time.

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Tips to keep your workout routine while on the road: Haute Travel
stairs on the great wall

my brother before climbing stairs on the great wall

Like many people, I struggle with keeping my routine going while on the road.  I am not one of those people who will pick up their running shoes and hit the streets, though I wish I would become one (and may have to try).  So I have been on the hunt for easy to manage workouts while on the road that I can do from my hotel or nearby but still enjoy.

  1. Tone it up on You Tube – I found out about the duo (Kareena and Katrina) behind tone it up from their show on Bravo (which I didn’t keep up with).  It spurred me on to checking out their online fitness videos, and unlike the show I got hooked.  I start with yoga (cause who doesn’t need a stretch), and move onto HIIT or abs or something.  Because the videos are 15 – 20 min on average, they can be done quickly.  And many of them from your hotel room if you don’t want to brave the gym.  Definitely a haute find.
  2. Barefoot (almost) running – In Bali I didn’t bring running shoes due to space constraints, so when I wanted to hit the treadmill, I used my water shoes.  Now this is not recommended for everyone, but a jog was possible for me with these puppies, and gave me the barefoot running experience.  Being creative here is the key, and if you have a clean beach at your disposal, maybe barefoot could really work out.
  3. Build in hiking or get outside in some way – now that Spring is almost here, I want to be outside as much as possible.  And if I am on the road, it’s great to look up a cool place to build in a hike (like Croatia – Plitvice Lakes or Cherokee National Forest) and get to spend some time exploring nature.  It’s great cause my friends are all about this now, so we build activities into our vacation, like private yoga classes in Mexico, or a good nature walk.
  4. Try something new – I love the old adage “do something every day which scares you”, and as hard as this is, I channeled this energy when I tried surfing in Bali.  While I don’t do this enough, like walking the stairs on the great wall pictured above, I felt like surfing would redeem me a bit.  And what I learned, after many wipeouts, is that surfing in a reef break for your first time is super hard. (Note to self – try this again on a beach break somewhere.)
  5. Look up local classes on Yelp – who doesn’t love yelp in the US for great food or entertainment finds; I certainly do (thanks Yelpers!).  So in order to keep up with whats haute and happening any city, I use Yelp’s “search map area” function to find things which I may want to do near me, like yoga or zumba.  Sometime drop-in rates can be pricey, but it’s worth it for a good kick in the a$$ while on vacation. Note: Another great tool I have discovered is the mind body app. Most spas and gyms use this service, which is linked to your credit card. Easy peasy.

Hope these haute tips will keep you inspired and active while on the road, and if anything, provide some food for thought.