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I will soon be heading out to the California desert to visit family. I will be spending the majority of my time holding a fruity drink with an umbrella in it and looking at this:
I’m hoping to visit a Bikram yoga studio while I’m out there. However, it’s going to be about 114 degrees, so if I can’t get to an official class – it’ll be outdoor practicing for me!!
I love doing travel yoga. I’m kind of socially inept; I always feel wildly uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations. So, going to a studio in a different place with a bunch of strangers, and yet doing my exact same beloved Bikram series — it does my lizard brain good.
Travel yoga has little to do with fitness; let’s face it, I’m going to be eating “vacation food” which includes more than my share of my mother-in-law’s birthday cake. This is not going to be a particularly health-conscious time.
For me, travel yoga is about checking out other studios and having the experience. Every studio has their little quirks and customs, along with the by-the-book stuff, and that is interesting to me.
When I did a Bikram class in foreign language (Italian, while we were in Rome) I found such great comfort in hearing the familiar cadence of the dialogue. Instructors seem to have the same lilt, regardless of their mother tongue. But I was most amused by the fact that the Italians tend to moan and talk back to the instructors much more than Americans. So very Italian….
Have you done travel yoga? What similarities and differences have you found?
I’ll be out for a bit while we are on vacation, but I’ll be back soon!
Namaste, y’all!
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Just here. Just now. 
I do yoga almost everywhere I go, and I travel a LOT (hence the name of my blog). So far, I have practiced in New York (of course, I live here!), Miami, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, LA, London, Prague, and Sydney…among others.
Do you have a travel mat? I got a Gaiam one for Christmas, and I love it! It dries quickly after class, and takes up very litte room in my suitcase.
So nice to hear from someone else who suffers from wanderlust! I actually just got that Gaiam mat. This will be its first trip, so I’m looking forward to trying it out!
Instead of travelling I have lived all over the world. Last year I discovered Bikram. Never been to any other studio than my “home” here in Pittsburgh. PA. Now we’re moving to the country I hold the passport of. Germany. And right in time they opened the first Bikram studio in Cologne. How will it be to do the series in my mother tongue ???
Besides all the benefits of Yoga I love the intercultural aspect!
Oooh, so cool! I’m also German. I started practicing in Munich, now I live in Michigan. The main difference for me was not the language, but the room (heat, humidity, fresh air). Hope your move across the Atlantic goes well!
Danke;)
I love the intercultural part, too. It’s the sociology major in me coming out! Best of luck with your move— how exciting!
Last year while on vacation in San Antonio I took a class. It was the first time ever I took a class out of town. It was one of the best classes I have ever been a part of!
http://dotheposture.blogspot.com/2011/03/road-trip-part-ii.html
I would love to hear your comments. Have a great trip!!
So glad you had a good travel yoga experience. I’ll have to check out your post!
My wife and I are fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel extensively over the last three years or so. We started practicing Bikram Yoga in July 2008 (Australian winter). 12 months later when we started some extensive overseas travelling we actually found oursleves booking accommodation with one of the major criteria being that we were close to a Bikram studio. So far, apart from Australia, we have practiced studios in Canada (Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto), UK (London), France (Paris) and Singapore.
It is interesting how well we have been welcomed into the bigger Bikram family because we immediately have a point of commonality.
I have benefited from having different teachers with their own perspectives pick up different aspects of my practice to improve.
Its also very interesting to see how the different studios deal with the challenges of location, climate, heating and access.
One of the funnier things is that because we come from sub-tropical Queensland, often people assume that we want the hottest parts of the room….”oh you’ll want to feel at home in that area of the studio….” some of the most intense classes we have had have been in the winter months in Canada….
Doing yoga on vacation not only gives us a familiar anchor but is also great for getting us back into balance…especially as I do not sleep much at all on long haul flights….
“the bigger Bikam family…” I love that. So true. Thanks for sharing! Namaste.
Have a wonderful family-travel-yoga trip (hideous amounts of food and all :)) That photo looks like a lovely spot.
Thanks so much!!
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I am so happy for you! I love visiting studios where I travel. So far, my husband and I have visited one in Barcelona, Dublin, Berlin and Maui… All different and similar at the same time! It is always wonderful for me listening the dialogue from different teacher, so I am thrilled when I hear it also in a different accent or language.
Have fun!!
That’s so fun that you and your husband can share that. Thanks so much for reading!
I’ve only done Bikram once outside of the NYC area and that was many years ago when I first got into Bikram – I went to a studio in the Ft. Lauderdale area. It’s great to know that no matter where you go we are all united by Bikram. I haven’t been able to travel in the last couple of years but am going to be dusting off my passport soon and you can bet I will be looking for studios where ever I go. 🙂
I’m looking to get a few more travel classes under my belt, too. Thanks for sharing and namaste!
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