“The most important pieces of equipment you need for doing yoga are your body and your mind” – Rodney Yee
The whole essence of going on a vacation is to relieve ourselves of the daily stress we go through. Even at that, we still get stressed on vacation in one way or the other. Giving the body a natural treatment and exercise is one way to stay totally healthy and fit.
Practicing yoga has a lot of benefits and it is one way to achieve a totally calm, relaxed, fit and healthy body. Yoga has been a natural therapy for stress for a very long time and this has been helping travellers who practice it.
Purity, a yoga teacher shares with us various yoga styles travellers can try when going on vacation.
COULD YOU BRIEF US ON WHAT YOGA IS?
Heyyyyy! To make it really simple, I’ll say Yoga is summarized into three aspects for me;
Being in control of your mind, body and soul so that when that silly person attempts unfailingly to touch your soul with their dirty hands, you genuinely pity them, buy them some organic soap and show them how to wash their hands. Then free them of their hateful selves.
Being at total peace with yourself that changes your entire lifestyle including learning patience, farting odorless happy farts (#NoJudgeZone), consciously desiring to do good to the world, appreciating & noticing the universe in its full grandeur from the tiny green plants to the overwhelming oceans and allowing yourself plunge into the greatest unknown with faith, handling pain with grace.
Achieving mind-blowing and impossible body poses that the normal can’t. Building balance, stamina, strength and flexibility simultaneously which helps you maintain a fit body, physical and mental health. More so, breathing your best life with love & light!
I can say it’s a journey to connecting the dots of the body, mind and soul into one metaphysical individual.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TEACH YOGA?
I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. To teach something that would make someone’s eyes sparkle with so much joy! When I started yoga, I moved to Lagos a year after and as continued my private practice. I would usually visit the beach and practice a flow to the sound of the waves in the presence of the sun; that was where I found my first students. They joined me one Sunday and I’ve been teaching since then from one studio to another. It’s a joy to be a teacher of an art that brings so much joy & change yet benefiting oneself in every way. After a while, I attended a 150 hour teacher training and currently teach every Mondays and Wednesdays.
Its been a fruitful journey to watch my students transition fully into advanced yogis, heal from a physical pain or bad posture, attain mental health or be able to use the practice to cope through pains from a deathly disease etc.
It keeps me all the more dedicated to my practice because I have to practice for myself and my students who are mostly beginners. Revisiting those beginner poses keeps me humbled and grounded in the journey. Additionally, it’s beginning to provide another source of income. So, it’s been such a winner all the way!
PLEASE SHARE WITH US IN DETAIL 5 STYLES TRAVELERS CAN PRACTICE
At the airport
Haha… Every time I travel (which I do a lot), I carry my Liforme travel mat with me and between transits, practice right there. I mean it’s the best workout to get in on the go! So from experience, starting from sun salutations, warrior poses, standing poses, L-sit stretch poses, hand/head stand and some savasana! You could even have a whole 30 minute Ashtanga series right there.
On the plane
I know this could be a scary part for people and usually, people claim doing yoga on the plane is impossible but no way! Remember that brochure you read about safety in the plane, those poses are yoga inspired! Ehy!
Get into a full lotus pose (ignore the arm rests) with strait back and breathe, release your legs to the floor and roll your back with your head facing your lap and hands falling to your feet.
Find a reason to visit the loo and get in a tall tip toe mountain pose and fold forward as you let your body breathe. Relax your wrists over a chair and bend forward from your waist with your head below your arms, strait legs and stretch the back. Do the same with a wall-assist back bend and some chair pose. It would also be fancy to get into a headstand as you feel the pulse of the plane & try to balance the core!
At the beach
Oh this is my favourite! By all means go all out! I find that using the bamboo wood or any hard wall surface is a great prop especially for inversions. So you don’t need to be a guru. Just place your hand on the sand, kick your feet up on the wall and play around with different shapes. Also try some acro yoga with a friend and a wheel pose, a sun salute mountain pose in full stretch, a tree pose, warrior, crow poses and some low lunges.
THE RACHEL/MARLEYA HANGOUT SERIES
I curate a hangout series with my friend, Rachel, that helps yogis experience outdoor and indoor activities inspired by the practice – to learn new things, dive into the deep, embrace nature and form healthy lifestyle habits. We have hosted a Beach Hangout where everyone had the chance to learn surfing, swimming in the sea, networking and sharing healthy food habits with new friends. I am hosting a new hangout themed “Social Painting & Yoga Brunch” on 31st March 2018. So visit my website here (https://www.topehassan.com/activities/a-social-painting-yoga-brunch-party) to learn more about it and reserve your slot.
MARLEYA’S STREET YOGA CHALLENGE
Don’t also forget that one of the exciting ways to spread the yoga spirit and create stunning wanderlust photos as you travel is by stop drop Yoga on the Streets. So find a cool space, Stop, Drop & Yoga! Tag me to your photo and challenge me. I’ll retaliate. Simply use the hashtag #StreetYogaMarleya.
For inspiration on Yoga poses, visit my Instagram page @YogaMarleya.
We should be able to try the simplest style when next we travel to revitalize our body and soul.
Are you a yoga person? Do you practice yoga when you travel? You can share your tips on what style to try. You can also tag us in your yoga photos when you travel.
