Pandemic or not, your schedule or budget might stop you from flying to a halcyon yoga retreat.
That’s okay. Instead, nourish yourself with a staycation. Quality virtual yoga instruction has become more accessible and personalized since the coronavirus scourge forced a reinvention of classes, shifting them online.
Of course, there’s no direct substitute for getting away from your everyday environment in order to reinvigorate. And, yes, it’s tough to carve out space in a home shared with others, especially if they’re children. But some quality time is better than none, and a few strategies can help you get it.
“Giving yourself the gift of reconnection to your inner self doesn’t necessarily require travel,” says Juliana Spicoluk, co-founder of Boho Beautiful, a digital yoga, travel and lifestyle brand, which offers a digital yoga retreat. Spicoluk and her husband, Mark, who live in Costa Rica, also offer digital guided yoga and meditation sessions set against gorgeous outdoor backdrops via their related YouTube channel, which has been around since 2004.
“All you need is a little bit of time to yourself and guidance to help you dive deeper into your own inner experience,” Spicoluk says.
How to Plan a Relaxing Staycation
1. Commit.
You deserve this trip, even if it’s virtual and you never leave home. Clear your schedule for at least one day. The upside of an at-home retreat is that you can control its duration and timing, so take advantage of that. The Boho Beautiful Retreat, for example, lasts seven days, “which gives anyone that embarks on this journey an opportunity to truly explore their inner and outer self through practice, inquiry and stillness,” Spicoluk says.
2. Set daily intentions.
Set intentions for each day of your staycation. Write them down. These are less goals leading to direct outcomes (burn 300 calories in my morning yoga session) than contemplative aspirations (notice when I take shallow breaths and consider why I’m doing that).
3. Start your day with breath-work and stronger asana.
We generally have the most energy in the morning, so it’s the ideal time to practice stronger asana. Follow a live online session with your favorite teacher. It will keep you in the moment and hold you accountable. Barring that, opt for a recorded session. And if you’re not interested in either, here’s a step-by-step uncomplicated energizing sequence fit for daybreak.
4. Eat like you care about yourself.
Were you at an ashram, you’d experience a sattvic diet, in order to ease digestion and clear your mind. Try to mimic that. A sample meal plan could include a breakfast of cooked oatmeal topped with fresh and dried fruit, pecans and chia seeds; a lunch of beans and farro, with greens sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with lemon juice and sea salt; and a dinner of soup made from root vegetables and a protein of your choice, flavored with herbs, such as oregano and rosemary.
5. Nap, read, knit, paint, stare off in space.
Your staycation is a fantastic reason to slow down. Even if you’re the lazy type, it’s okay to chill during your DIY retreat. Everyone can use this designated me-time to be fully present.
Start by spreading out in comfortable recline, maybe under sunbeams, and read some of that book you’ve shoved to the side for months. That’ll make you snoozy, lulling you into a full-on nap or the twilight space between wakefulness and sleep. If reading isn’t your thing, find a different sweet activity: knit, paint, stroll. You’ll know your pick is appropriate if it first engenders alertness and then soothes.
6. End your day with breath-work and gentle asana.
A couple hours before bedtime, spend 20 to 60 minutes on a relaxed yoga practice. Then add at least 10 minutes of meditation, whether active or passive.
7. Journal.
Draw yourself back to the intention you set in the morning then trace its arc through to the present moment. “Process that day’s experience,” Spicoluk suggests. Put it on the page, so you can return to it later, perhaps during your next staycation.
Mitra Malek, a former Yoga Journal editor, has taught yoga regularly since 2006. She guides a live virtual yoga class once a week to help folks find a bit of me-time—even if it’s during their lunch break instead of a staycation.
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