9 Tips for an Amazing Yoga Staycation

While yoga festivals on mountaintops and retreats on exotic beaches are tempting summer fun, you don’t have to travel far to have a great yoga-inspired vacation. In fact, you don’t have to travel at all. If you live somewhere with good yoga resources, you can plan a great staycation that is full of new yoga experiences, relaxation, and even a little pampering. The key to taking a holiday in the place where you live is to step outside your normal daily routine, so a little planning ensure you get the most out of the time you have. These ideas will help bring an amazing a yoga vacation to your doorstep.

1. Plan Your Yoga Classes

There are a few different ways to go with this. If you have a regular practice, I’d suggest doing a yoga class each day of your staycation. If you’re more of an intermittent yoga student, maybe plan classes for every other day so you don’t end up too sore to enjoy your downtime. If you like online classes or coming up with your own flow, by all means do that instead.

If you have a favorite studio, sit down with their schedule and pick out a variety of classes, including some vigorous ones and some that are more restorative or yin. This is also a good time to explore new options, maybe trying a class at a new studio in town or in a style you’ve never done before. Signing up for a weekend workshop is another great option. 

2. Have a Yoga Adventure

If the weather is warm, try to include some outdoor yoga classes in your plan. Yoga in the park is popular in the summer (and often free). If you live near the water, look for yoga on the beach or SUP yoga. This is all about changing your setting and getting a new perspective. Look for a therapeutic aqua yoga class, explore the circus arts with aerial yoga, or be adventurous and find an AcroYoga meet-up. A little Googling will go a long way, or check the bulletin board at your yoga studio for local events.

3. Meditate

If you’ve always wanted to establish a meditation routine, now is the perfect opportunity. Set aside 10 or 15 minutes to sit quietly each morning, using these tips for starting a meditation practice at home if you’ve never done it before. If you like to journal, incorporate that into your morning routine as well.

4. Menu

Healthy fare should be on the menu. If you like to cook but usually don’t have time, this is your chance. Finally figure out what to do with quinoa, chia seeds, and goji berries. If you hate to cook, give yourself a break. Try a new restaurant and order vegetarian. Get some prepared foods from a local vendor or grocery store. Stock up on veggies for snacks and frozen fruit for smoothies. Eat only raw foods for a few days. Get a week’s worth of fresh juices from a juice shop.

For a fancy spa feeling, flavor chilled water with cucumber or lemon slices. Allow yourself some of your favorite indulgences too, whether it’s a glass of wine or bar of chocolate. 

5. Get Outdoors (and Forget Your Car)

Get outside the gym and plan a hike or a swim each day. Ride your bike to your staycation destinations if possible. Use your car only when there is no other option. 

6. Disconnect

When I’m on vacation, I like to unplug from email and social media. For your staycation, pretend you are out of range on any cell towers or wifi networks. Set up an automatic vacation reply on your email and restrict your computer time. You can choose a total break or just check in once a day and only answer messages that are truly urgent. Do the same for your phone.

7. Spa Time

Book a massage, even if it’s just a chair massage at Whole Foods. If you can, pick a few other salon or spa services to enjoy. Even a haircut will do. Groupon can be your ally here, as you can often find deals for manicures and facials. You can also try a home spa experience with these tips from About.com’s Stress Expert.

8. No Errands!

Try to get all your banking, mailing, and even grocery shopping out of the way before your staycation starts. If there are unfinished errands hanging over your head stressing you out, set aside a block of time to take care of them so you can relax, but try not to make this time about going to the DMV and the dentist. Pretend you are going to be out of town. 

9. Include Time to Relax

There are a lot of things you could do on your staycation, but resist the urge to book every minute. Allow yourself to sleep in, watch movies, read that book you’ve been hearing so much about, whatever you do to relax. Find the right mix of activity and downtime so that at the end of your stayaction you feel stimulated and rejuvenated, just like you would after traveling, but without the headache and expense of leaving home.