Yoga and Wellness: Yoga Practice as a Mini Vacation

I started practicing yoga probably 15-20 years ago. I’d always been interested, doing a yoga session here or there, but nothing consistent. Last year, when embarking on a new weight loss journey, I realized I needed something else in my life. I revisited yoga, and found just what I needed. It’s rest. It’s work. It’s challenge. It’s strength. It’s peace. It’s a mini vacation. Yoga and wellness filled some gaps in my life in a way I never expected.

In mid-2024, our family faced a devastating circumstance. I’d been dealing with some health issues, but big situations have a way of prioritizing your life. Healing, growing, evolving, it took a back seat — until I realized it couldn’t. I needed to keep myself at my best in order to help my family, and the first step was losing the extra weight I was carrying. Part of my plan was at least 30 minutes of intentional movement per day. Sounds easy, right?

I beefed up my spare room, turning it from a workout slash guest room to a yoga room that also happened to have my Bowflex bike in it. (The futon opens into a full-sized bed and the closet has everything a guest could need, so I didn’t feel like I was co-opting the room for just my own needs.) I added lights, some tapestries, wall art, an infuser, and a small speaker for music. It’s perfect, but you don’t need your own room to integrate yoga and wellness into your lifestyle.

Movement is natural. It should be easy, but when you run a social media marketing agency, you spend a good amount of time at a screen, sitting on your backside. Live events, as much fun as they are, still require time on your butt in a car on the California freeway or sitting in a chair while you create the content on a device. Then there is the writing and reports and emails. Before you know it, hours have gone by. You’re stiff, your calorie burn is down, and you aren’t motivated to get up and move. It’s a vicious cycle, one many people with a sedentary position experience.

I walk, I do Pilates, I lift weights…but I can’t honestly say I look forward to them much. I often walk in front of the TV at bedtime, but even that gets boring. I do it because my Apple watch reminds me if I’m slacking, and I hate catching up at night.

Yoga is different. I look forward to it, I plan around it, and I truly practice it. A yoga session isn’t about perfection, because being perfect isn’t necessary. Trying. Breathing. Being aware of your body, your breath, and holding a pose is though.

I’m not a yoga practitioner. I’m not a teacher or a pro by any means, though I may go for certification at some point. For now though, I’ll take that mini vacation any day that I can…at home, in the yoga studio, or at a winery for a special yoga-winetasting event. (Yes, those exist!)

Why does yoga feel like a mini vacation? Why do yoga and wellness balance life out?

When I walk into the yoga studio, I feel a sense of focus. What I need to pick up at the store on the way home, what I’m making for dinner, that long to-do list, or what emails I need to answer, it all fades once I walk through the door. That outer world is left behind, just like my car in the parking lot. It becomes about me — and that’s okay. Women, whether we’re a mom or not, tend to feel guilt when we focus on ourselves, and we need to find a way that allows us to do it without that guilt.

Yoga is the biggest stress reliever I’ve got right now, outside of a vacation to Costa Rica or a day at Disneyland. It’s an hour out of my day, and I maximize its value. I walk into the studio, say hello to the amazing owner and instructor, remove my shoes, and walk into the classroom. I choose my spot, which is often towards the back wall, roll out my mat, grab any props I may need (typically, two blocks, and maybe a strap) and lay down to stretch out. It’s at that moment the commitment really begins.

A yoga mat is more than just a protection between the floor and your body. It’s a sign of why I’m there. It’s where I proclaim, to myself, my intention. My space. It’s a reflection of myself, so I choose a color and pattern that is an extension of myself. I trust it to pad my knees in tabletop position, and to stabilize my feet in warrior pose.

When I settle on my mat, I take a deep breath in. I exhale. I let my body lead me by telling me what I need to do: stretch out on my back, long and flat, or on all fours, doing repetitive cat-cows to loosen up, or instinctively going into child’s pose to fully feel the mat from toes to forehead. The texture of the mat against my face humbles me. I find myself melting into the pose more fully. I sit up, happy to be there, double-checking that my phone is on mute, my towel is within reach, and my water is tightly closed.

Then I lay down until the instructor begins the class, and that’s when the real magic happens.

For the next hour, I move from pose to pose, making sure my breath is in sync with my movement. I focus on every part of my body being in proper alignment, while allowing myself to be proud that I’ve come this far. Shoulders back, hips squared, chin up, gaze forward…it takes all of my mind to bring it together. I constantly reassess my positioning and make subtle adjustments as I go. The pace is never so fast that I feel rushed, and if I miss a pose, that’s okay, I pick up where we are.

It doesn’t take long for me to fall into a rhythm. Move, align, breathe. Hold. On and on, in different ways, throughout the whole class. I stop to think if my feet or knees or hips are pointing forward. I breathe in fully, recognizing the feeling of full lungs or a strong exhalation. For an hour, your body is working, but so is your mind. You’re strengthening yourself, toning your muscles, and learning relaxation skills while inwardly meditating, just not in a ‘sit on the floor and block your mind’ kind of way.

As your practice goes on, your poses will get stronger. You may try inversions. You may get more advanced…or you may be entirely happy doing a slow flow that feels good but doesn’t require exertion. It’s all okay. Yoga has no requirements. Yoga and wellness aren’t a deadline or level, but a feeling, a personal goal of peace and fulfillment.

This is why yoga feels like a mini vacation. I can legitimately ignore whatever else is going on in the world, in my life, for that hour. My phone is on mute. My watch is on Focus mode with no interruptions. I listen to the instructor to tell me how to move, and they’re so good, they lull you into a state of trust and visualization without even looking. I don’t have to open my eyes unless I want to…and even then, my vision is minimal, as I take my glasses off as soon as I hit the mat.

There’s a feeling of anonymity. I know others may be able to see me, but everyone’s so focused on their own flow that they’re not looking at me. Unlike many public places, no one cares about what anyone else is doing. We’re each at our own level of activity and skill. If we have to modify a pose, no one notices. Bobble in warrior three? No one cares. (And this is a bonus to being unable to see others; a balance pose requires I pick a static point to stare at, and others’ bobbles or stumbles don’t affect me…and hopefully, mine don’t affect them.)

As I succeed in a pose, when I push myself a little bit harder, or when I comfortably stretch further than before, I find myself smiling. There’s an internal sense of accomplishment, and even when I’m struggling to stay upright or to go into a bend a little deeper, I’m happy. I feel stronger. I’m excited to feel my body have the ability to do yoga, even if it’s not perfect. Given how bad my RA has been some days, and the stress we’re currently under, I’m aware it could be so much worse, and that I’m fortunate my body can move how it does.

I’m also incredibly thankful to have found a studio where I feel at home. I used to do yoga at a gym, but the people cycled in and out so much, there was no continuity in instructors or even students. Classes didn’t build on anything you learned before, but hopped around. People would line up to get in the door, and you had to be there early in the hopes there was space. And if you got in, people were able to watch through a big window; yoga is a space for self-reflection and focus, not worrying if people were staring as you toppled over or couldn’t get in a pose.

Yoga can be done at home. (It can also be done with your dog/s.) There are free videos available on YouTube or social media. A mat can be purchased at Ross or Marshall’s, and you can do it without formal props. You can wear gym shorts and a t-shirt, so you don’t technically need a studio…but having an instructor who is in the room with you, helping provide guidance or adjustments, working with the flow of the room, it can make or break your session. The quiet music, the soft lighting, the vibe, it all plays into how a studio makes you feel, and you need to find a place that inspires you. It can make you excited to practice instead of feeling like you ‘have’ to practice.

Different studios or franchises have different approaches. I chose a hot yoga studio, something I’d never done before. Not gonna lie, in the first class, I was questioning my choices about 30 minutes in — and not because of the flow or instructor or studio, but I was unsure at first how my lungs and body would react to the heated environment. That’s where yoga really shines though. Inhale. Exhale. Think about your pose. Before you know it, that moment of fear or trepidation is gone. I haven’t even slightly been concerned since.

I do practice at home still, but those 2-3 classes per week in the studio are a form of escapism. Capability. I compete only with myself, to see if I can lean just a little more, stand on one foot with just a little more stability, stretch just a little further. I feel so fortunate I have been able to join the studio and that I have the flexibility in my obligations to meld my schedule around those classes. It’s a gift, and while there is a significant cost to a yoga studio membership, my wellness is worth it. And so is yours.

A few things about yoga readiness:

Purchase your own mat. Most studios rent them out, but having your own is a bonus. A mat doesn’t need to cost a lot to do its job. Choose something thick enough to support your weight without injury, and lightweight enough to carry easily when rolled up. Pick a color that makes you feel at peace, and, if you want it, a pattern that inspires happiness. Bright pink, light purple, dark black, it doesn’t matter, as long as it speaks to you. They range from $15 at Marshall’s to $200 online. I have one at home that has a fun zebra print, with a plain purple thicker undermat, and for the studio, I got a nice Gaiam with a celestial pattern. They make me happy, and they remind me of ME and why I’m there.

In a studio, you’ll appreciate having streamlined attire. Yoga pants with a flared bottom, leggings, a sports bra (or a well-fitting bra that won’t restrict or pinch) and a top that won’t flop onto your face or get caught up in your arms during poses. I’ve purchased several of mine on Amazon, but you can find good options at almost any clothing store, and many yoga studios sell gear as well.

Tie your hair back. Clips are great, but put them high enough up on your head so they don’t dig into your head when you lie down. You want nothing to impede a comfortable savasana, the lying down pose that most classes end with.

There are more yoga tips I could share, but this post is about yoga and wellness in general. I’ll do a yoga practice tips sheet in another post. For now, just consider the mental health aspect of yoga. Consider why you want to start, and give yourself the space, and grace, to do it. Let me know what you think!