We recently had the pleasure of having Beth Furman, MALS, E-RYT, guest teach with us in Cartagena. Beth has studied yoga, dance, and many other forms of movement, including hip-hop and African dance, for over 30 years. Beth integrates all her movement training and experiences into her yoga teaching and practice. She couples a unique, vinyasa-based style with eclectic music to create classes that are vibrant, fun, spontaneous and intelligent, and that enable people of all ages and abilities to experience a full, “pranafied” practice in a supportive environment. A certified 500-hour yoga teacher, Beth has studied with many wonderful teachers including Shiva Rea and Mitchel Bleier, from whom she received her certifications. She earned her Masters degree from Wesleyan University, concentrating in dance/movement studies. Beth currently teaches yoga to adults and children, integrating hip hop and other forms of dance and cultural expression into the practice. She regularly has hip-hop/yoga parties at home with her kids. Here, Beth shares traveling yogini tips from her most recent Escape to Cartagena…
I am a yogini, dancer, brownie baker and musically obsessed mother of three rocker children. Life is great, and with work and kids, there is a lot going on. A recent trip to Cartagena put some of the groove back into my life and showed me the yoga of travel.
Yoga means union, so the “yoga of travel” is the union of vacation and the real world. In Cartagena, having the luxury of teaching and vacationing at the same time helped me see how doable it is to fully enjoy your vacation and bring it home with you, much the same way your yoga practice can be taken off the mat and into your life.
As part of a good friend’s 40th birthday celebration, I was honored to teach, play and dance with a fantastic group of women. AND I was in the company of traveling hostess extraordinaire, Erica Gragg. Erica and her partner Francesco, are amazing river guides, providing healthy and relaxing experiences in exotic places. All in all, incredibly juicy adventures.
But re-entry into real life can be tough and the initial transition can be too, with an unfamiliar place, new foods, and different time zones in some cases. Adjustment to a new experience can actually mess you up a little and yet, it is very exciting at the same time. On the other end, getting back into real life, with real time and obligations has its own challenges.
Here are some quick tips for enjoying yourself while away and keeping that vibe going once you get home.
1) Breathe. Notice the temperature, the feel, the smell of the adventure. When you get home, let the familiarity of home ground you and bring you back.
2)Stand in Mountain pose, tadasana. Where you are, is where you can stand tall. Whether you are “standing” in a Volcanic mud bath in Cartagena, or standing in line in the ‘burbs at the market.
Note: To practice tadasana, stand tall on two feet. Evenly distribute the weight of your feet on the ground and as you press down into your feet, lift your arches slightly to feel a rise of energy all the way up the inner leg. Let your sitting bones descend, then tone your low belly slightly to lift the front of the hips. Soften your front ribs into your body, slide the shoulder blades down your back as you lift your heart and sternum. Tip your chin slightly forward to lengthen the back of your neck, and take the tip of your tongue to the top of the palate. Open your eyes and look at the tip of your nose, or if your eyes are closed, the inner Gaze can be up toward your third eye, right above and center of the brows. Arms extend toward the earth with palms facing forward.
3)Call in the drums. This was a particularly powerful tool for me, while away. Listen and feel the rhythm of the place. Also, notice the music being played while you are out and about. Being aware of the sounds, the feel and the rhythm of your surroundings helps you stay in the flow of the place you are in, which ultimately helps you stay attuned to what is going on. It also helps you embrace the life you live on a daily basis. Is the place fast paced, or more low key? Do you become energized by a faster pace, or do you build your reserves through moving more methodically? Maybe a little of both. Explore this and then notice, when you get home, how you can ride the wave of faster and slower paced days to keep you balanced energetically.
4)Invoke your inner goddess (even if you are a dude). In other words, this is another way to get grounded. But it is also a way to feel a very strong presence within you. Acknowledge those ways in your life that you feel really empowered. Enjoy them while away, and then bring it all home with you.
To practice Goddess pose: Take a wide stance. Knees turn out, cactus arms. Sit down in your hips. Visualize a strong cord running from your hips into the center of the earth. Activating a connection to your grounding cord helps you stay in the flow, wherever you are: whether you are in New York City or Marrakesh high on a mountain. Do this any time you need to cultivate grounding energy.
5) Try something new while away. For example, I started drinking fresh juices for breakfast while I was away. I am currently in the market for a juicer so I can invite that experience into my life now that I am home. Or maybe a new practice for you centers around something broader, like your perception of time and how much of it you feel you have. When on vacation, time can take on a very different meaning than when you are at home, living a more scheduled life. As a practice, when you get home, create bigger and more open spaces for yourself, timewise, even if they are new 10 minute spots that you provide for yourself to sit and day dream. This way, you can still stay in that spacious feeling that you have on vacation, even with a busy schedule.
Bringing a new practice into your life each time you go away helps you keep the energy of the trip alive in you for a long time.
Most important: really live the moments you are away FULLY, and use that practice to enjoy life when you are home. If the travel bug bites, follow it and know that both travel and home life in balance give us a healthy perspective on what is real and important in life.
