As a traveller you are exposed to situations in life which you may only ever see on TV if you had not decided to put your ruck sack on. One of these situations was the introduction to yoga. I had visited India in 2011 to participate in the Rickshaw Run, which consisted of driving a tuk tuk, 4000kms across northern India and finishing in the desert of Jaisalmer. I did not know much about Yoga at the time but was more drawn to the practice of Buddhism as we had visited the city of Bodh gaya. The place where Buddha found enlightenment underneath the Bodhi Tree. I understood that there was a place called Rishikesh in Northern India and that was basically the birth place of yoga!!

So after many years of diving in and out of yoga and not really taking it seriously, it has now become a part of everyday life. Im not going to blab on about it too much but let me just say that the benefits of it are incredible!! Its not just about the health benefits of it for your body but you can also delve into the history of it and the history of India too which i find fascinating!! Spending time up north in Risihikesh surrounded by like minded people is one of the best things to do whilst travelling. It can open many doors for your journey and really depict what path you are going to take. One door that yoga has opened up for me and that is the study of Ayuverda. Its the oldest natural health system in the world. This is another blog i will add on at a later date and elaborate on.

So incorporating yoga into a lifestyle can be a tricky thing to do. A lot of the population live demanding, hectic and stressful lives and do not actually find a lot of time for themselves. This is exactly the situation i found myself in as well. Until something amazing happened. I read back some notes i had written whilst meeting the Dalai Lama in his home and he spoke about being an observer. Instead of going head on into a scenario with an emotion, maybe of anger, frustration, hatred or jealously, why not take a step back analyse the situation and then give a positive input. Basically having no problems and only solutions and becoming the observer. I found that incorporating yoga into a daily lifestyle, not making it a chore but something that you look forward to for the beginning of a day, really accentuates this thought process. When i was in India i met so many locals who practice yoga everyday at their homes of which has been passed up through their ancestry. Listening to their stories of how they look at life and how happy they are with having next to nothing, really does make you ask yourself questions. Do we need all the materialistic belongings? Do we have to have the next apple product being launched? Do we need a top of the range BMW to portray that we are successful?

I found that out for myself, yes of course its nice to have all these luxuries for sure in the western world but these local Indian people were so full of inner peace it was mind blowing and they all replied with the same answer which was: ‘We practice yoga everyday and find the time for ourselves whilst practicing and happiness starts from within’. Easy as that!! Now i’m no spiritual guru but there are times like these when you’re travelling that happen to you and words which are spoken in this manner, will stay with you forever and keep you on your desired path. Of course it depends on the individual and how you receive the information but for me it was very inspiring and comforting.

On the road whilst travelling i’ve been blessed to have been able to practice in many beautiful spots around the world and meet many people along the way. One of my favourite spots is by the sea. As a lover of the sea there is nothing better than practicing with just the sound of mother ocean in the back ground. Its so therapeutic, relaxing and calm. Don’t get me wrong going into a studio in a busy city or on a polluted city rooftop may be the only place yogis can practice it doesn’t quite do it for me. Therefore going the extra mile, i think, can be so beneficial for the soul and being closer to nature which we tend to forget to do. I agree with a lot of folk that ive spoke with in the past about yoga, hearing oh its not for me, i’ve completed 10 sessions now and i don’t feel any different. Perseverance is the key if you want to live a healthier life through yoga. It took me a very long time to adjust my life style so i could make it a part of it but eventually i started to find the balance and its like anything it will come with time!! To leave you with a thought, i eradicated alcohol out of my life to see what would happen. Its coming up to a year now and i will elaborate on that with a future blog!! Namaste!!