My feature on The RV Entrepreneur Podcast Episode 227 (my lucky #)
Are you new to the idea of RV yoga? Then you won’t want to miss my podcast episode Yoga for RVers on The RV Entrepreneur.
I sat down with Heath Padgett to give you a crash course in practicing yoga on the road. Be sure to listen to it to learn more. For now, here’s some background on what we covered.
How I Went from Hating Yoga to Being a Yoga Teacher
You might not believe me if I told you how I started yoga.
When I first began practicing yoga, I hated it!
Now I’ve been a yoga practitioner and teacher for 21 years and have helped countless others love the practice of yoga.
I was working full time in Human Resources for a large corporation and had a side hustle teaching “hardcore” group exercise classes. Not something easy like yoga. Eventually, the stress and hardcore exercising caught up to me. Doesn’t it always?
Sure enough, I injured my shoulder requiring surgery. I'm not one for going under the knife, and convinced the Doctor I should try physical therapy first. Can you imagine my reaction when the physical therapist told me I needed to relax (the nerve) and try yoga?
If you’re anything like I was then, you might think yoga is “too easy” or “its too weird”. After my first 4 classes, my perspective changed. I felt lighter and more connected in my life.
Soon I started going to yoga class 3-5 times a week. Six months later I was teaching my first yoga classes and was able avoided surgery.
It is easy to let the stress of life overwhelm you. There's always“more, more, more” we should or could be doing. Whether you’re a working RVer or you’re a retired RVer, you might be feeling this way.
Eventually, you’re going to burn out if you don’t make a change and take time for yourself. That’s where yoga comes in.
Why Yoga is a Must for RVers
As full-time RVers, we spend a LOT of time sitting and driving. Sitting in your rig working or driving for hours on end can really take a toll on your body.
Add in the stress of driving your house (I repeat, your house) in the wind, rain, construction zones, or traffic, and the tension can really get to you. You’ll start to feel the ache in your shoulders, neck, and back. By the time you get to your destination, you’ll probably feel miserable. If you’re a new RVer, spoiler alert, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
Lucky for you, yoga is a great way to relieve physical and mental stress and tension. You don’t need to wait until you get to your next site. You can engage in yoga both while you drive (while still staying safe and focused) and when you stop along the way.
Stress relief while driving
Heath asked me if there were any stress relieving techniques that you can do while driving. I shared two of my favorite breathing exercises and a series of travel stretches.
Breathing
First, focus on the cool breath coming into your nose and the warmer air leaving as you exhale. Second, focus on breathing into thirds. Feel the air fill the first third of your lungs, then the middle third, and finally the last third. Focus on how your ribs expand as the breath enters each third of your body.
Breathing helps create the mind-body connection you need to achieve true relaxation and connection. It might seem incredibly simple. But it is also incredibly powerful.
Travel Stretches
I also shared a series of 6 easy stretches to do on a pit stop.
Every RVer should add these to their arsenal. That way when you arrive at your site, you’re refreshed and ready to go enjoy the beautiful place you are in.
You don’t need any equipment to start yoga and you can do it anywhere. It is a perfect fit for RVers. Yoga and focusing on the breath can help you during your drives. But that’s not all. It can keep you connected on the road as well.
Stay Connected and Healthy on the Road
Living in a small space can make taking care of your body challenging. You may feel like your space is too small to work out. Constantly moving makes going to a gym next to impossible. And if you’re like most people, it is way too tempting to make excuses for why you can’t exercise even in the best of times!
The fantastic thing about yoga is that yoga is adaptable. There is no one way you must practice yoga. I have been full-time RVing since 2018. During that time, I have helped RVers just like you learn to adapt both indoor and outdoor spaces to become yoga oases.
If you’re just getting started, you won’t want to miss my video series on how to do yoga in an RV.
Yoga also helps build connections and community with other yogis. When you’re constantly on the move, developing friendships can be a challenge.
With taking virtual yoga classes, you have accountability and connection anywhere you go.
Another way to stay connected to a yoga community is my RV Yoga Club Facebook Group.
Escapees RV Club members can join the Yoga BOF private Facebook group. Escapees Traveling Yogi BOF.
Teaching Yoga While Full-time RVing
When you practice yoga outside your rig, fellow RV yogis may happily surprise you with a connection. That’s what happened when I first began offering traveling yoga classes for RVers.
I was practicing yoga outside my rig when a group asked if they could join. It sparked the idea to offer yoga classes at events and campgrounds. Yoga is all about connection, but that connection is difficult to find on the road. That’s why I started offering classes. Pretty soon, my traveling practice grew and people wanted to know where I was headed next.
Now, I have a loyal RV Yoga following you can be a part of too! I offer events on the road with Escapees RV Club and virtual classes you can take from anywhere.
It is the perfect way for both new and experienced yoga practitioners to have accountability and community.
Hosting the Rejuvenate RV Yoga Retreat
April 15-18, 2022 in enchanting Sedona, Arizona
This is the first event of its a kind. The retreat is a perfect way to start or deepen your yoga practice and learn how to create a sustainable practice on the road. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it!
The RV Entrepreneur (RVE) Podcast
If your unfamiliar with the RVE podcast it's a fantastic resource for nomadic entrepreneurs interested in downsizing their life, creating remote income, and working from anywhere. The RV Entrepreneur Podcast is a weekly show where Heath Padgett interviews nomadic entrepreneurs who have made the leap into the RV lifestyle and have taken their businesses with them on the road.
Heath and Alyssa are hard at work on the campground they're developing in beautiful Montrose, CO. If you're in the neighborhood they're offering currently offering boondocking. On Heath and Alyssa's blog they share more information.
Thanks for reading! @thetrippingyogi Tag me on your RV Yoga photos.
I’d be very grateful if you’d help me spread the word to your friends on how RV yoga is a perfect fit for your overall health and fitness. Please email or share on Facebook or Instagram. Read my blogs on yoga and RV life.
If you are new to yoga, here is beginner yoga information to help you get started. Join me for a yoga class at upcoming RV events in 2021!
I am a traveling yoga teacher and full-time RVer. I travel the US and Mexico teaching yoga classes, workshops and retreats.
I specialize in the unique needs of RVers and helping them keep up their yoga practices and fitness while traveling.
Follow me on Instagram at @thetrippingyogi and Facebook under Theresé Julo
© 2021 The Tripping Yogi. All Rights Reserved.
Comments