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There’s nothing worse than the stiff, achy feeling you get after a long-haul flight. Well, almost nothing.
Right up there is the cankle factor from 12-plus hours in a cramped cattle-class seat, hardly moving and drinking no liquid for fear of having to use the onboard toilet. The sore neck and Flintstone feet can take days to disappear. Yay holiday.
A simple solution: adding yoga to your itinerary not only lets you practise in an exotic location, it’s also the best medicine for a travel-weary body. Not sure where to find a studio? Here are five yoga classes with a twist that you can book through your AirBnb app.
In Barcelona… do yoga in nature
You can hike or drive to the secluded spot in the Collserola mountains 25 minutes from the city, where a yoga teacher takes you through a guided practice and meditation. Fill your lungs with fresh mountain air and take in a 360-degree view of Barcelona, with birdsong as the soundtrack to your practice.
Cost: R535 per person (including car ride, yoga mat, a snack and cold pressed juice).
READ MORE: “I Did A Naked Yoga Class — And This Is What It Was Really Like”
In New York… mix yoga and beer
If chanty Kundalini yoga isn’t your cuppa kombucha, you’ve finally found your tribe. It’s led by a beer exec-turned-yoga-teacher who left the corporate world to become a wellness coach. But she still loves beer.
So she created “Brew You Yoga” to bring the two together. There’s a short talk on “yoga and beer as kindred spirits”, followed by a Vinyasa class and ultimately a tasting of four beers. Cheers and namaste!
Cost: R436 per person (includes a tasting of four Bronx Brews)
READ MORE: What You Need To Know About Doing Yoga To Lose Weight
In Hong Kong… try yoga in the park
Right in the city centre, next to the government buildings, Tamar Park is a green expanse where locals gather to practise yoga.
Your view will be Victoria Harbour, home to the tallest skyline in the world. There’s a big focus on flexibility, stress relief and self-reflection rather than hardcore power poses. A great lesson in finding peace in the midst of chaos urban chaos – and ideal to kick off a busy city holiday.
Cost: R399 per person – you’ll need to bring your own water and a towel.
In Melbourne… combine yoga and chai
Your studio is East Melbourne’s picturesque Fitzroy Gardens, a tranquil park just outside the CBD.
The class is geared towards relaxation, with a long Savasana at the end and feeling the sun on your face.
Afterwards there’s a cup of chai tea waiting so you can stick around and enjoy the pretty setting, rather than rushing off.
Cost: R498 per person (includes yoga mat rental and Chai tea)
READ MORE: “I Tried Hot Yoga — And These Are The 10 Hard Lessons I Learnt”
In Bangkok… do herb yoga
Fumie and Kentaro Mune are artists, yoga teachers and herbal therapists who combine their various disciplines to create a unique healing experience that integrates herbal remedies, multimedia art and yoga.
Their unique wellness philosophy draws on Japanese and Thai traditional medicine, as well as Ayurveda the Ying-Yang philosophy. Based on your ailments and imbalances, you’ll create your own healing herb ball before starting a gentle guided yoga and meditation practice, suitable for beginners.
Cost: R432 per person (includes water, tea and your herb ball)
This article was originally published on Women's Health South Africa.
