12 Weird Places To Try Yoga

Even the most advanced yogi can fall into the rut of a boring routine. Since yoga is such a flexible sport -- you can even do it from home in your pjs! -- why not keep the activity exciting? With health benefits as varied as alleviating back pain and even helping you to get a good night's rest, yoga is a practice we could all stand to incorporate into our lives.

So we've rounded up some of the most unconventional and exotic places to challenge your yoga practice. From a traffic jam to a snow day, there's a unique place for anyone to strike a tree pose!

• On An Airplane

  Flying can result in stiff limbs and a grouchy attitude, which is why it can?t hurt to give your body a good stretch. These <a href="http://travel.cnn.com/sydney/visit/plane-yoga-18-exercises-healthy-flying-910157">easy mid-air poses</a> will help you to enjoy the journey as well as the destination.

• Stuck In Traffic

  If you experience road rage then a <a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/yoga/yoga-for-reducing-road-rage#ixzz1wpTkfqMC">traffic jam might be the best time to practice yoga breathing</a>. Since you can?t control that clogged intersection, it?s best to focus on exhaling angry feelings. Cyndi Lee, <a href="http://www.omyoga.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=136">founder of OM Yoga</a> in New York City, suggests that deep breaths can help quell that intense frustration.

• In The Park

  What better way to enjoy the outdoors then to take a deep breath and meditate in the park? New York City's <a href="http://www.centralparkyoga.com/">Central Park</a> is an obvious destination for an outdoor yoga class, but this outdoor movement is <a href="http://www.facebook.com/YogaAcrossAmerica">stretching to the West coast too</a>.

• In Prison

  Those behind bars might seem like an unlikely population of yogis, but the values of meditation and reflection upheld by the practice of yoga could help bring about a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/us/inmates-find-health-and-solace-in-yoga.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">new type of prison reform</a>. Yoga is said to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/06/6-yoga-poses-for-depressi_n_890836.html#s303647&title=Child_Pose">aid with depression and anxiety</a>, which could benefit anyone experiencing stress.

• On Safari

  <a href="http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/vd-travel-diary-londolozi-yoga-safari-in-south-africa/#1">Yoga-based Safaris</a> are no new affair. Still, it would be a unique experience to practice <a href="http://www.extraordinaryjourneys.net/blog/yoga-safari-in-tanzania/">yoga in between exploring the vast spaces of Tanzania</a>. Try incorporating your observations of large cats into your own cat pose!

• In Times Square

  Just because the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/20/first-day-of-summer-yoga-times-square-summer-solstice_n_1612488.html">Summer Solstice yoga </a>madness has passed doesn't mean that you can't try out the sport in one of the most iconic places in the world: <a href="http://www.timessquarenyc.org/events/index.aspx">Times Square</a>. Welcome the summer with an appropriate sun salutation!

• 7. At Your Desk!

  Since <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/16/work-stress-heart-attack-risks-job-strain_n_1882367.html">work tends to stress us out,</a> and that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/22/chronic-stress-health-risks_n_1897580.html">stress can lead to health problems</a>, this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Your-Desk-Steaming-CD-Rom/dp/B002HIAYUO">yoga class you can do at your desk</a> seems like an ideal investment. Unwind at the very place that winds you up.

• 8. On A Paddleboard

  See if this idea floats your boat: yoga on a paddleboard. It may sound strange, but the surface of <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323353204578129301422438278.html">the paddleboard engages the core differently</a> than the ground would. This is especially challenging for maintaining balance, but it's easier than practicing on water!

• From High Above

  If you want to take your yoga practice to new heights then Singapore is your destination of choice. At the <a href="http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Accommodations/Amenities/Banyan-Tree-Fitness-Club/">Marina Bay Sands hotel you can practice yoga</a> at the Bayan Tree Fitness Club with a view of the Marina Bay from 55 floors up!

• During Dinner

  A good session of yoga can work up an appetite, so adding dinner seems only natural! This is the perfect event to combine the passions of yogis and foodies. Who wouldn't want <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/dining/27yoga.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">chocolate truffles after a chaturanga</a>?

• In The Snow

  Since <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/winter-activities-calories-burned_n_2405296.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living#slide=1943596">playing in the snow</a> is not only fun, but it burns calories too, why not add "Snowga" to your list of fun, outdoor winter activities? <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/02/08/snow-yoga-snowga/">Snowga</a> is -- you guessed it -- yoga in the snow. This is an ideal way to either find relaxation on skis or just enjoy the great outdoors.

• All Over The World

  After you've done a sun salutation from each corner of your hometown, it's time to step it up and try a truly unusual location. From <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/jan/12/top-10-yoga-retreats-holidays">Spain to Costa Rica; Turkey to Goa,</a> these exotic yoga retreats could excite even the greatest skeptic of the practice. If you need any reason to give yoga a shot, maybe one of these potential, meditative trips to extraordinary countries could persuade you?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/weirdest-places-to-do-yoga_n_2443181.html

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