For me, yoga means home, peace and a safe space to grow. Life on the road and the daily change of environment helps me truly live the essence of yoga on and off the mat.

FREEDOM

Since I have been traveling and road tripping (already for some years now), I have done my yoga practice every morning no matter where I am; sometimes I find myself by beautiful lakes, mountains or the ocean, and sometimes I wake up at a parking spot, just next to the road. It’s true that yoga can be practiced anywhere and it is up to me to decide “my yoga time.” This gives me such relief and freedom to discover the world.

STABILITY

During traveling (or at least during our type of traveling) there is no schedule, no plans and I rarely know where I’ll end up. I love that, but I also need a little stable point in my day; for me, that’s yoga. It’s the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning. It’s the best medicine for my body and mind; always with me whenever I am getting lost.

SIMPLICITY

Life is simple when we know what makes us happy. In my case, it is nature and sports. Better yet, both together. So why want more? This little home I have allows me to be close to it all the time by simply just by opening one door.

CONNECTION

This has happened to me so many times — I end up in a beautiful spot to sleep with multiple other travelers. I do my sunrise morning routine, alone, while everyone else is still sleeping. During the day I exchange a some talks and the next morning instead of waking up alone, there is suddenly four of us, practicing sun salutations together! I love sharing my passion and creating moments like this.

MINIMALISM

Among other similarities between the yoga philosophy and van life is the act of non-attachment. In the van, it is mostly to things and places. My backyard is unlimited. On the contrary, the inside space I have is very limited. One sports outfit and one city outfit are enough! Outdoor sports gear indeed takes a little bit more space but, luckily, for yoga, nothing is needed — it’s all in within you.

EXPLORE

What a wonderful world! I explore new places in the grand outdoors, every day, thanks to a mobile home. I explore new inner adventures, feelings and the impacts of the asanas (or physical postures) on me, thanks to my yoga and meditation practice. I am prepared to explore because I am grounded by my yoga practice.

SUSTAINABILITY

By living in a van, I have learned more about water use in daily life. If I didn’t pay attention, a full tank (100 liters) could go away in a flash! And so I take more care, because searching for water streams every day is a bit annoying, and we also know that the water on this planet is precious and we want to leave it in nature as much as possible. And old morning swims/showers in the Norwegian rivers start to have a very beautiful charm.

Suzanne Borovcova

Yoga Teacher + Full Time Vanlifer

@pineyoga_

pineyoga.online@gmail.com

Photos by Pierre Guilbaud.