A day in the life of a nomadic yoga teacher

2019 will mark my 7th year on the road. It’s wild to think that come August I’ll hit my 7-year anniversary of working and travelling.

I’ve loved writing this blog and creating yoga programs while travelling. I’ve also made a point of teaching yoga in person over the last year and hope to keep doing more of that this year (anyone in Toronto over the summer fancy some therapeutic yoga in the park?).

I get a lot of questions about my life on the road, both from people living with a chronic illness who want to know how I travel so much, along with others interesting in writing or teaching yoga while traveling full time.

So today I thought I’d share a day in the life of a travelling yoga teacher!

This covers what my days are like when I’m teaching regular yoga classes. I’ll have another post coming on a day in the life of a travel writer to give more details about the other side of my days!

A day in the life of a travelling yoga teacher:

6:00am. Wake up

If you told any of my University roommates that I now wake up at 6am, I think they would insist on jumping on a plane to Ecuador to see it for themselves. However, with class starting at 8am I want to make sure I have time to write my morning journal, drink tea, and meditate or go for a walk before class!

nomadic yoga teacher

Morning tea in this delightful mug

8:00am. Yoga class

I teach a 60-90 minute Hatha/Vinyasa Flow class designed to get the body moving and warmed up for the day. One of the benefits has been the stellar views in the places I’ve been teaching!

Morning yoga class in Banos, Ecuador

9:30am. Breakfast

My stomach starts grumbling by the time I’ve finished teaching yoga, so I’ll head to the kitchen to make oatmeal with fruit and cinnamon, a green smoothie, or scrambled eggs with beans and veg. I like mixing up my breakfast every day not only so I’m mixing up the nutrients I’m getting, but because each new location brings a new set of local fruits and vegetables to try!

Traditional Ecuadorian breakfast with eggs, fried plantains, white cheese, coffee, and juice.

10:00am. Online work

I’ll check my emails and respond to anything quick or urgent, as well as check out my running to-do list to see what’s on the docket for today. I tend to do tasks that don’t involve human interaction in the morning which can involve writing blog posts, scheduling social media posts, planning my next yoga video or course, filming yoga videos, recording meditations, etc.

1:00pm. Lunch

I often eat lunch out, as it’s cheaper than eating dinner out and there are always interesting things I want to try! It’s also a great time to shut down my computer, go for a walk, and explore where I am.

2:00pm. Human-based tasks

I now feel ready to interact with other humans! This is when I schedule meetings and skype yoga classes. If I don’t have any meetings or classes, I like to use the afternoon to work on a big project like writing or researching for my next book. Sometimes, I skip work altogether in the afternoons and go on an adventure like to a swing on the edge of a volcano.

travelling yoga teacher

It's as terrifying as it looks.

5:00pm. Evening yoga class

It’s time for yoga again! This time a yin or restorative class to move the body into relaxation mode. It also means watching the sun go down in the mountains or near the beach.

online yoga teacher

Sunset yoga class in Ayampe, Ecuador

6:30 pm. Dinner

After yoga I’ll cook dinner or perhaps go out with friends. I like to use the next few hours to relax and do things I enjoy like reading, watching a movie or TV show, spending time with friends, or going for an evening walk.

8:30pm. Relaxation

Now that it’s getting closer to bed time, I’m conscious about any activities I’m doing that might be stimulating. Unless I’m out with friends or on the town, I’ll turn off the computer and stick to a relaxing book, a hot shower, or, if I’m lucky, a trip to the hot springs!

10:30pm. Bed time

The best time of the day – getting back in to bed!

I hope this post gives you some insight into what my life is like as a yoga teacher!

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  1. […] In honour of my upcoming 7-year anniversary of nomad life, I’m sharing a series on what my life is like travelling and working online! […]

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