Sure it can be frustrating when plans get canceled, but with a little creativity its amazing the fun we can create. As a yoga teacher and wine enthusiast, my time spent at home has inspired me to combine these two activities for a blissful afternoon of stretching and sipping! This can be done on your own for the ultimate me time, with others living in your home, or you may choose to coordinate with others online to stretch and sip with your friends virtually. The best part ? Since you are the host of your own retreat, it is completely customizable to you! So with no further a do, here are my five easy steps to creating your own yoga and wine retreat;
What you will need:
A yoga or exercise mat
Wine
A device to stream your yoga online
Wine glasses
Step 1: Pick your wines
For the full wine tasting experience it is best to select at least two different wines to sample throughout your afternoon. I went with the Serentiy Baco Noir and Savignon Blanc from The Lakeview Wine co. for my experience because the serenity theme really compliments the theme of my yoga practice!
Step 2: Find your streamable yoga sessions of preference
To personalize your wine and yoga experience it is important to find the right yoga for you! For my own experience, I thought it would be a nice idea to kick off my retreat with a guided meditation to really settle myself in to relaxation mode. For free guided meditations online I recommend the app Calm, or Headspace. For free meditation and a variety of free yoga classes, I recommend Yoga with Adriene on youtube. In recent weeks, there have also been a variety of yoga companies and local studios offering live classes online.
Step 3: Map-out your Route and Build your Itinerary
Time to get creative! Draw a map of the levels of your house and designate each wine and yoga session to a room. Remember, you’ll need open space around you to move during your yoga practice and you may want to have your white wines, sparklings or ice wines, in a room where they can sit chilled! The order of your itinerary is completely up to you, the beauty in this is that you do not have to get into a vehicle or drive anywhere. Taking advantage of this I chose to start with my meditation, do a white wine tasting, do my yoga session, and then finish with my red wine! Depending on what is available to you, feel free to add in other activities to enhance your experience. Will you finish will bubbly in the bubble bath? Lunch and mimosas beforehand? The possibilities are just about endless, have fun with it!
Step 4: Prepare your spaces
Tidy up the spaces on your itinerary and prepare them as much as possible so that you have nothing to worry about when its time to unwind! Have your yoga sessions ready to go on your devices and set up your glasses. Look for things around your house that will add to the atmosphere of your yoga and wine rooms. Candles, lamps, music and plants are all wonderful items to add to the environment of your spaces. Having little food pairings or snacks, like cheese and crackers are a nice addition also, prepare these beforehand!
Step Five: Unwind!
Whether you choose to stretch and sip alone, plan to connect virtually with friends, or enjoy the afternoon with the others that live with you, limit your distractions and enjoy the relaxing experience you’ve created for yourself!