Yoga Without the Mat: How Mindfulness Saved My Vacation

Spoiler: My yoga mat went on vacation.
It never left the bag.

And honestly? That might have been the best thing for my practice.

I had the best intentions. I packed my mat, my favorite leggings, and even bookmarked a few short flows I could squeeze in while traveling with my kids.

But between airport chaos, constant snack requests, and two little humans needing me from sunup to sundown… the mat stayed neatly rolled up in my suitcase.

And you know what?
I’m 100% okay with that.

Because my yoga practice still showed up every single day, just not in the way I originally planned.

I packed my intentions… and my mat stayed packed

Before our trip, I’d been moving consistently, feeling stronger and more energized. I packed my running shoes, two exercise outfits, and my travel yoga mat, thinking, Surely I’ll squeeze in some movement over these eight days.

Nope. Nada. Zilch. Not a single jog or flow. I never even removed my shoes or mat from my suitcase.

But I’m not mad at myself.
Because what I did practice on this trip was just as powerful, maybe even more so.

Off-the-mat yoga in full effect

Instead of focusing on “doing” yoga, I allowed myself to be yoga by practicing the essential “off the mat” skills: mindfulness, presence, gratitude, patience, and optimism.

If you’ve ever taken a cross-country trip with two little kids, you know just how many opportunities there are to get stressed-the-heck out.

My daughter was on my lap for all of our flights (she’s under 2, so we saved the cost of a ticket). My son, at 6, is wonderfully independent… but let’s be real, long trips require patience, flexibility, and a lot of deep breaths.

We were in full-time parent mode the whole trip.

And looking back? I honestly feel like we #nailedit.

Family time, reframed

The first leg of our trip was family-focused. We stayed with relatives, attended a family reunion, and tried to see everyone we could.

Instead of feeling frazzled, I let family help with the kids (they were eager to spoil them). I soaked up the rare and special moments. When things got stressful, I handled it, took a breath, and helped keep the calm.

For these skills, I credit my yoga practice, the kind that happens off the mat.

Yoga is more than poses

Yoga movement feels amazing in the body. But did you know the poses were originally created to prepare the body for stillness?

Yes, stillness. Meditation. Breath.

Asana (the poses) are just 1 of the 8 limbs of yoga. While we often picture yoga as strength, flexibility, and flow, it’s so much more than that.

How mindfulness became my yoga practice on vacation

Here’s what my yoga looked like on this trip:

🌀 Breathwork in the middle of travel stress
Deep belly breaths during airport delays, screaming kids, and frustration. Box breathing in crowded lines. A slow inhale and exhale before answering (for the 47th time), “Are we there yet?”

🌊 Presence in imperfect family moments
Instead of checking out when the day felt overwhelming, I practiced staying present. Savoring coffee after staying up too late. Watching my kids build bonds with loved ones. Laughing at the chaos instead of resisting it.

🌞 Gratitude, even in messy moments
Gratitude at bedtime (even if bedtime was way too late). Gratitude for shared meals, for safe travels, for tiny moments of peace.

Letting go of “perfect practice”

A more critical version of myself would’ve felt judgment for packing things I didn’t use and failing to follow through on my intention to exercise.

But yoga has taught me to let go of perfectionism.

My practice isn’t measured in closed rings on my Apple Watch. It’s measured in the memories of a peaceful and joyful experience our family will look back on forever, and in my ability to let go of the less peaceful moments (which, of course, happened too).

And that’s something I can practice anywhere: in a hotel room, on a plane, in a crowded car, or while holding a sleeping kid.

Your takeaway (and your permission slip)

If you’ve ever felt bad about missing your mat practice, let this be your permission slip:

You didn’t skip yoga. You simply practiced it differently.

Yoga meets you where you are, whether that’s on the mat, in the carpool line, or in the middle of vacation chaos.

If you want a little support weaving presence into your everyday life, my 5x5 Yoga for Self-Care Challenge is the perfect starting point.

Five minutes a day—movement, breath, or meditation—designed for busy seasons (like travel, like motherhood, like life).

💛 Ready to make yoga work in any season? Join the challenge here!