A Globe-Trotting Yoga Teacher On How To Surrender & Get Rid Of Excess

Recently, I realized that my decision to travel light went hand in hand with the yogic principles I follow in the rest of my life. Here's how:

Yogis call this "aparigraha." We can be greedy with people, greedy with time, and greedy with what we own. A good way to keep your possessiveness in check is to put some distance between you and your stuff. Traveling light is an easy way to practice this. Bring a couple of your favorite outfits and nothing more. Rotate between those outfits on your trip. Whenever I do this, I return home surprised by how little I missed the rest of the things in my closet. Once you put distance between yourself and your stuff, it gets much easier to declutter. If you know you can live without two-thirds of your wardrobe, you won't be afraid to sell or donate the things you really don't need.

Even on vacation, we can take our discontentment with us. We can carry overstuffed suitcases and then whine about the fact that we don't have enough room for all our new purchases. We can bring four pairs of shoes and only wear one pair. Choosing to limit yourself to a carry-on suitcase is a way of saying, "What I have is enough. I am enough." Without having to change your outfit three times or spend half an hour rifling through your suitcase, you have time to actually enjoy your vacation.

Brahmacharya is often interpreted as "celibacy" when unmarried and "fidelity" when married, but it can also be a commitment to simplicity. When I moved from Switzerland to Toronto, I had to decide what stuff I cared enough about to pay the exorbitant shipping fees. And then when I moved from Toronto to Philadelphia, I had to comb through all my boxes again. Did I really need so many yoga books? Every time you travel, it's an opportunity to do something different. Try a different lifestyle. Can you have less, and maybe even be happier for it?

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