Yoga in the Savannah, a new trend is growing among travellers who want to combine wellness with the adventurous pleasure of the wilderness. It is well known that outdoor yoga adds to its objectives (improving physical fitness, reducing stress and increasing mental clarity) contact with a larger entity, awareness of space and time.
What better place in the world than Kenya to practise this discipline that has now become part of the daily routine of millions of people, with the charm of unspoilt paradises, observing animals in their natural habitat?
It is not only the scenery, the expanses as far as the eye can see, the soft colours and the depth of the sky with its enveloping sunsets and extraordinary sunrises that favour the natural relaxation that yoga gives, but also the presence of the animals themselves, whose physicality and graceful, ancestral movements favour direct contact with Nature and our bodies. Being aware of the wildlife in the area adds an element of excitement to the relaxing practice. Encounters with animals such as elephants, who make their slow and relentless movements their way of life, or giraffes with their elegance and seemingly studied movements, make the yoga experience unique.
But there is also the aspect of the silence of the savannah and its sounds to consider: rustling grasses, chirping birds, distant animal calls, foster awareness, allowing practitioners to be fully present in the moment.
In addition, the integration of traditional African movements and rhythms into yoga can enrich the practice, creating a fusion of styles that relate to both yoga and local cultures.
This is why some lodges and camps in Kenyan parks and reserves have involved local communities in sessions that also foster cultural exchange, mutual respect and a greater understanding of African traditions, which in many ways have points in common with Western man's search for a more spiritual, regular and natural dimension of existence.
There are already many tour operators offering yoga retreats in the savannah, combining daily practices with safaris, meditation and conservation activities or interaction with local communities, offering a holistic experience.
‘In Kenya it is part of the growing demand,’ admit the Italian tour operator Mondo Overland Travel, ’we too receive it and have organised ourselves with a yoga teacher, ready to go with groups of clients who request this option combined with exclusive safaris. It is definitely one of those experiences that can complete a holiday in Kenya'.