Downward dog in the departures: Yoga at YVR Airport
Vancouver loves its yoga, so it has always been pretty surprising that there isn’t already a YYoga studio at the YVR Airport. Flying can be an anxious and somewhat uncomfortable experience (especially when you’re sitting for more than 4 hours!) so getting a little bit of stretching or meditation in before a flight can be very valuable.
This summer, YVR will be trying out a new dedicated yoga room as part of the Take-off Fridays Festival, the airport’s popular summer event series that features music, entertainment, and family-friendly activities in the terminal. The yoga room will be open each Friday until August 26 from 10am – 2pm.
The yoga pilot program will be a joint effort between YVR and YYoga, one of the most popular Canadian yoga and wellness companies. The room will be open to any passenger departing to a Canadian destination and is located after security in Domestic Terminal C-Pier, across from Gate 46.
Image from YVR Airport
“Yoga can offer tremendous benefits to travellers,” says Berk Kansu, Marketing Manager for YYoga. “It can help passengers feel relaxed and centered and help them move to their next destination in a refreshed, calm way.”
Passengers interested in utilizing the yoga room at YVR can use the space to practice their own yoga flow, meditation or simple stretching. A YYoga instructor will be on hand to welcome passengers, answer questions and suggest poses and stretches that are particularly beneficial during travel. Pre-registration is not required and mats are provided by YYoga.
If you’re not sure where to get started, the free WIFI at YVR Airport can also be extremely useful in finding a yoga starter video on YouTube to follow.
Only a dozen or so airports around the world currently have dedicated space for those interested in practicing yoga, and the Vancouver airport is now the first in Canada.
So far there has been a hugely positive response, and if interest levels remain high Yoga at YVR could be offered in other parts of the terminal as well. It’s a great opportunity for yoga aficionados and yoga newbies alike!
The opportunity for pre-boarding downward dogs in the departures will be offered every Friday until August 26 from 10am – 2pm for domestic flight passengers.
What do you think about the new yoga room at YVR? Should it expand to different areas of the terminal? Let us know in the comment section below!