Summer Holidays: Pressure off or on? July 2026

As we head towards the end of school term, I have found myself feeling more and more frazzled by the hectic schedule of school events along with other social activities and birthdays which collide at this time of year for me.

I find at this time, it is even harder to listen to our body and what it needs, especially as we can see the finish line! However, our minds can distort our thinking, is it really the finish line? Or are we just at the beginning of a new cycle? Sometimes we forget that this hectic moment is the one when we need our self-care the most, yet our yoga practice might become the first thing to drop on our already busy day.

Perhaps as this is the time its most needed, we should consider what does yoga look like right now? Like the seasons, yoga is changeable and there are many elements to it which can support us in the ebb and flow of life. When life is overwhelming, find space in the breath. Bringing us back to the present moment, finding inner calm and on hot days utilising it to cool the body. It can be done at anytime, anywhere so fitting a few minutes  in each day may be more achievable than a physical yoga practice yet it provides many benefits. Take a moment to think about what would work for you and what adaptations you could make if your routine changes over the summer. Perhaps the longer days provide more opportunity to fit in some practice or take your mat outside to feel the fresh air on your face. Maybe it becomes a family activity as it’s a great way to connect with children and encourage them to look after their own wellbeing. Perhaps its something that’s just for you, a moment to keep for yourself.

Whether you are involved in parenting over summer or not, there is often an element of expectation we place on summer holidays, with vision of sunny days, longer days of relaxation and more freedom -especially if you have time off booked. However sometimes it can rain, sometimes its too hot, sometimes the car breaks down or we have unexpected events, sometimes it doesn’t fit the image  we conjured up and that’s ok too. Whatever your summer ends up looking like, use yoga to support you, breathwork to recentre yourself, physical practice to strengthen and restore your body and explore new parts to yoga that you may not have tried before, like meditation and let yoga help you navigate those high energy weeks ahead.

 If you fancy the idea of getting outside for your practice, why not join one of my special summer yoga sessions, a chance to experience yoga in a  new way or maybe to start a new summer routine! Use aspects of yoga that feels right for you, the more tiny bit of space you find to do yoga, the more space you will find opens up. Let me know how you get on, I would love to know what you found helpful.

Written by Kerry Nicholls