Our first Yoga Azores event: linking yoga, mindfulness and hiking across the archipelago!

It was a perfect February day. Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was the approaching full moon. In any case, we had an unbelievable turnout for our first event, in both São Miguel and in Santa Maria.

We led groups on both islands through a “yoga hike” where we started with a little yoga and breathing, before commencing the trails. Rimi led a group of around 35 local through the Rota de Água trail, an intriguing trail with long tunnels, arches, and passes over ancient aqueducts. Mandy led a group of 10 (and three four-legged friends) along the Pico Alto trail which begins at the highest point on the island and winds through woodland on the mountain, affording spectacular open views across Santa Maria. On both islands, participants spent portions of the hike in silence, observing and connecting more deeply to nature and to themselves.

One of our goals is to Offer locals and visitors the opportunity to more deeply connect with the islands of the Azores through yoga, enabling the body and mind to truly "feel the Azores". Encouraging environmental sustainability is another of our goals and before the event, we encouraged participants to bring reusable water bottles and reminded everyone about the importance of respecting the environment.

And so, we are grateful for having successfully completed our first event and sharing a bit of mindfulness, yoga, and nature with the local communities. We hope to involve other islands and in the future we can host events simultaneously with all the islands of the archipelago!