Written By: Liz Voosen
If I hadn’t been down this road twice before, the dry creek bed crossing just ahead might have given me a moment of pause. As it was, I could see the road was still solid and straight, and my destination was just ahead. I thanked the stars that fall is a dry time in the Mojave Desert in Southern California and continued on.
I had come to Joshua Tree for a yoga retreat. To be completely truthful, I was leading the yoga retreat and had picked this remote destination for its beauty and privacy. I’ve taught yoga for years, and more recently have been leading themed retreats. This one was a Yoga & Fiber Arts retreat, led with a good friend (and master fiber artist).
I was confident in my van being able to handle the dirt road after turning off Highway 62. There were no crazy rocks in the road or 4-wheel-drive requirements. I took my time on it. The journey is part of the fun for me, and the blue sky and funky Joshua Trees dotting the landscape are worth slowing down to look at. I crossed the dry creek bed with no issue.
My van was carrying all my yoga gear, notes, and laptop. I had baskets of food and snacks for the retreat participants and a guitar (for a musical evening). My multiple yoga outfits and street clothes suitable for the desert were tidily packed in two of the upper cabinets.
The drive that morning into Joshua Tree from Los Angeles was its usual blend of traffic transforming into the magic of the desert. Strong winds picked up on the 10 (I-10 to non-native Californians) just before Palm Springs, where the wind farm is. I stopped at a rest area near there for a leisurely lunch from my fridge and put my feet up in the van, and thought about my friends I’d soon be seeing again at the retreat.
But why not just take a car?
You might wonder why I chose my Pleasure-Way OnTour 2.2 for a relatively short 2.5-hour drive to a retreat with full amenities. After all, wouldn’t my Honda minivan suffice when heading to a place with bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen? Well of course, but my Pleasure-Way isn’t just transportation – it’s an integral part of my retreat experience in two important ways.
First, it transforms the journey itself into a bonus part of the retreat. I can take my time, stopping whenever I feel like it. On this trip, I lingered over lunch and paused to admire the Joshua Trees up close in the desert. (And on my return journey, I treated myself to a detour at a charming yarn shop!) These unhurried breaks help me be present in the moment. Instead of racing to my destination, I arrive refreshed and centered – exactly the mindset I want for a yoga retreat.
Second – and I’ll elaborate on this shortly – my van provides a perfect private sanctuary during the retreat itself. It’s a quiet space for preparing body and mind before each yoga session and event.
Upon arrival at the serene retreat grounds, I was relaxed and ready, feeling none of the frazzle that often comes with travel. As I unloaded my gear and later greeted my fellow yogis, I knew I’d made the right choice in bringing my Pleasure-Way along.
A Day of Yoga and Vanlife
Our daily schedule at the retreat went like this: Breakfast followed by walking and exploring the local area. Greet the Day Morning Yoga session, followed by a fiber arts session. Then lunch and free time to either explore the desert or work more on our fiber arts project. Then onto a group dinner. And last up, an evening yoga workshop.
The first morning dawned sunny, with warm golden rays shining across the expanse of desert. I grabbed a light breakfast from the fridge, reviewed the day’s schedule, and headed out to the first yoga session of the day.
I have food allergies, so I bring my own food. I precooked a variety of my favorites (mostly veggies and meats). I just heated up a portion in the microwave and joined everyone at the group table for mealtimes. So easy.
Being at a retreat (never mind running one), while an amazing experience, can also be exhausting. Teaching is deeply rewarding but also demands a lot of energy – holding space for others while maintaining my own practice requires balance. In the afternoon, I escape to the comfort of my van for a bit, to recharge. This usually takes the form of a hot herbal tea with honey, journaling, and possibly a nap. It’s like my own private retreat within a retreat!
In the evening, after the last yoga workshop, as I head out to the van to sleep, I get the opportunity to look at the millions of stars up in the desert sky. Joshua Tree has very few lights, and Joshua Tree National Park (which we were just minutes from) is one of the International Dark Sky Parks. This trip I did not see the Milky Way, but I have in past visits, and it is always a highlight when it happens.
I choose to sleep in my van at retreats. I know, I could have a bed inside! But I really like the bed in my Pleasure-Way. It’s comfortable and the space is quiet. Retreats bring together people with all different schedules – some folks are up before dawn, some up past midnight. While everyone tries to be polite and respectful, noise is noise, and I like my sleep.
I keep multiple blankets in my van for cold nights, but this trip was the first retreat where the weather got Very Cold, so I plugged the van into an outside house outlet and stayed toasty warm with the heater all night. It’ll run without plugging in, but I liked not needing to consider if the solar panels were getting enough sun each day (the desert has its cloudy moments), so it was a bonus. I always carry a long extension cord and a 12v adaptor for this potential opportunity for abundant electricity.
While I slept in my van, I showered inside the retreat center. Why give up a luxurious bathroom when one is available? And this retreat had truly spectacular showers.
What to Pack for Yoga in the Desert
If you want to bring your van to a yoga retreat in the desert, or maybe just do some yoga in the desert on your next trip, here is a short list of essentials to pack.
Yoga gear: a yoga mat and all your favorite props you might use. If you’ll be doing yoga outside on the ground on your own (like at a campsite), bring an old yoga mat, or at least one you don’t mind washing and picking thorns out of afterwards (desert plants are spiky). Blocks and a strap store easily under the couch. I store my mat in either a cabinet, the bathroom, behind the driver’s seat, or a storage box on the back, depending on my other space requirements.
Desert-appropriate clothes: Bring clothes for hot and cold weather, ideally ones you can layer. The temperature fluctuates, sometimes wildly, in the desert. You may have a t-shirt, hat, and sunscreen on during the day in December, and at night be comfortable in a sweater, parka, and Ugg boots. The weather can be rock-the-van windy, dry (as in 6% humidity), snowy, or rainy (rare). It can also be sunny, 70 degrees and so clear you can see Mexico (90 miles away) and the Salton Sea (33 miles) from Keys View overlook in the park.
Food and water: Bring all your favorite foods and enjoy the pleasure of having what you want to eat anywhere in the desert. I especially like fresh fruit in the desert. Having a fridge and kitchen in my van helps me stick to my (mostly) healthy diet. I also bring lots of bottled water for drinking.
Cozy and fun items: Whatever makes you happy and you can do in a van, or outside. A fuzzy blanket, a favorite journal and gel pen, a guitar, a camera, binoculars, watercolors, etc.
My Pleasure-Way van isn’t just my transportation to yoga retreats – it is my personal sanctuary that takes my retreats to a whole new level. Whether I’m taking a mindful lunch break on the journey there, recharging between sessions, or stargazing before bed, my van is an integral part of my trip.
How will you use your Pleasure-Way to have more fun on your next adventure?