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I can’t believe it’s already time for another world yoga travel roundup.

Where did August go?

Well for me, as you can see from my posts, it went to Chicago.

While I was downward dogging in Millennium Park, other parts of the world were planning for yoga vacations.

A man at a Hindu ceremony in Kanyakumari, India By Sonja Bjelland

So much so that the U.K. publication, The Telegraph, had a story recently about how a healthy vacation can be “life-changing.” I don’t disagree, but am getting a little concerned with our new vacation expectations. The article focused on a resort in Grenada that was a hit with solo travelers as well as groups of friend or couples and offered yoga, meditation and diving.

India has known this is a big tourism aim for them, but are now saying they’re going to step up their efforts. The Ministry of Tourism is offering marketing help to wellness centers and hospitals specializing in traditional Indian medicine known as ayurveda that become accredited. The minister also told ExpressWorldTravel.com that they are looking to double the number of travelers visiting India and hoping young people and yoga travel can help that.

If you’re not quite ready to venture to India for your “life-changing” vacation, you might prefer one of these yoga retreats.

This new guesthouse in the south of France, Le Flamant Rouge, is hosting a yoga retreat in October. The Kundalini retreat will hold classes outside during harvest season, including one on the beach. They even have a “writer’s room” with a bookshelf, writing table and window overlooking town. One more place to add to my list.

Chiang Mai, Thailand By Sonja Bjelland

A 10-day meditation retreat in southern Thailand runs every month, starting on the last day of the month. If you’re really looking for a new-years change starting that on New Year’s Eve might just do it. The closest town Wat Suan Mokkh is about 12 hours south of Bangkok by train or bus. The retreat at the Thai temple focuses on the three resolutions of the late Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikkhu:

1) That all the people strive to realize the heart of their own religion

2) That all people make mutual good understanding of essential principles among the religions

3) That all people liberate themselves from the power of materialism.

Wrapping up the fun finds from this month, a country house in Ireland is holding regular sleep and yoga retreats. The Lisnavagh House also has meditation and yoga retreats and shadow yoga retreats that run over a long weekend. Not saying it’s cheap, but what would you pay to start getting a good night’s sleep.

Summer in Illinois by Sonja Bjelland

Where will you be on Tuesday?

All across the globe, yogis will be celebrating the onset of summer.

Or for some mid-summer. Or the ascension from hot to hotter. OK and maybe winter.

For me it’s saying hello to what I hope are sunnier days and a time to get down with some sun salutations.

In honor of the “longest day” of the year, yogis will be taking on 108 sun salutations.

Yep, 108 lunge, updog, chataranga, downdog and repeat.

It’s an auspicious number in Hinduism and yoga. The Hindu version of a rosary called a “mala” holds 108 beads to count off the number of times a mantra is chanted.

In traditional Indian yoga classes, a chant is recited for each action of a sun salutation. Yes, that makes for a lot of chanting and I can’t really imagine doing all the chants 108 times.

Fortunately, yogis are gathering to do this together so some of us can leave the counting to someone else.

Lights at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar By Sonja Bjelland

From Dublin to Turkey, sun salutation events will support SolarAid, which helps provide solar power to schools and medical clinics in Africa. Morning yoga by the Bosphorus in one of my all-time favorite cities sounds amazing.

New York City has held a “Mind over Madness” event in Time Square for a few years running now. For the entire day, mats, tight pants and sitar music will take over one of the most frenetic places in the U.S.

The “Left Coast” will have no shortage of such events. The most interesting I found was titled “Mala and Martinis” but they’re waiting until Friday. I won’t tell anyone in India concerned the West is belittling the spiritual side of yoga.

But don’t feel left out if you’re like me and not anywhere near the coast right now.

Akron, Ohio, is holding a free yoga festival where participants can salute the sun as it sets with all those forward folds and some live music.

Even without a designated festival, studios will be honoring the day by gathering yogis so if you don’t think you can, or want to, go it alone, check what’s going on locally for you.

I may well be making myself nuts trying to count them off by myself in the backyard. Or maybe I’ll discover some new yoga fun to be had. I guess we’ll find out Tuesday.

Throughout Europe many out-of-the-way farms offer yoga trips or a place for yoga retreats.

Several articles popped up this week providing a glimpse at what a yoga traveler might get. All sound so great I don’t know which I would pick first.

An article from the Irish Times looks at ways to get out of your comfort zone this summer. The first placed mentioned, the Boghill Centre, is on protected bogland and offers yoga as well as workshops including American Indian healing traditions.

The article also referenced the Clare Island Yoga Retreat Centre, which has yoga retreats scheduled until October. The organic farm produces sheep’s milk, country wines, honey and herbal teas, according to the article.

I’ve also found a few articles on similar places in Spain that have yoga.

Ibiza off the coast near Valencia has a new crop of rural lodges such as Cas Gasi that offers sailing, biking and hiking and lists Richard Gere in its roster of visitors, according to a Wall Street Journal article.

Similarly quaint, an article in The Guardian extols the Andalucian Finca el Moro. In addition to cottages and grounds for exploring, a group of tents have been set up for yoga retreats and include wooden floors as well as solar electricity and showers.

I still can’t decide. Maybe I can manage to try them all.