The Trinbagonian Way to Wellness: Can Yoga Co-Exist with Doubles, Soca & Rainy Season Blues?
- Nadia Renata
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
Let’s be honest: when most people in Trinidad and Tobago think of yoga, they picture someone in leggings, sipping green juice, twisting into a pretzel somewhere in the hills of St. Ann’s. Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to balance a hectic workday, find parking on Charlotte Street, dodge potholes and squeeze in a bake and shark before the rain starts.
So the question is: Can yoga really fit into our Trinbagonian lifestyle?
The answer? Yes. It already does. We just don’t always recognise it.
Yoga Isn’t Just Stretching. It’s a Mindset
You don’t need a Himalayan retreat or a headstand to experience the benefits of yoga. At its core, yoga is about connection - to breath, to body, to self, to something greater. And we Trinbagonians know a thing or two about connection.
We connect over doubles and lime by the roadside. We feel the rhythm of life in our bones when the steelpan or the tassa drums play. We breathe through heavy traffic, unpredictable weather and economic curveballs. And when Carnival comes around? We move our bodies freely, joyfully, unapologetically. That, too, is embodied awareness.
But What About the Doubles?
Ah, yes - our beloved doubles. Let’s get this out the way: Yoga is not here to take your doubles away. It’s not about guilt or restriction. It’s about noticing. About tuning in. Some days your body may crave light, warming foods. Other days, it just wants doubles with slight pepper and a little extra tamarind.
Yoga teaches you to listen and make decisions that feel kind, not punishing. You can stretch in the morning and still enjoy your typical Trini breakfast with full gratitude. No conflict necessary.
Can You Still Wine Low and Meditate?
Of course. In fact, both are forms of release. Movement is medicine and Carnival is proof. Trinbagonian culture is rich with body-based expressions of joy, resistance and identity. Yoga doesn’t ask you to give that up. It invites you to expand it.
There’s meditation in the rhythm of a walk through Queen’s Park Savannah. There’s mindfulness in the first sip of coconut water on a hot day. There’s grounding in lying on the beach, hearing the sea lap the shore. All of that is yoga, if you allow it to be.
Yoga in the Rainy Season? Yes, Please.
When the skies open up and your motivation takes a hit, yoga offers something gentle and steady. A few slow stretches by your bedside. A grounding breath practice while listening to the rain. A moment of stillness in an otherwise hectic week. You don’t need fancy poses or a perfect setting. You just need presence.
And if your mat has to share space with a drying umbrella or a stubborn mosquito? That’s Trinbagonian yoga in all its glory.
Wellness That Includes Us
Wellness in the Caribbean doesn’t have to look like it does in California or Bali. It can look like:
Rolling out your mat next to a clothesline
Taking deep breaths to the rhythm of pan
Doing restorative yoga after a long market morning
Releasing tension before a Carnival fete
Practising gratitude under the zinc roof while the rain pours down
Yoga can co-exist with doubles, soca and every beautiful, chaotic part of our culture. Not only can it - it must, if we want wellness that’s real, sustainable and rooted in who we are.
So, Can Yoga Fit Into Trinbagonian Life?
It already does.
You just have to meet it where you are, pepper sauce and all.
Join Me in Practice
Whether you're easing into yoga for the first time or returning to your mat after a break, my classes in Trinidad and Tobago are designed to meet you exactly where you are - no judgement, no pressure, just space to breathe, move and reconnect.
In-person and online options available.
All bodies. All backgrounds. All levels welcome.
Let’s build a Trinbagonian path to wellness - one breath, one pose, one lime at a time.
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