Yoga For Traveling

In many an airplane terminal I’ve been known to throw down everything from Down Dog to Handstand so my poor body could better survive travel. All the sitting in tiny, cramped seats, the stress of making connections and going through TSA and the less-than-ideal food choices can really do a number on us. When you can’t find the time or space to do a full practice (if only all airports had yoga rooms!) and you don’t want to raise too many eyebrows with butt-in-the-air yoga poses, try these for a little relief.

Ujjayi :: Deep Breaths

Ujjayi literally translates to upward rising or, more loosely, victorious breath. Rushing around the airport, waiting in long, crowded lines and being in foreign places can be unsettling and anything less than victorious feeling. A few deep breaths can help us relax and settle into the experience, instead of feeling resistant and stressed. It’s also a boon to those with a fear of flying.

For most people, it’s easier to connect with their breath when their eyes are closed. When traveling, especially if you don’t feel safe or relaxed, I recommend softening your eyes and finding a less busy place to look, like out a window, at a piece of art, or at a blank wall if you don’t want to close your eyes. Sit if you can, but it will work standing, too.

• Tone your lower belly slightly, from pubic bone to navel, then relax your jaw and soften your eyes.
• Turn your attention inwards.
• As you inhale, lift your chest up and broaden it from right to left and even expand into your back ribs.
• Exhale slowly and maintain the internal lift as much as possible without strain.
• Tone your throat, as if you’re trying to fog up a glass, but breathe through your nose.
• Deepen your breath and put emphasis on the exhale; it will bring more of a sense of calm.
• Take at least 10 deep breaths before relaxing your posture and returning your awareness outside your body.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana :: Extended Hand to Foot Pose (Bent Knee Variation)

This pose does wonders for the low back and combats all the time spent sitting when we travel. Not only does it lengthen the hip flexors, it also elongates the spine.

• Stand up straight, with your feet parallel.
• Bend your right knee, lift it towards your chest and hold it in your hands.
• Try not to lean back or let your hips pop forward as you pull your knee closer to your chest.
• Take 3-5 deep breaths, then release your leg.
• Stand for a moment on both feet, then repeat with the left leg.

Indudalasana :: Standing Crescent Pose

Opening the sides of the body can release stress by helping us breathe more easily. It also relieves tension in the neck and shoulders. This is a simple yoga posture that you can do almost anywhere.

• Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart (this is the simple version, but you can also try it with feet together) and parallel and your hands on your hips.
• Reach your right arm overhead, as high as possible without shoulder pain.
• Lean your hips to the right and bend your torso to the left.
• Press down firmly into both feet and simultaneously telescope up through the crown of your head.
• Hold the pose for about 30 seconds, then come back upright for a breath or two.
• Repeat on the other side.

Sucirandhrasana :: Eye of the Needle Hip Stretch (Seated Variation)

You know how traveling can make you feel uprooted and unplugged? Maybe your sleep gets really screwed up and so does your ability to go number two? Well yogis would call that being “ungrounded.” Opening our hips helps us get grounded again. It can relieve low back pain and stiffness, while aiding relaxation and getting us back on Earth. (And if you need help getting your morning constitution back on track, read my previous post: A Few to Poo).

• Sit near the front edge of a chair to ensure you don’t slouch and to create more mobility for your hips and spine.
• Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
• Flex your right foot and spread your toes to help protect your knee and put the stretch in your hip.
• If your knee is really high, say higher than your waist, your only job is to sit up straight and allow your knee to relax down towards the floor.
• If your knee is pretty low, lengthen up through your spine, then hinge forward with a flat back over your legs.