Travel Yoga

I’m currently on a plane traveling to the Dominican. My day started at 4am and I won’t get to my destination till around 3pm. Needless to say by the time I get to where I’m going, my body will need a good stretch. Traveling can leave our bodies feeling tight and out of alignment. Cramming into small seats and long periods of sitting do not make for a happy back or neck.

Those of you who have a regular practice, the act of traveling can throw a wrench in your yoga routine. The typical time you set aside to practice will be taken up by early starts, TSA lines and flights. If you generally practice at a studio, you’re now saddled with the task of finding yoga at your new destination. The good news, yoga is popular and you can find it just about anywhere. Not all studios and resort teachers are created equal. The resort teachers, at least in my experience so far, are the worst. Most are not trained, but just learned a few yoga poses and teach off of that. If you're looking for a more experienced and properly trained teacher, check out www.yogaalliance.com to see if you can find a good teacher in the area you’re headed to. 

Another option for finding yoga is to check out the billboards at a local library, community center or coffee shop. Classes are generally posted there. If you’re staying at a hotel, check with the concierge, they should have information on local classes or studios and how to get there. There is of course always an internet search.

If you aren’t up to finding a studio or lacking transportation, consider taking an online class or do a yoga video. Some hotels offer yoga videos On Demand. They’re a bit different than the real thing, but your body will still appreciate it.

I used to travel with my yoga mat, but the reality is that it takes up a lot of space. There are a variety of yoga travel mats available. They’re thin and fold up easily and can even fit in a large purse. Most are washable, a must if you end up doing yoga outside or in a hot studio. They're well worth the investment, especially since you can carry it with you while you fly, allowing you to stretch on your layover. 

It's important to stretch throughout your travel day if you want to arrive at your destination not feeling like you travelled there in a clown car. Yoga rooms are becoming more prevalent at airports. They provide a quiet, private space that you can stretch out in. If one isn’t available try finding a hidden nitch somewhere out of the way of traffic. You’ll probably get a few stares, but who cares. You won’t see any of those people again and you’ll feel great on the next leg of your trip. If you’re unsure of what poses to do, do a few sun salutations, this sequence will work out most of the kinks.

If you don’t have time to stretch on your layover, below are a few stretches that you can do in your seat. 

• Eagle Arms: extend your arms out in front of you and bend them at the elbows so your fingers point up. Wrap your left arm under your right and wrap your hand around the grab the palm of your right hand. Lift up your elbows slightly. Do both sides.
• Seated twist: sit up tall and make sure your knees are in line with each other. On you exhale twist to the left, resting your right hand on your left knee. To get a deeper twist, cross your left leg over your right and then twist to the left. Do both sides.
• Seated crescent moon: sit up tall and raise your left arm up, lean over to the right. Do both sides.
• Toe taps: tap your toes up and down, do both feet. This gets blood circulating.
• Tennis ball massage: massage your feet by rolling the ball up and down your foot. You can do pressure points on your back as well. Do this by placing the ball on a spot on your back that is tight. Sit back to apply pressure. Close your eyes and take some deep breaths.
• Seated four square: Place your right ankle on your left knee and fold forward. Do both sides. You can also twist towards the bent knee (do this while sitting upright).
• Neck stretches. Turn your head to the right and slowly nod up and down 5-10 times. Do the other side. Interlace your fingers behind your head and allow the weight of your arms to pull your head down. Maintain a straight spine while you do this, don’t slump.

Once you get to where you're going, if your legs or feet have swollen, try legs up the wall pose. This will help drain any fluid. This pose feels great for tired legs too. Do a few sun salutations to help work the kinks out so you don’t go to bed all bound up.

Traveling is great. You get to see exciting places, meet new people and get out of your comfort zone. Incorporate these yoga techniques into your traveling so you can enjoy your trip in comfort. The other cool thing is you never know what great things you'll find, that you would've otherwise missed. when you go out of your way to find a yoga class.