Using yoga to travel well

good posture & stretches to do on long journeys... tips for nervous flyers...

It's summer - yay! It's a time when many of us take time off providing us with an often much-needed break and change from our regular routine. If you are lucky enough to get away on holiday the actual journey can sometimes be uncomfortable and even stressful (especially if you are a nervous flyer), not always the best start to a holiday. You can, however, put into practice some of the things we learn "on the mat" to ease your journey. Below I share some of my top travelling yoga tips....

LONG JOURNEYS
Whether it's couped up in a car or coach or we are flying further afield, it's a really good idea to be aware of our posture and to regularly stretch and move our joints. Sitting in an uncomfortable, fixed position for a long period of time can result in aches and pains especially in our back, neck and shoulders and even our hips and knees.

 - SIT WELL - tips for good seated posture

• it's a good idea to have both feet flat on the floor (or on a support if you are short like me!) which allows your hips and knees to be at 90 degrees
• support your lumbar spine (lower back) with a cushion, rolled up blanket or jumper between your lower back and the back of the seat
• watch that your shoulders aren't hunched forwards or up towards your ears (especially if you're driving or, as a passenger, looking at your phone), try and sit upright with your shoulder blades away from your ears and going down your back
• support your head against a headrest so your head isn't jutting forward
• as a passenger, use a neck pillow to allow you to sleep without straining your neck 
• check your alignment - head over heart, heart over pelvis - shoulders over your hips

- MOVE WELL and STRETTCCCHHHH

• it's important to move as much as possible - to move the joints, keep your muscles working and the blood circulating - if you can, get up and walk around as regularly as possible. While you are seated, as a passenger, you can still move - here are some seated stretches that you can do:
• turn your head from side to side, keeping your chin parallel with the floor
• bring your chin down to your chest to stretch the back of your neck and then move your head (keeping your chin low) from one shoulder across to the other
• stretch the side of your neck by taking your right ear down to your right shoulder and then repeat on the other side
• take your head carefully backwards (looking up) and then bring your chin to your chest to look down and repeat (careful not to fling your head back)
• point and flex your feet and then rotate your feet round one way and then the other
• lift your foot off the floor and push your heel away from you, curling your toes towards you to stretch out your calf muscles and back of your ankles
• with your feet flat on the floor come up on to tip toes and then lower your heels back down
• if possible, hug one knee in towards your chest and then stretch out your leg and repeat on the other side
• lift one foot off the floor and take your leg out to the side and back in, doing small hip circles (space allowing), going one way and then the other
• shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, take your shoulder blades back and then glide them down your back
• rotate your hands round, working your wrists, one way and then the other
• interlink your fingers pushing your palms away from you
• side bend - you can keep your arms down or if possible stretch your arms overhead as you bend your torso sideways to one side, back to centre and then the other side (maybe interlink your fingers with palms away)
• sit tall - lift and lengthen up through your spine, growing tall and then relax
• seated cat cow - rest your hands on your thighs and, as you exhale, round your back bringing your chin to your chest then, on an inhale, rock forward on your pelvis, stretch the front of the body, puffing your chest out, take your shoulders back and look up, repeat
• twist - turn your torso to the right, taking your left hand to your right thigh or right arm rest looking over your right shoulder (if it is comfortable to do so) and then turn the other way looking over your left shoulder

NERVOUS FLYERS
I have found, especially as I have got older and have the responsibility of children, I am more nervous when flying than I used to be. This is where yoga can definitely help. Yoga teaches us to become very body aware and we are able to consciously soften our muscles. Together with our breath and visualisation we can relieve tension, lower our heart rate and relax.

 - body scan

• close your eyes and take your awareness inwards - notice the contact your feet have with the floor and your seat with the chair, feel the warmth of your hands on your thighs or your lap 
• take your focus to the top of your head and slowly scan down your body, resting your attention on each body part for a breath or two. 
• notice how each body part feels - whether it is comfortable and relaxed or whether there is tightness, tension or discomfort - if you do find some tension rest your attention here for a little longer and see if you can consciously soften those muscles, each time you breathe out you might find you can melt away the discomfort, visualise the tension melting away.
• allow each part to relax - your forehead - the muscles in your face - your jaw - your neck muscles - your shoulders - your arms and hands - your torso - your back - your belly - your hips and buttocks - your thighs, legs, ankles and feet
• if your mind wanders and you get distracted, simply come back to wherever you were in your body scan and continue down to your toes. This might happen many times - it doesn't matter
• spend a little longer at any areas where you know you hold tension - across your forehead, your neck, shoulders, hips - wherever that might be for you. I often think I have relaxed and then a moment later find I can release a little further, we often hold on to physical tensions without realising it. And breathe....

- using our breath to relax

• close your eyes and take your awareness inwards, focus on your breath
• follow your breath in and out as you breathe through your nose, if it helps take your awareness to your nostrils. Keeping your attention on your breath means you are less likely to be thinking other thoughts. 
• technique one - notice your breath and allow it to be as deep or as shallow as it likes and as fast or as slow as it wants - you don't need to change it or control it, simply observe it. Notice any movement in your body - you might be aware of your body gently expanding as you inhale and softening on the exhale. There is no right or wrong, simply keep with your breath and every time your mind wanders ease your attention back to your breath.
• technique two - count your breaths - in 1, out 2, in 3, out 4 and keep going to 10 - don't worry if you lose count and get distracted by thoughts or sounds, simply bring your attention back to your count each time and continue where you left off. Then start again at 1. 
• technique three - and one that can help us relax physically as well as mentally - double the length of the exhale. I like to breathe in for a count of 3 and out for count of 6. Eyes shut, awareness inwards, nice slow breath, "breathe in - 2 - 3" and "out - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6". Use each exhale to let go - of physical tensions or thoughts or feelings that aren't serving you well.
• as you relax you will notice your breath begins to slow, as your breath slows, your mind will calm.

- blue sky

• close your eyes and take your awareness inwards, imagine your mind as a beautiful blue sky and your thoughts as clouds. The blue sky is a place of peace and calm. Sometimes when our minds are very busy we can't connect with that blue sky as there are too many clouds. The blue sky, however, is always there.
• if thoughts come in, don't rest your attention on them or get into conversation with them - you don't want those clouds to build up. Instead, let any thoughts go - just like clouds moving by in the sky.
• know that that blue sky - the place deep inside which is peaceful and calm - is always there - just like when you're in an aeroplane taking off on a cloudy day, you break through those clouds and see that blue sky - it's always there, with the sun shining. Through our yoga we learn  to tap into that place of inner calm.

AND THAT'S IT!

I hope you have found something useful here. Have a very safe trip wherever you are going and happy holidays!