by Darrin Zeer
—Marcel Proust
3. YOGA ON THE GO
Stretching in Planes, Trains, Boats, and Automobiles
Try the stretches in this section as you are getting settled into your seat. They will help you get comfy and prepare you for the next step of your journey.
SITTING SURVIVAL
First, sit on your sit bones; to find these sharp bones, place your hands under your buttocks and rock forward and backward until your weight is on these two bones.
Notice that when you rise forward, your body aligns atop your sit bones; your back straightens, your chest expands, and your shoulders, neck, and head rise and align.
Now sit back on your tailbone—everything slumps and drops, including your mood!
Rise forward again. Feel your spine lift into a straight line all the way up to your head, and hold.
Let your shoulders relax, soften your jaw, lower your chin, and take a few deep, calm breaths.
Courage is like love, it must have hope for nourishment.
—Napoléon Bonaparte
GETTING A LEG UP STRETCH
While sitting, interlace fingers below one knee.
Bend leg up toward your chest.
Stretch forehead to knee. Hold and breathe.
Switch legs.
CROSSED LEG TWIST
While sitting, cross your left leg over your right.
Place your right hand or elbow on the crossed knee.
Gently turn your body to the left and look behind you.
Switch legs and twist the other way.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
—Confucius
FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR POSE
Sit near the edge of your seat with your arms on the armrests, holding the sides with your hands.
Gently stretch your chest up and forward and tilt your head slightly backward.
Relax and breathe into the stretch.
Then slouch down and let your head drop forward.
Feel your spine rolling forward and backward with each stretch.
When you’re done, smile and introduce yourself to your neighbors.
We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.
—Robert Louis Stevenson
This stretch series works on all modes of transportation—planes, trains, buses, and ferries. It’s amazing what a bit of stretching can do to bring relief!
PAIN IN THE NECK RELIEF
HEAD ROLLS
Slowly roll your head around in a wide circle in both directions.
Find a tight spot and stop.
Hold and breathe, letting your breath release the tightness.
SHOULDER ROLLS
Raise your shoulders to your ears, hold, breathe, and then drop.
Roll one shoulder and then the other in wide circles in both directions.
ARM BEHIND BACK
Stretch your left arm behind your back.
Grab your wrist with your right hand.
Drop your head to the right.
Roll head slightly and explore any tightness.
Stretch and breathe.
Repeat with other arm.
ARM ABOVE HEAD
Bend your left arm above and behind your head.
Grab your elbow with your right hand and stretch upward.
Breathe and let shoulders relax.
Repeat with other arm.
MILE-HIGH MASSAGE
NECK AND SHOULDERS
Place both hands on your shoulders and neck.
Squeeze with your fingers and hold for a moment or two.
Rub vigorously in circles while keeping shoulders relaxed.
WRISTS AND FOREARMS
Wrap one hand around the opposite forearm.
Squeeze the muscles with thumb and fingers.
Move up and down, from your elbow to fingertips and back again.
Repeat with other arm.
Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.
—Swedish proverb
TURBULENCE TENSION TAMER
When turbulence hits, let your shoulders drop, relax tight muscles, and release facial tension. Remind yourself to breathe slowly, and focus your attention on your breath. Make the out-breath two times longer than the in-breath. This will immediately calm you.
Repeat this mantra: “I am calm.”
Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it.
—Mark Twain
STANDING SHOULDER STRETCH
Grab onto something solid about shoulder height to either side. If you’re on the bus, the poles work well. If you’re on a plane or train, try the overhead compartments.
Gently let your body lean forward and your chest stretch outward.
Relax your head and breathe.
Feel the nice stretch in your chest and shoulders.
Two great talkers will not travel far together.
—Spanish proverb
At the end of the journey, you may feel stiff and tense. These pre-landing stretches are sure to loosen you up and get your circulation flowing.
LEG LOOSENER
Tighten your tummy, straighten your legs as much as you can, and lift them half an inch off the ground.
Let your chest rise, and push your elbows into your seat-back.
Stretch your toes forward.
Rotate your feet in both directions.
Repeat whenever you feel lethargic. You will disembark refreshed and ready to get back on the move.
ARRIVAL WARM-UP
Sit forward with your feet flat on the ground.
With hands on hips, relax your shoulders and let them drop.
Rotate your torso in wide, slow circles.
Breathe and relax as you explore the tightness.
PEACEFUL LANDING MEDITATION
Close your eyes and place one hand on your belly.
Let your shoulders drop.
Breathe slowly and deeply.
Feel your hand rise and fall.
Allow a gentle feeling of relaxation to flow through your body.
Repeat this mantra: “I am calm and patient.”
Patience is the companion to wisdom.
—St. Augustine
OVERHEAD LUGGAGE REACH
Try not to rush off the plane with everyone else; it will just stress you out and ultimately save you only a moment or two. Before reaching for your bags in the overhead compartment, take a moment to stretch and regroup.
Raise your arms straight above your head.
Interlace your fingers.
Alternately turn palms downward and upward.
Stretch from the ribcage and breathe deeply.
When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.
—Thomas Jefferson
NATURAL WONDERS of the WORLD
MEDITATION
Breathe … relax …
imagine getting lost in the Amazon jungle.
Breathe in the fragrant air,
listen to the vibrant life singing,
let the river carry you into a
deep and peaceful state of mind.
For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.
—Robert Louis Stevenson
4. HOTEL ROOM HARMONY
Relaxation in Your Home Away from Home
Make your hotel room a home away from home. The following exercises will bring comfort to any space.
TRAVEL ALTAR
Claim your room as your own by setting up a personalized altar. Pick the best spot on your table or bureau and clear all advertisements off it. Set family photos, candles, and special mementos for inspiration. When you feel frazzled or far away from your loved ones, spend time looking at your altar to rekindle fond memories of home.
ROOM SERVICE ROYALTY
Splurge once in a while. You’re worth it! Order room service. Choose a good movie or some
nice music and chill out. Get cozy with your pillows propped up to comfortably support your head and back. Slowly, deliberately eat your meal, and enjoy every bite.
Love can turn the cottage into a golden palace.
—German proverb
SPA NIGHT
Unpack your travel spa kit. (Refer to “Travel Yoga Packing Reminders” on page 94 for ideas on things to bring.)
Light some candles and incense.
Put on some music.
Make sure the temperature in your room is cozy warm.
Fill the bathtub with warm water and add bath salts and aromatherapy oils.
Sink deeply into the tub and let any tension drift away. Take some time to count the many blessings in your life.
These stretches will help you feel calm and energized before your day gets started.
SUNRISE SOOTHER
Lie comfortably on your bed and bring both knees to your chest and wrap your arms around them.
Drop both knees to one side, arms out to the sides, keeping your shoulders flat; relax into the stretch.
Gently bring both legs back up, and switch sides.
Knees at your chest again, rock back and forth.
If you can, sit up into a forward bend, legs out and upper body stretching forward.
Take hold of your legs. Relax your shoulders and drop your head.
Take several deep full-body breaths, stretching a little farther each time. Don’t push it.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
—Aristotle
VACATION SALUTATIONS
This gentle series of yoga postures will help wake up your entire body. Take the first round slow and easy. Let your breathing fall into a rhythm like the waves of the ocean with each stretch.
First, place your hands in prayer position and inhale deeply (1). Reach your hands up high and stretch, arching slightly backward. Exhaling, sweep your outstretching arms forward and down till you are bent over, touching the floor if you can; relax your head and neck and take a few breaths (2). Squat down, place your hands flat on the ground, take a big step back with your left foot, and stretch, arching your back upward (3). Step your right foot back and rest both knees on the ground, making a table with your body; first stretch your head up and curve your lower back down (4), then drop your head down and arch your back up (5). Repeat once, and breathe in rhythm as you do so.
With your hands and feet flat on the ground, lift your buttocks toward the sky, keeping your arms and legs straight and your heels down; stay as long as is comfortable (6). Drop down onto your hands and knees, sit on your calves, and lower your upper body to the ground, with your arms outstretched on the floor (7). Relax for a few breaths. Rise back up on your hands and knees and bring your left foot forward and underneath you, with your right leg stretched back. Arch your back upward and breathe. Bring your right foot forward, straighten your legs while your upper body hangs down, and slowly walk your hands up your legs until you are in a standing position. Raise your arms toward the sky and stretch back slightly, tightening your buttocks (8). Exhale as you return your hands to the beginning prayer position, and then relax.
Rest for a few moments, rhythmically breathing in and out. Repeat this stretch series as many times as you want or as time permits.
Confine yourself to the present.
—Marcus Aurelius
WAKE UP AND SHAKE UP!
Make sure you have enough room. Swing your arms above your head and jump your legs apart. Inhale deeply as you jump your legs apart and exhale deeply as you jump them back together. Feel free to run in one place to help get your heart rate up.
This stretch series is perfect for unwinding after a long day.
JET LAG REJUVENATION
Put on your favorite dance music, throw on your headphones, and, for one or two songs, stretch your body to the music. Free-flow dance and stretch in different directions. Get excited! Focus on unwinding the stress and tension of a long day on the road.
We should consider every day lost in which we do not dance at least once.
—Friedrich nietzsche
PAY-PER-VIEW STRETCHES
SPLITS STRETCH
Sit on your bed.
Stretch your legs out straight and wide apart.
Slowly walk your hands down your legs. Gently raise your chest.
Take a few breaths, and then drop your head and shoulders.
Breathe and relax.
BUTTERFLY STRETCH
Sit on your bed.
Bend your legs and bring the soles of your feet together, close to your body.
Grab your feet with your hands and gently lower your knees.
Raise your chest and breathe.
Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember; and I remember more than I have seen.
—Benjamin Disraeli
Sorrow shared is halved, and joy shared is doubled.
—Native American saying
HONEYMOONERS’ HARMONY
TABLE FOR TWO
Face each other, standing about two feet apart.
Grasp your partner’s arms just above the elbows.
Bend forward with arms interlaced while taking little steps backward.
Go slowly, and take deep, gentle breaths.
Allow your shoulders to relax and chest to open.
When ready, slowly step forward and rise up together.
TUG-OF-WAR
Sit on the ground, facing your partner.
Stretch out your legs so that the soles of your feet touch your partner’s.
Reach out and interlace hands with your partner, stretching forward.
Inhale and exhale in unison, assisting each other as you stretch farther.
Take turns stretching forward and backward in a seesaw motion until you both feel revived.
Go slow, and let your bodies relax into the stretch.
SWEET RELIEF STRETCH
Lie flat on your back and pull your right knee to your chest.
Take a deep breath and gently bend your right knee over your left leg.
Place your left hand on your right knee to hold the knee down.
Turn your head to the right.
Take deep, gentle breaths and relax your whole body.
Gently release, and then switch legs.
SLEEPING BEAUTY POSE
As you inhale, tighten all the muscles in your body and hold for five seconds.
Then release and let your whole body go limp.
Feel yourself melting into the mattress with each exhalation.
Try this three to five times or until you feel yourself starting to fall asleep.
Notice how peace and calm slowly permeate your body. Sweet dreams!
NATURAL WONDERS of the WORLD
MEDITATION
Relax … breathe …
imagine listening to the thundering
roar of Niagara Falls.
Let all your troubles wash away,
become mesmerized by the
sound of the falls,
feel yourself refreshed and revitalized.
So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
—Mark Twain
5. THE ENLIGHTENED TRAVELER
Yoga Around the Globe
TUMMY TAMER
Desserts, caffeine, fried foods, and cigarettes all can cause irritation to your belly. Add this to fatigue and stress, and you’re a prime candidate for indigestion. When your stomach is in knots, try these quick tummy tamers:
First thing: Don’t eat too much while traveling. Overeating causes indigestion and lethargy.
Choose healthful, fresh foods like salads and soups.
At mealtime, be sure to sit down, relax, and eat slowly.
While you eat, drink water to aid the digestion process.
Peppermint or chamomile tea calms your stomach.
Gentle yoga stretches and deep, relax
ed breathing can ease indigestion.
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
—Lao-tzu
STRANGERS IN PARADISE
On each trip, make a commitment to get to know at least one stranger. Be on the lookout, because without fail there is always someone with whom you are destined to make contact. Stay open and available, and welcome conversations with those around you.
I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.
—Mark Twain
SIGHTSEEING SOOTHERS
Make sure you bring your sunglasses to protect yourself against bright sunlight. It’s also helpful to stop and take an eye break.