Travel Tip Tuesday – Travel Yoga

If you’re like me, you’ll try anything to get through an overseas plane ride, and all the stress that goes along with it. I need all the help I can get. I am not the greatest flyer. I’m not even good. I just don’t care for it.

I hate being in those cramped seats, not wanting to get up to disturb my neighbor, or waiting out delays in the terminal. I’ll try drugs, wine, my iPod, reading, movies, journaling, crosswords – you name it.

So, when I heard this little book Travel Yoga call out to me in the bookstore, I couldn’t resist.

As a rule, I like yoga. I even like doing it both in the morning or the evenings at the hotel to relax and stretch from a long day of walking and sightseeing – but this takes yoga a step further.

This one is a little instruction book on how to use yoga to stretch on planes, trains, automobiles and boats - as well as keeping a cool head in the face of stressful travel scenarios. It is your guide to a stress-free journey.

In it you will find the Five Keys to Happy Travels:

1. Be patient-master the art of waiting.

2. Be friendly to your fellow travelers; kindness has many rewards.

3. Find pleasure in your travel; it will make any bumps along the way more tolerable.

4. Practice stretching and relaxation exercises throughout your journey; they will transform your trip.

5. Take things one step at a time. When stressed, simply take a deep, relaxing breath for instant peace of mind.

And some of my favorite travel yoga poses include:

Security Check Stretch

Flight-Got-Bumped Rag Doll Stretch

Layover Back Relief

Service Station Rejuvenation

Luggage Carousel Lunge

Mile-High Massage (no, this is not related to the Mile-High Club!?!)

Overhead Luggage Reach

And my two favorite monument-inspired yoga poses:

Leaning Tower of Pisa Pose

Eiffel Tower Eagle Pose

It even has a card with the most popular poses/stretches that can be torn out of the back and taken along on your journey.

Loaded with inspirational travel proverbs and meditations, this book is a gem for a wound-up-as-tight-as-a-drum traveler like me.

I will definitely being paying close attention to the chapter on stretches/poses to do in the seat on the plane. These will help keep me entertained, and keep my circulation going, which is important for keeping those nasty DVT clots from forming.

And I am hoping that I can use the meditations to imagine that my seat is three times larger than it really is and that I have the illusion of being comfortable in it!

How ’bout you? How do you keep sane, calm, relaxed and limber during travel?

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Now, exercise those fingers on over and click on My Bella Vita to see what travel tips Cherrye has in store today!

Cherrye at My Bella Vita
March 31st, 2009
Love this, Robin. I gotta get my hands on one of those little books!

My Melange
March 31st, 2009
Yeah, C. it just might keep me somewhat sane on the plane! Ha!

Leesie
March 31st, 2009
Looking forward to checking this out. Great post – as always ;O) I’m nominating you for Blogher of the Week.
Have a wonderful day!

My Melange
March 31st, 2009
Thanks!! And thanks for the nomination- you are too sweet

Vanessa
March 31st, 2009
Great post! I haven’t been on an airplane since I became a mom, but I think I could use this Travel Yoga for long hair- raising car rides with the kids too!

michelle of bleeding espresso
March 31st, 2009
YOGA! YOGA! YOGA! (You know, like TOGA!)
Love this post

My Melange
March 31st, 2009
What a great idea, Vanessa!! I think it would be perfect for any stressful situation- travel or otherwise ;)

My Melange
March 31st, 2009
Ha! Michelle, I think that’ll be my mantra/chant in the airport on my long journey- from train to shuttle to plane to train to my final walk to the apartment in Rome YOGA, YOGA, YOGA!! I can just picture the Romans lookin’ at me like I am pazza!?! And if you love the post- you will LOVE the book, too ;)

anne
March 31st, 2009
Great tips Robin….Trust you to put about the “MILE HIGH CLUB”

My Melange
March 31st, 2009
Yes, so predictable I am

joe@italyville
April 1st, 2009
Hi Robin… great tips. Stretching is so important. Where’s the second half of TTT. Cherrye’s blog disappeared???

My Melange
April 1st, 2009
Joe, Cherrye has had an April Fools of the worst kind. Her domain disappeared!!! She is working on it with her domain compnay. Boh!! We are all hoping for the best

boulerdesigngroup.blogspot.com
April 1st, 2009
My travels have taught me this maxim: You’re not lost if you don’t have a destination. It’s kept me calm more than once.