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.
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?