Chances are that the next three months of your summer are filled with family vacations, road trips, destination weddings, and any other excuse to travel. Summer is the season for getaways, both big and small, and this usually requires some time on the road, in the air, or both. In addition to the usual lag we feel when catching red eyes or driving long distances, our muscles and joints also get tight from sitting for long periods of time. Thankfully, yoga is a practice you can put into motion no matter where you are—yep, even the airport! You can be that person, with no shame, because with a few basic yoga asanas, you’ll arrive to your destination feeling ready to rock, rather than ready to sleep.
These are some of our favorite yoga postures for stretching, building a little heat, and waking up the body. You can pick and choose your postures, or you can put them together for an invigorating, simple series, as demonstrated by yogi Erin Fleming from Bay Club Marin.
Downward-Facing Dog
One of the most foundational poses in yoga, downward-facing dog is a perfect pose for establishing your breath, stretching your legs, loosening your shoulders, and engaging your body. Start breathing in and out through your nose, and roll your shoulders down your back. If you have a hard time getting your mind to settle, bring your gaze between your feet and appreciate the pose’s balance of effort and ease.
Great for: Stretching your hamstrings, igniting your breath, and releasing tension in your neck.
Chaturanga Dandasana
Time to fire up a little upper-body strength, and get your blood pumping! Chaturanga Dandasana is just what the doctor ordered if you are feeling tired or can’t focus. You’ll channel all your energy to move through this asana—and the key to a real challenge is to move as slowly as you can. You’ll feel your core and arms work together to lower your whole body. Try five of these, pushing back into downward-facing dog after each one, and we promise you’ll shake off that tired energy from sitting in a car all day.
Great for: Engaging your upper body strength and building inner heat.
Locust Pose or Bow Pose
Backbends and heart openers are like a shot of espresso to your energy system! They help maintain spinal health and challenge your breath. For locust pose, lay on your stomach and either clasp your hands at your lower back, or stretch them out behind you with palms down. Try a few locust poses before moving onto bow, which is a more intense posture. In bow, grab the outside of your ankles and lift your chest. Focus on the fluidity of inhaling and exhaling through your nose, which is easier said than done in these postures. In other words, don’t hold your breath and clench!
Great for: Massaging your digestive organs (in case you had too many peanuts on the plane), opening the shoulders, and strengthening the upper back
Side Plank
This is one of those poses that works in mysterious ways. Most yogis love it for its core work, but it’s also perfect pose for stretching out your wrists. If you’ve been texting or typing while en route to vacation, this is the pose for you. Plus, there are many versions to modify or amplify. You can let your lower leg rest, pushing your hips to the sky and slightly forward (don’t bend back in this pose!), or move into a more advanced version by raising your leg or reaching for your top foot.
Great for: Building some inner heat to shake off the flight fatigue, and strengthening and stretching the overworked (i.e. tight) part of our wrists.
Pigeon
You didn’t think we forgot about pigeon, did you? Pigeon is one of the best hip-openers in yoga. If a long flight or road-trip leaves your hips tight, your quads like ropes, and your lower back sore, sink into pigeon for some sweet (and slightly painful, at first) relief. The key to this posture is remembering to breath into the pose, letting your limbs soften with each breath. Align yourself properly so you don’t feel fidgety or in pain the whole time, and you’ll feel all your lower body tension melt away.
Great for: Loosening tight hip flexors and hip rotators and easing pain in the lower back.
And if you’re really looking to make yoga a priority when you travel, join Erin Fleming for her next yoga retreat in India in January 2018. Click here for more information or email Erin here.