3 of the Best Yoga Poses For Travelers
By: Kayla Nielsen
Whether you commute to work everyday, or you’re a full on digital nomad, most travel on a daily basis. And guess what? Our bodies feel the impact of it!
The question is how can we best support our body through yoga in a way that doesn’t necessarily take a ton of time or space?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Legs Up The Wall
Most of the time, traveling involves sitting. And usually when we’re sitting, our feet are on the floor (unless you sit cross-legged, which is helpful too!). When are feet are on the ground, then the blood rushes to the feet, causing swelling or discomfort.
Legs up the wall reverses the blood flow down and out of the feet, reducing inflammation in the area.
How to do it:
You can lie on your back, and then actually shimmy your bum right up to a wall, and then extend your legs towards straight, letting the wall support the straightening of the legs. Or, you can do the exact same thing WITHOUT a wall to support you.
Puppy Pose
This one is for all my fellow backpackers. Look, I get it, backpacking is a whole vibe (trust me, I did it for 10 years). But the thing is that your backpack just might be causing your poor shoulders, chest, and back some pain, am I right?
Puppy pose is a grounded heart opener that works wonders for everyone from backpackers, to corporate folks sitting at a desk all day. If you noticed you’re starting to slump, and round your shoulders in, do this every day.
How to do it:
Come to your hands and knees, and take a big inhale through the nose. With your exhale, start walking your hands forward to melt your chest toward the ground, while keeping your hips lifted up and over your knees. Eventually resting your forehead or chin down.
If you have a lot of space between your chest and the ground, place a cushion underneath you for support. If your shoulders are super tight, walk your hands out wider than than your shoulders.
Rag Doll
I promise you, this will feel good at any time of the day. Given that so many people suffer from low back pain, a simply rag doll just might help to give you that sweet release you’re looking for after a long travel day.
Plus, this is an inversion! No need to learn how to Handstand or Headstand to reap all the glorious benefits of inversions. Start here with a simple fold.
How to do it:
Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, and bend your knees generously. Take an inhale while your standing, and as you exhale slowly begin to fold your torso over your thighs while keeping your knees very bent. Once you’ve folded as far as is comfortable for you, grab your elbows, release your head and neck (shake it yes and no), and simply allow the upper half of your body to hang as HEAVILY as possible over your lower half.
Work on shifting the weight forward in your feet, to further bump the knees over the ankles, and hips over the knees (deepening the inversion). As the weight shifts forward in the feet, ensure your heels are still connected to the ground, then actively pull down through your heels to keep your hamstrings ignited.
Let us know how you feel after trying these 3 yoga poses for travel! Better yet, tag us while you’re hanging out in one of them during your next airport layover, or long bus ride.