Yoga enthusiasts love to travel like everyone else, but there is one part of traveling that every yoga enthusiast hates. The tight schedules and lack of space force them to skip their yoga routine. However, if you give it a thought, it is not so hard to overcome both these obstacles and easily practice yoga poses while traveling.
Yoga comes with its own perks when it comes to space. You do not need an entire gym nor the equipment that most exercises demand for practicing yoga. Whether you are just starting the day or ending it, a little dose of yoga is, nevertheless, always refreshing.
Traveling has its boon, but it is always a tiring affair. This is why you need yoga to re-energize and prepare yourselves to enjoy every moment of the trip. Yoga offers a huge bouquet of benefits, most of us are unaware of these benefits, especially the benefits for travelers.
So, to break this dismal state of unawareness, here are some benefits, tips and poses that you can try during your trip. You will definitely take out your yoga mat and try a few poses once you finish reading.
How Practicing Yoga Poses While Traveling Helps You Stay Fit
Sitting for a long time with the inability to stretch can take its toll on your body. The new environments and an irregular eating and exercise schedule can make your health feel detrimental after a few days. Hence, practicing yoga while traveling is important.
Here are some ways yoga can help in keeping you fit while on the road.
1. Keeps You Calm
Doing asanas which promote deep breathing can assist you to restore healthy circulation of blood throughout your body. The result is a much newer and rejuvenated you. Doing yoga can help you find your happy place as you meditate and practice, zoning out from all the hullabaloo around you. You must just remember to inhale the positive energy and exhale all the frustration out of your body
2. Maintain Your Posture
As we grow, the posture of your body starts deteriorating. You may not notice it till it becomes a big problem, but the gradual change needs to be checked. When you practice yoga, it helps in restoring and correcting your postures with the help of many poses. Some of such yoga poses are Downward Facing Dog Pose, Cat-Cow Pose, Mountain Pose and Four-Limbed Staff Pose.
However, if you travel and stay out of touch with the yoga practice, your posture will be affected owing to all the prolonged hours of incorrect standing, sitting, sleeping, and even walking throughout the day.
3. Fights Stress
You might think that because you are on vacation, you are leaving all the stress behind. But if you are a frequent traveler you must be wary of how stressful it can be if you end up with obnoxious or annoying people during our journey.
I am sure you must have heard of people sticking their dirty feet in between flight seats, careless about the fact that the person in front of them might be uncomfortable. Now that surely can be depressing, downright unhygienic, and very stressful.
So, to help you move on from zones and circles of unhappiness, yoga works as a wonder for people. It takes the stress and negative thoughts out of your mind, crumples it, and just allows you to let go of it. The result, every day you get to meet a more confident person in yourself.
4. Keeps You Rejuvenated
The art of yoga is mostly popular because of its detoxifying properties. It helps the body recover from harmful toxins. Yoga is not a religion. Yoga makes a connection of your mind, soul, and higher power which brings peace, mindfulness, and confidence in your entire being. If you are someone who regularly practices yoga, you must notice the changes in your life before and after yoga.
Before yoga life is always about procrastination, making many mistakes, lack in self-confidence, lower concentration levels, and chaos. But with the practice making way into your life these all fade away. It wakes your core being and rejuvenates you from within. You will be more mindful of what to do.
Try to believe it. Add a short session of yoga to your daily morning routine even when you travel. It will help you throughout the day.
Tips For Maintaining Yoga Practice On The Road
Yoga is a reminder to be in the present, take in everything around you, experience all the emotions you are feeling and turn them into positive energy. Yoga forces you to pause for a minute and reconnect with your mind and body. It is important to feel strong and confident when you are exploring, and yoga does just that.
To keep your yoga practice in check while traveling, here are some tips that you can follow.
1. Need only Small Space
Yoga does not need much space for practicing. So, if your trip demands you to be out of the hotel room to the office and then back again, you can try yoga poses for small spaces like the Mountain Pose, Tree Pose, Cobra Pose or Pranayama. Just being able to get into the poses can be a great help for your body while you follow your busy schedule.
2. Yoga Mat is Easy to Carry
Carry your yoga mat along with you where ever you go. After all, it is not a heavy luggage. You can opt for the fordable mats, which can easily fit inside your bag. You will never know when the opportunity might strike and give you alone time for yoga.
Don’t want to carry a Yoga mat? No Worries. There are many poses that do not need a yoga mat. You can do following yoga poses without a mat:
- Dangle Pose
- Garland Pose (Malasana)
- Standing Pigeon (‘Eka Pada Galavasana’ Prep)
- Lord of the Dance Pose (‘Natarajasana’)
- Standing Backbend (‘Anuvittasana’)
- Revolved Chair Pose (‘Parivrtta Utkatasana’)
- Eagle Pose (‘Garudasana’)
Thinking of what to use instead of Yoga mat to do your practice? You can use carpet or any other similar material that is firm and offers you a great grip like a yoga mat. If the grip is not firm like a yoga mat, you should restrict yourself to simple poses.
3. Search for Yoga Retreats Nearby
Do research if there are any yoga retreats nearby, that can match your timings. Yoga is a popular fitness regime worldwide and more travel destinations are making yoga retreat an attraction for tourists.
If you are traveling to North India, you can visit Rishikesh, a paradise city for a Yogi. There are a lot of Yoga schools which offer yoga TTC and retreat programs. IYMS Rishikesh offers 7 days, 15 days and 28 days yoga and meditation retreat programs. A perfect yogic routine with perfect yogic diet and a traditional Indian ashram await you for another chapter in your journey as a Yogi.
4. Practice Yoga Lying in Bed
If you are tired and lying in bed, thinking “Can I do yoga in bed?” The answer is “YES.” You can always practice restorative yoga in bed like ‘Balasana’, ‘Shavasana’, and ‘Viparita Karani’ to help you relax and get a good night sleep.
5. Meditate
Make time for ‘Sadhana’ or meditation whenever you get time even if it is for few minutes. This will help you stay mindful of your surroundings and connect to your inner self.
6. Surya Namaskar
If you really do not have time, just do at least 12 sets of Surya Namaskar sequences. This will take just 5-10 minutes. It will cover up for all the yoga poses you miss throughout the day.
Travel can inflict great damage to the mind and body. Hence, maintaining a yoga practice while on the road is crucial. Keep these tips handy and you will never lose another day without feeling fit.
Yoga For Travelers – Poses You Can Try While Traveling
A good yoga sequence is key to remaining grounded, energized, and focused during the stressful and long hours of travel. Here is a sequence of 10 yoga poses that you can perform within the four walls of your hotel room to counteract the negative effects of traveling.
1. Mountain Pose (‘Tadasana’)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style: Hatha Yoga
Gaze: Forward to Infinity
Duration: 10 – 20 seconds
Repetition: 5-10 times
Stretches: The whole body
Strengthens: Back, Knees, Thighs, Ankles
It is the starting pose for all standing poses. It is one of the most basic poses that can be done by almost everyone and at any time of the day. This pose needs to be done on an empty stomach. Practicing ‘Tadasana’ can improve the body’s balance, posture, and respiration. The pose teaches you to be connected with the earth as you remain grounded during the practice.
2. Tree Pose (‘Vriksasana’)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style: Hatha Yoga
Gaze: Forward to Infinity
Duration: 2 minutes
Repetitions: 1 Minute on Each Leg. Repeat Twice with Each Leg
Strengthens: Vertebral column, Thighs, Calves, Ankles
Stretches: Shoulders, Thorax, Groin, Thighs,
It is another balancing yoga pose, which can demonstrate your state of mind. This pose demands focus. You place your gaze in front for maintaining a steady balance. In this pose, feet and legs act as a support for upper body resembling the roots of a tree that gives the foundation for its branches.
3. Chair Pose (‘Utkatasana’)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style: Vinyasa Yoga
Gaze: Third Eye or Upward to Infinity
Duration: 30-60 seconds
Stretches: Shoulders, Thorax
Strengthens: Vertebral Column, Thighs, Calves, Ankles
This is another great pose for practitioners of all levels. The chair pose is a squatting position which is powerful and intense. This pose stimulates blood circulation, strengthens the muscles of legs and hands, and improves the functionality of the diaphragm. It is also a good pose to increase sense of balance and willpower.
4. Standing Forward Fold Pose (‘Uttanasana’)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Style: Hatha Yoga
Gaze: Keep eyes closed or Gaze softly at Knees
Duration: 15-30 Seconds
Stretches: Calves, Hamstrings, Hips
Strengthens: Knees, Thighs
This pose stretches your hamstrings and lumbar spine internally, enhancing your flexibility. Furthermore, the inversion of the upper body helps blood circulate to the brain, thus making you more mindful of your surroundings. This is the ideal pose for backpackers who are out walking most of the time and navigating their way through a location.
5. Downward Facing Dog Pose (‘Adho Mukha Shvanasana’)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style:Ashtanga Yoga
Gaze:Navel
Duration: 1-3 minutes
Strengthens: Arms, Back, Legs
Stretches: Hands, Shoulders, Back, Calves, Hamstrings, and Arches of the foot
The asana is named after the way a dog stretches after it wakes from a nap. The inversion allows the blood to flow into the brain, again helping you release stress, anxiety, and anger.
6. Four-Limbed Staff Pose (‘Chaturanga Dandasana’)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style: Vinyasa/ Ashtanga Yoga
Gaze: Tip of the Nose
Duration: 30-60 seconds
Stretches: Navel
Strengthens: Arms, Wrists
During the plank pose, your body resembles a strong and straight plank, with the weight of the body resting on the hands and feet. The pose is somewhat like a push-up, only that the arms must not be pushed up and down. The pose strengthens the arms and wrists and tones the abdominal muscles. It elongates the spine, increases oxygenation of the muscle tissues, and assists in removing tension held between the shoulder blades.
7. Cobra Pose (‘Bhujangasana’)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style: Ashtanga yoga
Gaze: Third Eye or Upward to Infinity
Duration: 15-30 seconds
Stretches: Shoulders, Thorax, Lungs, Abdomen
Strengthens: Vertebral columns
This pose demands high levels of arm-strength to hold on to the position. Doing the pose opens your chest, stimulates the digestive organs and increase mobility in the vertebral column, strengthens back and improves the functionality of the respiratory organs.
8. Garland Pose (Malasana)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style: Hatha Yoga
Gaze: Tip of the Nose
Duration: 60 seconds
Stretches: Lower back, Thighs, Hamstrings, Groin,
Strengthens: Digestive system, Lower back, Hips,
The Malasana is a deep squat, which is done by keeping your feet together. The pose benefits the muscles, organs, and soft tissues of pelvic organs. Furthermore, it improves the mobility of legs, opens hips, and gives lumbar spine a supported stretch.
9. Headstand (Sirsasana)
Yoga Level: Intermediate to Expert
Style: Vinyasa Yoga
Gaze: Tip of Nose
Duration: 1-5 minutes
Stretches: Legs, Back
Strengthens: Arms, Vertebral column, Lungs Legs
Headstand pose is known as the king of all yoga asanas. The benefits of this pose are numerous starting from calming the nervous system to stimulating blood circulation in the heart and balancing the hormonal and digestive systems.
10. Corpse Pose (‘Shavasana’)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Style: Ashtanga Yoga
Gaze: Keep eyes closed
Duration: 10-12 minutes
Strengths: Restores the body
This pose is mostly known for its beneficial applications in improving concentration, curing insomnia, calming the mind, releasing stress, fatigue, and depression. It is the best pose for you to end your day with to get the peace you are looking for.
Conclusion
Traveling is fun, enlightening, life-changing, spontaneous, eye-opening and all the other positive things you can think of.
To master the art of traveling, you need to find a balance between your daily routine and adventurous extravaganza. If you don’t find the right balance, your body will soon get tired and your travel will become hectic.
Eating, sleeping and doing yoga properly are keys to an extended travel plan with minimal fatigue. If you are used to yoga practice while at home, then disconnecting yourself from the practice and daily routine during vacation will remove the balance that your body is used to.
Hence, no matter where you go, continue the practice of yoga poses while traveling to feel the normal ‘YOU.’ A yoga routine will re-energize and recharge you every day to be lively and full of energy for the adventures of the next day.
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