Viparita karani pose. JP/P.J. Leo
If you’re a frequent flyer, whether for business or pleasure, you know how long-haul flights take their toll on your body.
Sitting in one place can affect your blood circulation, and the altitude and recycled air in airplanes dehydrates you. After several hours in the air, your metabolism slows dramatically, digestion becomes sluggish, breathing shallow and leg muscles begin to cramp due to decreased blood supply.
Combine this with jet lag, which occurs when the body’s internal clock is forced to readjust after flying over several time zones, you are left feeling tired, stiff and sluggish, and sometimes with swollen feet and legs.
The good news is you can prevent the impact of long haul flights by staying active while flying, well hydrated (avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages) and eating healthy food.
Yoga postures are perfect to help release the stress in your muscles and prevent fatigue. They keep
the blood circulating normally and give you an all-around feeling of calmness.
Before you leave for the airport, get a head start by doing some light yoga practice, even if it’s just breathing and flowing movements such as the Cat and Cow pose.
At the airport, try not to sit all the time, continue to move around, walk or do light yoga poses (preferably ones that will not attract too much attention) like side stretches, standing forward bends or twists. Your legs and back will thank you later.
Most airplanes now have a guide in seat pocket in front of you demonstrating some light stretches for long-haul flights.
If not, you can do the modified yoga practice for travelers below. You can even do this while traveling in a car or train.
Try doing them every couple of hours for the greatest benefit. You will appreciate how they loosen the body and calm the mind during those long hours sitting down.
To prepare, take off your shoes and place them under your seat. Loosen your belt, tie and any other constrictive clothing.
Allow the spine to elongate, release the shoulders back and down, and place the back of the hands on the thighs. Close your eyes. Relax your jaw and breathe through the nose.
Take a minute to observe the breath as it enters and leaves the body. Allow any tension in the body to leave when exhaling. Breathe slowly and deeply throughout this practice.
Airplane yoga poses
1. Shoulder rolls and shrugs
2. Neck tilt and stretch (hold the stretch for at least five breaths)
3. Ankle rotation — slowly rotate the ankles a few times clockwise and counter-clockwise. Then flex and point your feet a few times.
4. Knee raises — lift your right knee and wrap your hands around it as you breathe in and out. Exhale and release and alternate the legs.
5. Side stretches — raise one arm toward ceiling and lengthen, then the other. Move with your breath, Inhale to lengthen the arm, exhale to deepen and to switch sides.
6. Seated cat/cow — moving with your breath, inhale lengthening the spine, lifting the chest upward and look up (cow pose), and exhale rounding the spine, dropping the head toward the chest (cat pose).
7. Forward fold — open your legs wide, lengthening out over your lap, resting chest on legs, letting your head and arms dangle and stay here for a few breaths.
8. Seated twist — with both feet flat on the floor, rest your right hand on the outside of left leg and the left hand behind you. Inhale to lengthen the spine, exhale to twist to the left. Let the twist originate from the navel. Hold for a few breaths then reverse.
You’ll want to get up and move around every hour, walk the aisles or just stand in your row. And if you have some room, while standing you can do the following poses:
1. Flowing chair — raise both arms forward and bend the knees a few times as if you’re sitting down on a chair.
2. Tall Mountain — with the arms still forward, come up to the balls of the feet and lift the heels up and down.
3. Standing forward bend — grab the opposite elbows and bend your knees if you have too and stay in the pose for some time.
Once you get to the hotel or your final destination, find a spot to put your legs up against the wall (viparita karani) or rest your legs in the seat of a chair and breathe. This helps stimulate your circulation after sitting for so long. Try five to 10 minutes in this pose.
If you arrive at night, take a nice warm bath then have a good night sleep after viparita karani, and do the mini-class in the morning before your day starts.
In the morning, do a light practice starting with cat and cow poses, then move on to downward facing dog. If you have more time, do a few rounds of sun salutations or surya namaskara to energize your body, raise your heartbeat and kick-start your circulation.
Try a few standing poses, especially one-legged balancing poses like the tree pose or vrksasana, then lie on your belly on the floor for a gentle back bend of cobra or bhujangasana.
Wind down with a few minutes of seated forward bends, and then lie down on the floor for complete relaxation.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to rehydrate after the flight and practice, and then you’re set to start your day. Namaste.
The writer is a yoga practitioner and teacher. Yoga Connection is a regular column on all things yoga, appearing every second week in the Body & Soul section. For questions and comments, please email her at dasmaran@indo.net.id.
