Yoga on the go

Travelling for long hours means stiff joints and poor blood circulation. Prepare your body, mind and spirit for travel fatigue

You could be on a long road journey, a train ride or a two-hour flight... the seats are small and constricted and your legs are cramped in a tight space. Travelling for long hours also means loss of blood circulation to the lower body. One must straighten the legs and move the feet forward and backward periodically. Feel the tension in your calves. Rotate ankles, clockwise and anticlockwise. Flex and stretch your toes too.Yoga, while

travel, improves blood circulation in legs, relieves stiffness in calves and ankles and prevents muscle fatigue.

STRENGTHEN NECK MUSCLES

While a neck pillow works well in cushioning your spine during travel, some basic yoga steps only make your travel more comfortable. Look up and bend your head back.Then bend your head down and look down wards. Move only your neck, breathing nor mally. Repeat this three to five times.

Now turn your face as far right as possible. Then turn to the left. Repeat three times.

Benefits: Removes stiffness of the neck mus cles and counters spasms; corrects the neck posture and aligns the joints.

LOOSEN UP

Take your hands behind your head. Place your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right shoulder. Your elbows should point upwards. Keep your head straight and take deep breaths.

Interlock your fingers. Cover your forehead with your palms. Exert force with your hands and neck in opposite directions. The palms should force the neck back while the neck forces the palms forward.

Benefits: Removes all traces of stiffness in the shoulders and neck muscles.

ARM STRENGTH

Outstretch your arms, at shoulder level.With all your strength, clench your hands into fists and then unclench them.

Rotate your fists in both directions.

Keep your hands on your shoulders and rotate elbows clockwise and anticlockwise.

Benefits: Removes weakness in the arms; cures stiff shoulders and neck; alleviates joint pain.

GYAN MUDRA

Sit in a comfortable position in your chair folding your legs, keeping your back and neck straight.

Form the gyan mudra by touching the tip of the thumb with the tip of the index finger; the other three fingers straight and joined together. Place your hands on the knees, palms facing upwards. Close your eyes gently and focus on your breathing. Hold this position for 10 minutes.

Benefits: It improves concentration and re duces negative thoughts. Regular practice eliminates insomnia, migraine, usually asso ciated with long travel.

POST-TRAVEL ASANA

Stand erect, heels together and place both hands on your chest, fingers interlocked.

Stretch your arms ahead and slowly raise them up while breathing in. Raise your heels, stand on tiptoe and stretch your entire body upwards.

Repeat two to three times.

Benefits: Strengthens spine, ankles, knees, thi ghs, abdomen. Relieves physical exhaustion.

Inputs by Yogacharya Dr Surakshit Goswami

Source :  Media