Yoga for Traveling: Yoga Stretches during & after your flight

I’m not sure about you, but I’m definitely ready for spring or at least a springlike day once in a while. For those of you planning spring break or work trips, here are some yoga tips that travel with you.  

Before you go: 

Try to do a mini-class at home – even if it’s just breathing, some flowing movements like Cat & Cow, that’s great….You’ll be sitting for a long time.  At the airport, try not to sit – continue to move around, walking or doing standing bends (Flowing Chair, Side Stretches – who cares if you look silly? Your legs & back will thank you later).  

Once seated: 

• Deep abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing…sitting tall – back away from the back of the chair, feet flat on the floor. Feel your breath in the belly and lower rib cage.  Allow your shoulders and facial muscles to relax. Continue as long as you like – especially during any turbulence.
• Shoulder rolls & shrugs
• Neck tilt and stretch (right hand to left ear, drawing ear to shoulder, then turning to look down past your shoulder – then reverse) Hold each side for 6-8 breaths. 
• Side stretches – lengthening one arm toward the ceiling then the other – moving with your breath (Inhale to lengthen the arm, exhale to switch sides)
• Seated cat/cow – moving with your breath – inhale to cow, exhale to cat
• Forward fold – lengthening out over your lap, resting chest on legs, letting your head and arms dangle…breathing…
• Seated twist – both feet flat on the floor…resting right hand on outside of left leg, left hand on armrest…letting your twist come from your navel, twisting to the left…hold for 8-10 breaths – then reverse….

You’ll want to get up and move around every hour – walking the aisles or just standing in your row…additional options while standing:  

• Flowing Chair
• Side Stretches
• Mountain – standing tall – breathing  

After your flight:

Once you get to the hotel or your final destination, find a spot to put your legs up the wall or rest legs in the seat of a chair and breathe – this helps your circulation from sitting for so long….Try 5-10 minutes.  

Also, doing a mini-class to get your blood flowing would be good depending on what time you get there…if you’re going to sleep when you get there, I would just do the legs up the wall and then try a mini-class in the a.m. before your day starts…

Enjoy and happy, restful travels!

Healthy Habit #3: Juicing

Juicing is a healthy habit that I was resistant to start, but one that I’ve come to crave. When I’m feeling sluggish, needing more energy or feeling just a bit irritable (me? Never!), I juice. For those of you, envisioning that I’m gulping down a full bottle of Sunny-D or Ocean Spray, let me explain.

Juicing – involves taking fresh, whole foods and processing them through a juicer, which extracts the vast majority of nutrients from the food.  Often when we overcook foods, we lose the many nutrients that they offer us.  Juicing also allows you to drink the nutrients of a large quantity of fruits & veggies – that we may not be able to do practically if we were eating those foods. For instance, I can juice a significant quantity (5 servings – what is now recommended) of vegetables: kale, beets, carrots, spinach, celery, broccoli – in a fraction of the time it would take me to prepare & eat them.  Certainly this doesn’t mean juice all of your fruits & vegetables – we need fiber too — but juicing does provide a fairly quick and tasty way to eat healthfully.  Here are a few tips and resources to get you started.

Finding a Juicer: You’ll want to choose a juicer that’s right for you and your budget. I currently have Jack LaLanne’s juicer ($99 from Costco). While it does a good job, I think my next juicer will be a Champion based on my research. Here’s a great article to give you insight on the differences in juicers and help you choose the right one for you. 

http://www.harvestessentials.com/whatjuicisri.html

You’ve got your juicer – Now what? You may want to go online or pick up a basic guide to juicing at your library or local bookstore.  Having a few recipes as your guide will be a good way to start.   You might want to start with a fairly simple juice. Carrot/Apple Juice is a great one to begin with:

2 Full Size Carrots (not the baby ones)

1 Apple, quartered

 As a general rule of thumb, you’ll always want to include something sweet in your juice concoction. An apple or pear is a good choice.  If you start with a Kale/Broccoli/Celery mix, it might be the last time you juice. The apple or pear will balance out the other flavors.   For more great recipes, I’ve found this site:

http://www.harvestessentials.com/juicsaucsoup.html

That’s all I have for now – happy juicing! (I think I have a spinach/cucumber/celery/apple juice in my near future). Enjoy!