tangled up and blue

My weekly escape provides an essential get-away from this crazy, horn-loving, urban landscape in which I dwell. However, to maintain a one-hour kriya, plus meditation away from the daily practice spot can be challenging.

Whenever I arrive at a destination, at first opportunity I try to find a quiet place to practice. (and in the case of living in Egypt, a relatively clean spot)

In an oversight while packing for this trip, I left home without my timer.

No excuses. Socializing time, weather, place, and no timer gave me plenty of excuses.

In the early morning hours, I took my spot where I could stretch out completely and not be disturbed in the middle of the kriya. Since I was sans timer, I counted each posture. (what did those ancient yogis do without timers??)

108 is the number I picked for the longer timed postures...and 31 to 54 on the shorter postures.

My competitive mind was flooded with notions that if I don't have full timed postures, the kriya would be less challenging, or I would break the integrity of this 40-day kriya. (please see nabhi kriya entry dated september 2)
Huh? Where do I come up with these ideas?
Definitely not.
My intuition opened awareness that I am practicing at the perfect point of this series. The energy keeps flowing. It's all challenging, maybe not the physical as much, but most definitely the mental.

Having these few days of counting the movements provided physical, mental, and emotional respite. Most importantly, my mental energy was brought into balance as I gave up competitive excesses. The demand of my nature to push forward, to bite down and not give up, and to hold hard against "slacking" was engaged and successfully calmed. Stepping out of my usual environment, tuning into intuition, and just relaxing revealed perspective on this identified "routine" that I created.


**By annihilating the ego, we reach true universality, a fuller life and life eternal. --Yogi Bhajan

alternative travel yoga

Even on a quick stop, try to stretch.

So I was minding my business, as any good yogini would do, when I met a guy that likes motorcycles. Okay. That is okay. Then, a few months later he decides that he wants to ride his motorcycle 4,000 miles across the United States...and wants me to come with him.

Obviously, the first question is "what kind of shoes will I bring?"

But before I could protest that I could only bring one pair, I was schooched up behind this hunk on the back of his BMW bike and we were headed down the highway. Searchin' for adventure.

The first few hundred miles went by silently. But after the 400th or so mile, and days later, our bodies got a little whacked.

What's a yogini to do?

STRETCH whenever the bike comes to a stop and the hunk wants to disembark. (get the hunk to stretch too)

BREATH deep all the time.

SING MANTRAS to keep from getting bored or falling asleep.

COUNT BLESSINGS that prayers were answered and a gorgeous hunk whisks you away on the back of his BMW across the country. (a modern day white stallion)



**

hotel workout

Avoid gym separation anxiety and get your workout in your room. Flex-bands are lightweight and take up no room in your suitcase. Pack one or two for a nice maintenance workout.

Don't forget to use your own body weight. What did those neanderthal-body builders do before Olympic weight plates?

Push ups - Sit ups - Squats

Trust me, you won't have the time, energy, or facilities to stick to your usual routine, but don't be discouraged. Instead, set a target that you can achieve...even when totally wiped out from travel...and remember that anything is still better than nothing.

**

don't let your baggage drag you down

A porter carries suitcases in train station. Amritsar, India.

The most frequent cause of back injury when traveling is hoisting our heavy suitcases. As airline baggage requirements are becoming more strict by reducing the weight limit for suitcases, we're still trying to handle the load. If you're like me, you find yourself adding stuff into your carry-on bag that makes it just slightly heavier. I mean, who can possible travel anywhere with only two 40-pound suitcases?? (less than 40 kilos)

It's all so inconvenient and I long for the days when there were no weight restrictions on our luggage. Nevertheless, one must protect one's back.

Here's what you can do to avoid hurting your back, shoulders, neck, arms, and anything else in between whilst traveling:

- Avoid lifting and twisting in the same movement. The small muscles in your back that rotate the spine are working with small levers (the vertebrae). Especially, avoid lifting away from the body and twisting your back.

- Bend the knees to lift up a case.

- Hold bags close into your body while turning with them.

- Use trolleys and suitcases with wheels whenever possible. Yes, it is truly annoying that we have to pay for trolleys in the United States, when every other civilized country allows free usage, so...

- Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Keep spare currency in your wallet to pay for porters.


**

don't disembark and then sit!

Yoga stretches are great to lengthen your muscles and release tension after a long flight. Don't be afraid to find a quite area and just stretch.

You can usually find a quiet space to do some simple yoga postures. I have been in the most busy airports in the world and I can always find a small area where I can stretch...almost in private.

I can't tell you how many people I've watched disembark from an 8- or 12-hour flight, walk into the terminal, find their departure gate, and sit to wait for their next flight. It's like they fall in line and do what is expected of them. Sit. Wait. Good boy. Good girl.

Get yourself in step. Yoga is not only about stretching and asanas. Connect breath with movement.

You've got the opportunity. MOVE! Walk up and down the terminal. Try to avoid the elevators, escalators, and people walkways. WALK. WALK. WALK. Connect your breathing with your walking. That's yoga.

Make your movement around a terminal easy. Most international airports offer trollies to cart around carry-on bags. Use one. Give your back a chance to be free. Plan ahead and wear shoes that will be kind to your feet when you're walking up and down the terminal area.

Airport terminals usually don't offer a wide variety of activities. There is always shopping. Browsing through the duty free shops is good for the mind. (e.g.: gentle distractions, practice neutral mind, practice non-attachment...who in their right mind would pay that much for a pen...oh, and non-judgement)

Maintain your yogic diet to help your gut travel better.

Avoid those junk food isles. Duty free sounds good and looks even better. But "free" doesn't mean "no calories." Avoid junking up and avoid caffing up. Stick to water and fruit. And, even though I'm sure it is noon somewhere in the world, avoid saucing up with alcohol.

Travel gives your body and mind plenty of challenges to adjust and balance. Adding alcohol to the mix will just gob much unpleasantry into the uncomfortableness of it all. It really doesn't help with jet lag, at all. I should know. I once thought getting as drunk as possible would get me through jet lag and all the travel blahs. After I started consistently practicing yoga, I found that maintaining my yogic diet by consuming no alcohol, no coffee, and no sugar gave me the best traveling experiences. Bon voyage, yogis.

Yogic stretching in the Amsterdam airport.
**

stretch whenever you can

It's so glamorous to think of flying off to some far away place, but getting there is not always glamorous. A long trip can easily make one's body stiff and tense after hours of being couped up. Especially if you're unlucky enough to be crammed in the middle of 6 other passengers.

I'm sure it looks good on paper, but our bodies are just NOT designed to be cramped into these ridiculous seating arrangements for hours at a time.

But if you like to travel, or you travel a lot, it's a must to find your own special way to convert this small little space into your own personal gym...without looking like a total freak.

It's pretty easy to make your body happier just by shifting your seat in your seat every now and again. And, really, you won't tick off the person tightly squeezed next to you. You might inspire them to do the same. Yes, it's really possible to stretch in that little cramped space!

Try these ideas when your seated in a plane or train (or your auto, only if firmly stopped at a stop light or being chauffeured.)

- NECK: gently tilt your head to one side until you feel a gentle stretch. Deep breath. Hold there for a few seconds, then repeat on the other side. Deep breath.

- SHOULDERS: Move your shoulders forward, rolling them up, then roll them backwards as you roll them back down. Do this three times in one direction. Switch directions.

- SHOULDERS: Bring your hands into the small of your back with palms facing out. Push your elbows back. Imagine your upper crust expanding across the hull of the plane.

- ANKLES: Lift one foot and circle your toes in one direction, and then the opposite direction.

- BUTTOCKS: Squeeze your buttocks together hard. Hold. Deep breath. Release. Do this many times until your butt can't sqeeze anymore.

- Don't be afraid to get up and walk to the toilet. Even if you don't use the toilet. Just walk. Yes, the poor trapped gentleman (or woman) next to you will acted all annoyed, but again...think positive. Maybe you'll inspire them to get up and walk around too.

&&