Yoga Poses For Jet Lag

Yoga Poses for Jet Lag

With Spring Break here, a lot of our yogi friends are traveling. We love to travel, but sitting for extended hours on a plane or in a car can wreak havoc on your body circulation, digestion, and sleep patterns. The following are poses you can do to help combat some of these issues. Remain in each pose for 3-5 breaths. Repeat as needed.

Hip Rolls: Sitting cross-legged on the floor, place your hands on your knees. Inhale through your nose and as you exhale, roll your chest out over your left knee, sweep low through center and over the right knee. Return to tall posture. Inhale, roll/sweep other direction. Repeat as many times as needed.

Cat/Cow: Coming to all 4’s, place your hands under your shoulders, your knees under your hips. Inhaling through your nose, drop your belly towards the floor while raising eye gaze straight ahead. As you exhale through your nose, roll your back towards the ceiling, pressing into the palms of your hands and bring your eye gaze between your thighs (like a Halloween cat). Take your time. Move with your breath pace. Repeat as needed.

Childs Pose with Lateral stretch: From Cat/Cow, sit back to your heels. You may bring your knees wider than hips if that is more comfortable. If this is too much strain on your knees, place a rolled towel in the crease of your knees for added comfort. Extending your  arms forward along the floor, press into the palms of your hands for more stretch through upper back. Walk the hands over to the right, just enough to feel the stretch down the left side of your body. Repeat to the left.

Standing Lateral Bends: Coming to standing position, place your feet under your hips in a comfortable stance. Inhale right arm overhead, bringing left hand to hip. Reach tall and try to lift ribs off hips, gently reaching to the left, just enough to feel the length in the side body. Repeat using left hand reaching to the right side.

Half Down Dog pose at Wall: Stand facing a wall. Placing palms of hands against wall with arms straight walk your hands down the wall until your chest is parallel to the floor. Feel the chest expansion and heart opening.

Crescent Lunge: Stepping the right foot forward into a lunge position,  your knee should be stacked directly over ankle. Extending your arms overhead. lift and push out through your back heel. As you exhale, drop deeper down the center and hold for a count of 5 breaths. Feel the opening in your hip flexor.

Standing Forward Fold to Rag Doll: Standing with your  feet hip distance, inhale your arms overhead and as you exhale, tip from the hip swan diving your arms out and down to the floor. If you are unable touch the floor and you need more back support, bend the knees slightly and bring chest closer to your thighs. Relax your head, neck and shoulders. Nod your head “yes” and “no” to release any tension if it feels good. If you are looking for more sensation grasp your elbows and hang like a rag doll.

Reclining Twist: Lying on your back, draw your  knees to your chest. Gently hug your knees and rock the your hips from side to side. Lower your knees to one side, while keeping shoulders and upper back in tact with the floor. Breathe slowly for 5 breaths, sending breath to your lower back and hip area. Using your core muscles, slowly draw your knees into your chest and repeat to the other side.

Legs up the Wall: Lying on your back facing the wall, bring straight legs up against the wall, your bottom touching the floor/baseboard. Stay for 2-5 min.