Namaskar Oct 2015

get a window seat and marvel
that you get to traverse the skies
I travel a lot. I’m on tour for most of the year
running workshops and teacher trainings, so
when I was asked to suggest some tips for the
traveling yogi(ni), I knew exactly what to
share.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
Carve out a minimum of 5 to 10 mins of yoga
before leaving your home or the hotel. They
make a difference. Especially to ease your
back through the rigors of travel. Everyone
can make 5-10 minutes of time. I use these
Forrest Yoga poses: Elbow to Knee, Dolphin
and a few Sun Salutations. Do them, feel
centred, energized and go.
FLYING
1. Pack food that has a high water content -
grapes and celery are good. If you can cook
before you leave, pack a meal that you really
like. For example, Jose (my husband) cooks
up for us cauliflower, butternut squash,
potato, avocado & lightly applied olive or flax
oil, all mashed together, delicious & easy to
digest. That’s a lovely nourishing alternative
to the prepackaged meals that get served up
on the plane.
2. On flights make sure you hydrate. It is
annoying to get up and pee, but worth it.
Hydrating reduces the chances of swelling,
headaches etc. Also, the walk to the restroom
improves your circulation and moves your
blood.
3. Another great tip is to take extra
magnesium. If you fly on a regular basis,
constipation is a real issue - altitude,
dehydration and sitting still for so long all
mess with your natural cycle. Readers should
check with their doctor or naturopath before
taking any form of supplement.
4. In the seat: Move your body. Do Shoulder
Shrugs, Spinal Twist, Back Release, Neck
Release. Grab handle/back of seat for the
twist. To do Back Release Pose while seated,
place your left ankle over the right thigh,
bend forward, and hang head by shin (keep
your head safe from the seat in front of you).
5. Get up and go to the back galley and do
some standing poses, like Warriors.
6. Bring a yoga towel or travel mat with you
for ‘waiting around’ moments in between
flights. Put it in a corner, do a few poses, and
arrive at your destination feeling much
better.
7. I recommend doing some yoga poses
before landing too, so that you don’t tweak
yourself wrestling with luggage. I’ve done
that before! It’s important to be conscious
of how you move your luggage because you’re
moving 50lbs of awkward box after hours of
doing nothing.
8. Finally, and importantly, get a window seat
and marvel that you get to traverse through
the skies where only Shamans and Medicine
People got to go 100 years earlier. Take
advantage of being up that high and soak in
the beauty and wonder of earth and sky.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Wherever I stay in a hotel or apartment,
which is a lot, I like to feel at home. Here are
my tips:
1. Pack items that are precious to you. I have
a small traveling altar:
~ Small altar cloths, Native American and
Australian Aboriginal
~ Quillwork of 4 Directions symbol & beaded
Thunderbird pouch
~ Sweet grass braids & sage
~ Kookaburra finger puppet
~ Clapsticks & boomerang
~ Picture of Uluru
~ Jose’s ‘Creation’ album
2. Carry Cedar Mist spray to freshen the
room to smell like a cedar forest (instead of
hotel funk)
3. Pack some beautiful scarves — you can
wear them and they double-up as pieces to
brighten up a sterile feeling room. Lay them
over the chairs, bed and (my favourite), to
cover up the ugly TV.
Ana will be setting up her temporary home in
Hong Kong this December. Booking and info
at www.forrestyoga.com/events
34 NAMASKAR