One of my favorite life events was traveling around the United States in a bus containing the cast and band of the National Tour of Fosse.

We sang and danced in several states,

sometimes going to a new venue each day. For nine months we slept, ate, and talked in that bus together…unless it was quiet hour.

Dustienne Miller, National Tour of Fosse

That’s me in the middle during a production of Steam Heat.

One of my cast-mates proposed that we reserve the first hour of every bus drive for quiet time. Not because he wanted to meditate or journal, but because he wanted to sleep.

Years later, I see extra wisdom in this idea. We were able to start our day in a quiet reflective place or choose to go back to sleep. I would often journal or listen to the new Tori Amos CD (yes, on a Discman!) while watching the countryside float by. This was a special situation with a controlled environment.

How can you make your plane, train, and automobile travels more calm and pleasurable?

Pratyahara

Find strategies to enhance pratyahara, or withdrawal of the senses.

Ideas:

  • Wear earplugs
  • Listen to soothing music without words
  • Wear an eyemask (obviously not if you are the driver!)
  • Download guided meditations and/or body scans

Small pleasures

How can you make a six-hour plane ride more enjoyable?

  • Bring cozy socks or slippers
  • A mug for tea or warm water
  • Your favorite hand cream
  • Self-massage your hands and forearms
  • Download a fun movie, TV show, or podcast

Pranayama

Practice pranayama, or breath work, in your seat:

  • As you sit in your chair, feel your feet making contact with the ground.
  • Feel both sitz bones in contact with the chair and your spine tall as your head floats up towards the ceiling.
  • Notice sensations in your ribs, jaw, neck and pelvis.
  • After you feel centered, breathe in for 3 seconds, feeling your belly expand and rib cage float out to the side.
  • As you exhale, feel your abdomen and rib cage float back towards your spine.

After repeating this eight times, bring your attention from your breath and back to your ribs, jaw, neck and pelvis. Note any changes in resting tension in the body.

Seated yoga postures

In the event that you are stuck sitting on the tarmac, try these seated yoga postures:

Cat/Cow

  • As you inhale, arch your spine and rock your pelvis forward.
  • As you exhale, pull in your lower abdomen and curl your spine into a more slumped position.

Notice how the contact of your sitz bones changes as you rock the pelvis forward and backwards.

seated-cowseated-cat

Seated twist

  • Inhale, lengthening the spine up towards the ceiling.
  • Exhale, slowly rotate the chest and head to the right.
  • Hold for 1–2 breaths and repeat on the other side.

This might be an interesting way to meet your neighbor. 😉

seated-twist

Modified pigeon/figure 4

  • Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
  • Inhale, allowing your right knee to open towards the floor.
  • Exhale, rotating your knee up towards your chest.

Repeat a few times then with your knee open, keep your spine straight as you lean forward, feeling a stretch thru the back of the right gluts and thigh.

seated-figure-4

Allowing travel to be what it is

While we can’t control missing connections, train delays, and traffic, we do have control over our bodies. If we take time for self-care while traveling, it can enhance our experience and encourage those around us to also take a moment to enjoy the ride.

Safe travels!