Week 168: Traveler's Woes

Jet setting off to Barcelona Spain last week, it became very clear what air travel can do to the body.  Tight spaces, sitting for extended periods of time and well, dehydration play havoc on the muscles, joints and overall feeling of well-being.

uAs much as I tried to do some yoga in the airport, I was met with curious and inquiring eyes. I can only imagine what was running through my fellow passengers heads when I stood in a single leg quadriceps stretch or when I was watching out the window towards our plane in a calf stretch.

Even after only my first flight, I was eager to fold down into a downward facing down but held back as there was no suitable space to do so.

Alas, my yoga had to wait until home.

Although my entire body felt the discomforts of the flight, it was my neck and shoulders that seem to take the most beating. The primary culprit was the awkward positions my head took when trying to catch some ZZZs on the overnight flight.

So when yoga was on my schedule this week, I was sure to scope out a shoulder and neck focused practice. In past experience, it is not a common sequence so it took some searching.

Do Yoga With Me, didn't disappoint with A Deep Release Shoulders and Neck session with Daivd Procyshyn.

David led a mostly sitting session of upper body poses. He included some of my favourites (reverse table top) and not so favourite (lateral neck stretch) poses. Typically I find that my shoulder and neck flexibility has declined since removing swimming from my weekly routine. Many of the poses challenged me yet it was reassuring that with practice, I found space in my shoulder girdle.

The most powerful take away from the session (and not just increased range of motion) was the repetition. We continually went back to one pose particularly.

Extended puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana).

With each successive attempt at the pose, it became clear that the work I'd been doing during the class has been helping. I began to have a real ease in my shoulders as my torso crept closer to the floor.

Repetition of the same pose throughout the practice was an excellent tool to include. I can say I've never thought of doing that before. It demonstrated progress and by the end of the session, I had clear evidence of flexibility (and less pain) to show for it.

Picking up shoulder hints and tricks on my way. Thank goodness for traveling woes,
LW