5 Weird Places You Should Do Yoga
A few weeks ago, my yoga teacher mentioned doing poses in the shower. I sort of thought it was weird, but the more I considered it the less kooky it seemed. The hot water and steam prime your muscles and, generally, you shower in the morning--the perfect time to get in a centered mindset for the day. Then I read an article about people doing yoga in airports. And of course, we've all seen beach yogis.
My point is this: Yoga isn't just about paying $15 for a studio class, you can use it throughout your day to manage stress, control cravings, and relieve muscle tension. Here are five surprising places that are prime for posing:
1. At the airport: This New York Times article makes the great point that of the 7 million Americans who practice yoga once a week, a good chunk are college-educated types in their 30s and 40s--pretty much exactly the same demo as the majority of biz travelers. Jetting from one place to the next, can be super stressful: You're not only dealing with cancelled flights, but also the guilt of being away from your family. And while on a plane, you do a lot of sitting, which leads to tight hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower back. To unwind pre-and post-flight, try Seated Forward Bend and Seated Spinal Twist. (Or Downward Dog, if you don't mind the whole butt-in-the-air-in-public thing)
2. In the shower: The hot water on your spine loosens the muscles the same way a piping hot Bikram studio would. Opt for poses that twist and extend the back, such as Mountain Pose and Triangle. And, obviously, be super careful and avoid balance postures on the slippery tile.
3. In the kitchen. Before and after meals are great times to do a few poses. Prior to eating it gets you in a state of mindfulness so you're less likely to over eat. So choose balance poses such as Tree that require you to be super aware of your body so you can stay upright. Post-meal, yoga aids digestion, according to SELF's digital director Kristen Schultz Dollard, a NYC yoga teacher and author of The Yoga Body Diet. Thirty minutes after eating, do a few twisting poses such as Twisting Chair or Revolved Triangle.
4. Somewhere between the office and home. The mind doesn't automatically switch from work mode to home mode. After racing to meet deadlines all day, you need to coerce your body into chilling. If you don't, your roommate or family is very likely to have a bitchy stress-ball on their hands. So, do a few sun salutations post-work, either at your desk/cube or at home before you dive into domestic- or -kid-related duties. And don't forget to breathe!
5. In traffic. This is one of those situations where your body gets super tense and you may not even realize it. Next time you're in a hellacious jam, take a few good, deep cleansing breaths. Then twist to the right, placing your left hand outside of your right knee, then to the left, placing your right hand outside your left knee. Hold each twist for 5 to 10 breaths.
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
