by Nina

My chiropractor, Dr. Claire-Marie Holman, in Berkeley, California is also a yoga teacher. (I get adjustments for my scoliosis—for some conditions, yoga can only do so much.) As part of my self-care, Dr. Holman discusses my home practice with me, recommending certain poses for their therapeutic benefits. When I recently went in for a treatment, I was in between trips. So I asked Dr. Holman to recommend just a few poses for me to do while I was in the road, when I have less time to practice than I do when I’m home. She came up with a three-pose mini practice for me. I liked it so much that asked her if I could share it with my readers on this blog. She generously agreed.

So
without further ado, here is Dr. Claire-Marie Holman’s travel mini
sequence. The poses (and the thinking behind them) are the three she
suggested for me. The order of the poses seemed obvious to me so I just
went with my gut on that. And the timings are my suggestions.

1. Cat-Cow pose for six rounds.

This
pose is an excellent warm-up for the second pose in the series,
Downward-Facing Dog pose, and helps restore a back that might be sore
from sleeping on strange beds (or different beds every night). So far,
we’ve only featured the chair version of this pose (see Seated Cat-Cow Pose) on this blog. But, if you can, try the full version, with your hands and knees on the floor, and a blanket under your knees.

Start
with your spine in a neutral position. Then, as in the chair version,
on your inhalation, start moving from your pelvis, tipping your hips
downward toward the floor. As you continue to inhale, gently lift your
spine and lengthen into a gentle backbend. Lift your breastbone forward
and up and allow your head and neck to lengthen out and back, coming
into the Cow backbend.

As
you exhale, start moving from your pelvis, releasing your pelvis in the
opposite direction, moving the back of your waist upward toward the
ceiling. As you continue to exhale, allow your middle back to move back
as well and drop your chin toward your chest, coming into the Cat
forward bend. Repeat for six rounds, moving with your breath.

2. Downward-Facing Dog pose for 30 seconds to 2 or 3 minutes.

This
pose is one of best all-over stretches for shoulders, legs, and hips,
which all get tight from the hours of sitting still required by
traveling. As a bonus, you strengthen your shoulders, arms, and upper
body while you’re at it. See Featured Pose: Downward-Facing Dog Pose If full Downward-Facing Dog pose is too challenging for you, try Half Downward-Facing Dog pose at the wall (see Half Dog Pose at the Wall) or the version with your hands on a chair seat (see Downward-Facing Dog (Chair Version).

3. Legs Up the Wall pose for 5 to 15 minutes. Come out if your legs fall asleep.

In
addition to being a great anti-stress pose (who doesn’t get stressed
out while traveling), this pose also stretches your hamstrings with
gravity. And if you use a bolster or folded blankets or bathroom towels
under your sacrum, with your tailbone off the support, this pose
restores the curve to your lower back, providing an antidote to hours of
seated positions. I can’t believe we haven’t featured this one yet, but
we will soon, I promise.

We’re
showing two versions of the pose today, one with just a folded blanket
and the other using a bolster with a folded blanket underneath it and a
second folded blanket under the spine. Try both versions to see which
one is more comfortable for you. If they are equally comfortable, try
the higher version, as this may enhance your relaxation. If this pose is
uncomfortable for you, try Easy Inverted Pose (see Easy Inverted Pose).

Thanks so much, Claire-Marie! Readers, if you try this sequence, let me know what you think.

 

 

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