Handy Yoga Tips for Trai n Seats
Train Seat Yoga -Yoga is a way of life and a close friend is travelling by train day after tomorrow. She asked for a few yogic tips to allay her long journey seated fears of muscle cramping. Here are some quick yoga tips that you can easily do from the comfort of your train seat.
Sahajbhava Asanas for flexibility
These simple techniques create awareness of the body, the breath and keep the mind attentive. The term ‘Sahaj’ here means simple ease stretches. Performance of these techniques facilitates the body and mind to be established in Sahajbhava–readiness.
Preparation: Practice these postures slowly and with full awareness.
Head and Neck:
Variation 1: Gently, as you inhale, allow your head to drop towards your left shoulder without lifting the shoulder. Exhaling, bring it back to the centre. Drop it to the left shoulder, as above, and return to the centre.
Variation 2: Inhaling, tilt the head backwards as far as possible without moving the shoulders or the body. Gaze upward and backwards at the train ceiling. Exhaling, bring the head down towards the throat, tucking the chin into the throat cavity. Inhaling, return to the centre.
Variation 3: Inhaling, turn the head to look far right. Exhaling, return to centre. Repeat on the other side.
Variation 4: Inhaling, drop the head to the right and gently rotate the head, taking it back, from right to left to reach the left shoulder. Exhaling, return to the starting position–up straight. there is no forward bending of the head. The above steps are to be done in one gentle continuous motion. Repeat the above steps starting from the left. This is a clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation of the head.
Shoulders:
Variation 1: Keep the hands by the sides. Inhaling, lift the shoulders as high up as possible, towards the ears, to form a “cup”. Exhaling, relax the shoulders.
Variation 2: Keep the hands by the side. Practise shoulder rotations taking the rotation from the back, down while exhaling and then the front, upwards while inhaling. This shoulder rotation can be done with each shoulder separately too.
Variation 3: Place the fingers on the respective shoulders, with the elbows touching each other in the front. Rotate the shoulders, raising the elbows up in the front and then going outwards while inhaling and down to come back in the front to the starting position, while exhaling. Now rotate in the opposite direction i.e. while exhaling move the elbows downwards, outwards and then inhaling up, return to the starting position.
Variation 4: Keep the arms relaxed and straight by the side. Rotate them by the side–clockwise and then anti-clockwise. This arm rotation can be done with each arm separately too.
Hands:
Variation 1: Clasp the hands in front of the chest; intertwining the fingers and palms facing the chest. Inhaling, stretch them outwards, parallel to the floor. Exhaling, bring them close to the chest.
Variation 2: Same as Variation 1, except that in step 2, while stretching the hands, turn the palms out, away from the chest.
Variation 3: Take the right hand up; fold it to let the palm fall behind the neck, elbow pointing upwards. Now take the left hand behind and fold it to clasp the fingers of the right hand. Practice both sides alternately; breath normally.
Elbows
Raise both the arms in front, at shoulder level palm facing upwards. Inhale. Exhaling, bend the elbows and touch the shoulder with fingers. Inhaling, straighten the arms again. Keep repeating few times
Wrists:
Variation 1: Raise arms in front, at shoulder level. Close the fingers and rotate the fist–clockwise and then anti-clockwise.
Variation 2: Raise the arms from the side, at shoulder level, palms facing down. Keeping the arms straight, flap the palms up and down.
Ankles:
Variation 1: Holding the right thigh up, point the toes outwards and then inwards, several times. Repeat for the left leg.
Variation 2: Repeat the first 2 steps of variation1. Holding the right thigh up, rotate the right feet clockwise and anti-clockwise. Repeat for the left leg.
Limitations/ Contraindications:
- No limitations for people with reasonably good health. Those with specific problems can practice sitting or lying down.
- Can be practised by all, as per individual comfort.
- Exceptions would be post-surgery or as specified by a physician.
Benefits:
- Functions as ‘warm up’ stretches keeps the blood circulation in check when sitting on train ride for long hours
- Helps initiate better energy through the body.
- Provides a gentle but deep internal awakening of the musculature into action.
- Breathing rhythms–aids energy flow to each cell.
- Keeps one active, alert and refreshed throughout the train journey.
Quick food tips on train journey
- Keep yourself well hydrated.
- Do not overeat or consume heavy meals. Take a light walk every 40 minutes to improve peristalsis movement and keep indigestion at bay.