Aeroplane Yoga

Thank you Qantas pyjamas.

If you Google: "yoga" and "aeroplanes", it's surprising just how many articles there are! There is even a book published about it called Airplane Yoga! I really don't think it's necessary to research it though because if you've ever been on a flight, even just a short one, you have most likely, albeit unconsciously, done some yoga! The most effective in opening the hips and really getting that blood circulating whilst I was sitting were: Ardha Padmasana (Half lotus), Ardha Matyendrasana (Lord of the Fish) and Supta Virasana (Reclined hero). Oh, did I mention I was lucky enough to fly Business Class all the way through to NYC?  Yeah, so that was just before I ate my Roast Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad with Barley and Sunflower Seeds. Ahem, sorry. Thus, ample room for me to do yoga in my seat .I'm sure there is room in Economy Class to do these too, but now that I've flown Business, I can't for the life of me ever go back...EVER!

Once you are out of your seat, after you've strategically contorted your body to climb over a sleeping passenger with all the agility of a Cirque du Soleil performer, there is ample room in some unoccupied corner to do a few more poses.  I found a spare little hallway near the Galley and did a few lunges, including this Anjaneyasana (Crescent Moon) complete with Qantas pyjamas! I then ended up chatting to a lovely Flight Attendant called George, who was possibly one of the most interesting people I've met and again, as I've been discovering with yoga, gravitated towards me for a reason. Stay tuned. Will discuss in my next post.

Overall, in all of my travel experiences including the 25 hours it took to fly to the other side of the world today/yesterday I learnt a few things:

Good morning LAX

• Perhaps people unconsciously do yoga and don't even know it!  The number of people stretching, yawning, taking deep breaths and sharing pitied looks was cool. Like yep, we're all stuck on this godforsaken metal tube together, may as well still feel alive somehow
• Drink lots of water, but make sure you get an aisle seat
• Pranayama (breath) is essential for flying, particularly because the air is thinner, so you need to sit for at least a few minutes and just breathe. I think people do this too?
• Don't EVER drink coffee on an aeroplane, the altitude means that water can't reach boiling point, that's why it's always luke warm. (I also learnt that in Flight Attendant school - Job #54 - amongst other things...)
• Don't watch a movie that involves plane crashes and then fall asleep and dream about plane crashes!

Are you one of those annoying people who does travel yoga poses?

Yes? 

OMG! Me too! 

This has only become a recent phenomenon, because, well, for many years, I did yoga for me.  I guess I still do, but now I've made it more of a public spectacle and taken advantage of teaching people along the way whether they like it or not! Also, why does it always feel so much better on a mountain top?!

Here are some of mine...oh, and also, just some semi-yoga-related travel shots for no apparent reason.

Virabadrasana II @Mt Coolum, Qld, Australia.

                                    

Trikonasana @Day 3, Inca Trail, Peru.                                          

Natarajasana @Byron Bay, NSW, Australia

                                       

Niceviewasana @ Blackcomb Mtn, BC, Canada.

Yoga after hike @ Cerro de las Tres Cruces, Cali, Colombia.

Vrksasana (albeit terrible) @ Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia.

                                                                  

Sattvic time of day @ Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Restorative Yoga @ Mt Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia.

Utkatasana (sort of) @ Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Do you remember teaching your very first yoga class?

Sivana Yoga Shambhala, Quepos, Costa Rica (Nov, 2008)

I was living in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, completing my English as a Second Language (ESL) Teaching Course with TEFL International.  On my time off, I hung out at the beach, trying to avoid the hawkers, took photos of the sun setting over the ocean (still a novelty for me living on the East coast of Australia!) and went to yoga.  It was run by a lovely expat American lady, whom I can't for the life of me remember her name, who had a lovely yoga studio above a bar!  She had a young son who went to the local school and needed to take an evening off.  I had been attending her class for a few weeks and in her desperation, she randomly asked me to "cover" for her! I told her I wasn't qualified to teach and she was all like, you know how to do the poses, you'll be fine, do whatever you like...

At the end of the class and after a sleepless night with a hastily put together sequence of poses, a student approached me at the end of the class and said: "Thanks for a great class. How long have you been teaching yoga for?" I looked at her stony-faced and was all like, "um, ah, this was my first ever class". Best. Feeling. Ever.

THAT was how I lost my yoga-teaching virginity! 

This is the beautiful yoga teacher who had faith in me.

How did yoga find you?

 Gwyneth Paltrow (1994)

As a 15 year old, I was obsessed with Brad Pitt. He was my idol. I had posters of him on my wall, had watched all of his movies up to date, in particular Legends of the Fall (the one and only time in my life I've ever been attracted to a long-haired man) and even made a Brad Pitt scrap book much to the jealousy of my girlfriends. Crazy times.  At this time, he was also dating some up and coming actress called Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth was really into this new, trendy fitness craze that was sweeping the Western world called "yoga".  I had to get into it, I thought to myself, it's the only way Brad will notice me.

Body Balance (1997)

Attended my first Body Balance class at my local gym. Body Balance (BB) is a Les Mills branded"relaxation" class combining Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi.  It is choreographed to music and is simply amazing. 

Spice Girls (1999)                                                                   

After a year or so of doing Body Balance, I bought my first Yoga DVD, Geri Yoga ie. Geri Halliwell, former Spice Girl, better known as Ginger Spice. Don't judge me.  Her yoga teacher, Katy Appleton is a legend.  I then purchased Geri Body Yoga which has one of my alltime favourite Moon sequences that I still practise to this day.  Oh and also, it has her dog in it. Yes, her actual pet dog lies down with everyone at the end in Savasana. Brilliant!

The rest is history...