Post-Travel Yoga
Yoga for Travel Recovery
With the holiday season now in full swing we find ourselves surrounded by both the joy and the hustle. Between marathon shopping trips, long drives or flights to see loved ones, and juggling countless commitments, it’s easy to feel cramped and tense all over. Despite its ups and downs, the holiday season remains a wonderful time of year when we are surrounded by people we love and who love us. Still, the reality of traveling back home can be tough, especially when trying to navigate tough conversations.
My family nicknamed me “The Great Debater” because I never met a debate I didn’t like. I felt the need to stand up for my perspective in every disagreement, no matter how big or small the subject of the conversation. It was only after realizing these discussions were often a complete waste of time (by then, we were already 30 minutes in!) that I noticed how draining they were, especially since they were going nowhere. To avoid conflict, I adopted the mantra “don’t engage.” Yet I wonder if avoiding those moments holds us back from experiencing and sharing the honest love we receive from those who accept us, flaws and politics included.
This year, we have a little extra help. I’ve put together a grounding yoga practice to help us meet the season with openness. This sequence helps release physical tension from travel and holiday busyness and inspires an inner shift to love ourselves as we are so we can extend that same care, understanding, and gratitude to those we love.
In this practice, you’ll find gentle poses to soothe sore muscles, ease mental tension, and open your heart. You’ll also see an explanation of deeper benefits of each pose, as well as an easy-to-follow video on my YouTube channel with options for all levels.
I hope this practice brings you grounding and relief, allowing you to fully embrace the season for all it has to offer.
“When your body, mind and soul are healthy and harmonious, you will bring health and harmony to the world- not by withdrawing from the world, but by being a healthy, living organ of the body of humanity.”
Adho Mukha Sukhasana (Seated Forward Extension)
This gentle forward bend grounds your legs and stretches the sides of your body, releasing tension and spreading ease through your back. This pose helps you reconnect with your breath and find a sense of calm after a long journey.
2. Shoulder Exercises
These simple shoulder openers ease away tension in the neck and shoulders. These moves help you feel lighter by softening tightness built up from travel or desk work, inviting in more freedom of movement and relief from stiffness.
3. Parsvottanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
This pose is is great for unwinding from cramped travel seats. A deep stretch for the legs, back, and shoulders, this pose helps release stiffness and energizes the side body. Ideal after sitting, standing, or activity, its a perfect recovery pose after travel, a workout, or a long workday, leaving you feeling more open and balanced.
4. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
This pose stretches the legs and creates space to extend the spine, helping to relieve tension and strain in the back. It’s an excellent go-to stretch when you’re feeling stiff, as it also allows the head and neck to rest, encouraging a sense of calm and quieting the mind.
5. Supta Sukhasana (Reclined )
In this gentle pose, support under the back encourages the chest to open, creating space to open the heart. The entire body is able to rest and relax, allowing stress to melt away naturally.
6. Supported Savasana
With a gentle lift to open your chest, this restful pose helps your whole body release and relax. After a few minutes of resting in the pose the blankets can be removed, so your back rests fully, inviting you into a sense of calm and restoration anytime you need to reset and recharge.
“The light that Yoga sheds on life is something special. It is transformative. It does not just change the way we see things; it transforms the person who sees.”
I hope this class served as a helpful guide to your post-travel recovery. The focus on poses that stretch and restore the legs is designed to relieve stiffness from cramped seating while also calming and grounding you if travel has left you feeling jittery or anxious. The shoulder-opening poses in this class also help release tension built up during your journey.
Beyond physical relief, this practice creates space to ease both mind and body, offering holistic support for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. My hope is that it not only helps with your post-travel recovery but also nurtures a sense of balance and resilience. When we take care of ourselves, we’re better equipped to show up for others with support, understanding, and love.
By making space for ourselves and others, we contribute to lifting humanity as a whole. I hope this practice, along with the thoughts shared here, inspires you to carry that spirit of care forward.