Chair Yoga Reduces Muscle Tension When Traveling

Have you noticed that even with additional lumbar support in your car seat that your body still can tend to slump? And where do you rest your left foot while the right one is doing most of the work? What about your elbows, do they rest against evenly against your ribs or where ever you can find someplace to put them?
These are questions and issues that may clarify why travel can be so fatiguing. By applying principles of Chair Yoga, you will first look at and assess the angle of your seat whether you are in transit, waiting to travel, at work or at home. If you develop a level, stable chair then you continue with your foot awareness. Can you comfortably keep the non working foot, or both feet if resting, flat on the floor and knees pointed forward? This may reduce lower back tension as you can then position your hips up and forward to sit in a more upright position. When you bring the hips up and forward, you can then relax your shoulders down and back. Your head can have a more level base to lift up and view ahead without creating pressure in the neck.
To help further relax the neck and back muscles, place a small pillow or folded jacket behind your back as a support and reference point. Play with gently drawing your shoulder blades down towards the middle of your pillow as you draw your hips up. You can alternate between drawing them straight up and down or across. Remember to breathe and keep focused on the road!
Develop more strength and balance with my DVDs, classes and soon to be released book,
Chair Yoga for Body Alignment. Contact me with directly any questions/order requests (as my new web site is being developed) at howie@youcallthisyoga.org