Try some subtle yoga in airport
In the Newark airport, there is a meditation room. It has one of the same style of figures that indicate restrooms, those sort of rounded, head-floating-above-body, male and female figures. (The female wears a dress, which I have never done while flying.) What stood out to me about this figure is that the figure was kneeling, hands together in front of his bathroom-stick-figure chest in prayer position.
Needless to say, I took photos. I peered into the room and saw a few people sitting in chairs, a few on the floor and a few doing some yoga postures on mats. I really had no great urge to kill the time before my flight in the Newark International Airport in meditation, but I almost wished I hadn't checked my yoga mat. Maybe I would have gone in. Maybe I would have done some pranayama (breath-work) to help relax me. (I'm not a good little flier.)
Sometimes, I do a little bit of subtle yoga in the airport to relax and pass the time in a constructive way (as opposed to writing my column?). We all know that if I were to begin doing aggressive sun salutations, breathing loudly and deeply and doing forward folds that some mothers might deem "inappropriate," I might be run out of the airport, or, worse still, it would be like that show on A&E about Southwest Airlines. The gate attendant would think I was drunk and/or high, and a supervisor would tell me that I probably should take a later flight, one on which I would not make the other passengers and crew uncomfortable with my weirdness.
--Subtle Airport Yoga (the Not-Making-A-Fool-of-Yourself Version):
Calming Breath (for those of us who don't like flying much): Either close your eyes or fix them on a nonmoving point in front of you, careful not to stare at any crazy drunks in the terminal. Breathing through your nose, inhale to a count of 2, and exhale to a count of 4. Do this 10 times. Then inhale for 3, exhale for 6. Concentrate on controlling your breathing. This will keep your heart rate down.
Gomukhasana arms: Extend your right fingertips to the ceiling. Rotate your shoulder and touch your right palm to the middle of your back, elbow pointing upward. Reach your left arm behind you and reach your fingertips up, clasping your hands together. Can't reach? Most people can't. Instead of trying to bind your hands together, use your left hand to clasp your right elbow and stretch the triceps and shoulder muscles. Do both sides.
Forward fold in terminal seat: Sitting in the terminal, extend your legs out in front of you. Keep your back flat and your belly long. Fold forward as though you are trying to zip yourself closed from the hips to the shoulders. This means NO COLLAPSING OR ROUNDING OF THE BACK. This stretches your hamstrings and calves, which tighten as you sit in flight.
--Not-So-Subtle Airport Yoga:
Supported Cobbler Pose: Place your carry-on bag on the floor and sit down in front of it. Place the soles of your feet together, knees splaying to the sides, and lie back against your bag.
If you have a jacket, you can roll it up and place it behind your neck for extra comfort. Allow your hips and back to relax. Melt into your bag. Imagine you are in a quiet, calm place. Try to do this out of the way of foot traffic, as people will look at you very strangely. It is a good mental exercise to ignore their comments.
Headstand: I have honestly done this one in airports before. When I have a long layover between flights, I tend to get a little drowsy. I can either drink coffee, which makes me even edgier, or I can do a nice headstand.
If you don't have a regular headstand practice, LAX is probably not the best place to start. If you have a pretty good headstand, however, find some wall space (just to avoid any embarrassing falls that might happen if you lose concentration, which is really easy in a busy airport). Get into your headstand and breathe slowly. Just for kicks, open your eyes and watch people watching you. It's a riot.
As the holidays creep up on us, we all spend more time in airports. Be nice to your body while you travel. And relax. Being the only calm, nice person in line when there are delays can score you first-class seats sometimes. Trust me.
