Banishing Travel Stress

This winter swirling winds, treacherous ice and clogging drifts of snow have suddenly stranded travelers on roads and in airports. It's rare to have snow in almost 70 percent of the lower forty-eight states! When Mother Nature acts so fiercely, we can only witness and adjust. It's a not-so-gentle reminder of our partnership with the natural world.

While living in Southeast Alaska, I'd adjust to the near darkness and blizzard conditions by taking alternative routes to work. There was more than one morning when my little Toyota couldn't make it over a drift. I'd bundle up and walk out to the highway to hitchhike or wait for the bus into work. One Thanksgiving, Seattle, a city bereft of snowplows, was paralyzed by a sudden snowfall. While only a few inches, it was enough to cut power and stymie traffic. I made it to dinner on my cross-country skis, scooting through silent and white neighborhoods usually clogged with traffic. In northern California's forested Marin neighborhoods, power lines go down regularly every blustery storm. Once without power for four days, my family relied on our stove, fireplace and commiseration with neighbors for warmth.

Travel is inherently challenging. Winter storms cause more stress and difficulty, but they don't have to be debilitating. Whether you're stranded in airports or sitting in traffic, you still have choices. As a travel wellness coach and yoga teacher, I've found that the best way to salvage a sudden change of plans, is to first pause a moment, then breath deeply. Take a few relaxing breaths in the midst of the frustration and find a way to let go. The situation just is what it is. Breathe it out and open to new perspectives. Your mind can't hold two thoughts at the same time, so use conscious breathing to begin your escape into more calm and more creativity.

Conscious Breathing : Sit up a bit straighter, inhaling deeply in through your nose. Let the breath drop in as if it had weight and notice how it comes in cool. Feel the push against your diaphragm and lower belly. Notice how the back of your heart and ribs expand. Exhale slowly and fully, aware of how the breath leaves the body warm. Repeat the cycle to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase energy and mental clarity.

Notice who and what is around you : Be helpful - finding ways to help others will lift you out of your own angst. We are all in this together and there are numerous stories of good Samaritans playing music, sharing peanut butter sandwiches, even juggling in boarding lounges. It could be worse. The freeways into Beijing were gridlocked for days last fall. Creative entrepreneurs started a mini-economy selling food and water to stranded drivers.

Take care of yourself: Torpor and resignation are no friends of a happy traveler. How are you sitting right now? Do you have back pain from sitting? Slumping spines need care to weather long, sedentary delays. Too often we sit hunched over our ribs. Our shoulders pull forward. Our necks extend. We breathe shallowly, which cuts off energy, and affects circulation, digestion and elimination.

Change that scenario by simply sitting up straight for a few minutes. Then lift your ribs up, pull your shoulders back and raise your chin towards the ceiling. Breathe in fully, slowly and exhale fully for a few slow cycles. Arch forward and then back a few times, pushing your lower, mid and then upper spine into the seat. Then shift your ribs up as you arch forward.

Stretch at the airport or a stoplight: Lift your arms, clasp your hands together and pull up, leaning to the right, then left and back. In the car, you can push your palms against the car roof. Crawl your fingers back to get a great shoulder stretch. Lower your hands then roll your shoulders in big circles forward and back. Yawn! Once you come back to simply sitting, notice the sensation of energy and vitality pulsing through you.

Take a break: Walk briskly for at least ten minutes every two hours. You can wait out a traffic jam by finding some place to stroll, a bookstore for diversion or searching out a healthy snack. Stay wet! Keep from getting thirsty, which further strains your body, by sipping on water often.

Open to the adventure . You may be stranded due to conditions beyond your control, but use what control you do have. Taking care of yourself for what may be a brief or long delay is empowering. Either way you'll feel better for managing the time and arrive at your destination happier for the effort.