A Yoga Practice for a Yogi on the Move

The list of things that I learned while being on the road this past month is quite lengthy and includes:

1) Don't use the sink water on the tour bus to brush your teeth
2) Don't eat a full plate of catering before a show
3) Don't drink a full bottle of water during a quick change (major bloating)
4) Don't admit to drunk girls at the club that you dance for _____ (they will try to make you give _____ their phone numbers)

But the most surprising thing for me to learn about tour life was how little we move and exercise. On travel days we sit on the bus for hours and on show days we sit around all day until the performance. To correct my sedentary ways I began jogging every morning. Whether it was on the treadmill or on the city streets, I made sure to do at least 40 minutes of quality heart-pumping running.

By the second week of this workout regimen, however, my hamstrings and back muscles became severely irritated and tight. This was when I discovered the importance of my yoga practice. Yoga is the difference between me feeling awake and sleepy, being focused and distracted, and feeling tight and flexible. I thought I could lead myself through an hour and a half of basic sun salutations and asanas but had a hard time maintaining a flow. And then, I had a revelation: yoga podcasts.

I regularly practiced at the Santa Monica Poweryoga Studio when I lived in Westwood and recently subscribed to Bryan Kest's Poweryoga On Demand. The membership is a scant $16 (which is pocket change compared to the value of a single yoga class) and provides access to dozens of classes taught by Bryan, Anaswara, Travis, and my personal favorite, Vytas. I also downloaded some free podcasts from Yoga to the People off itunes.

Nothing beats being in the studio and feeling the collective energy. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and these podcasts were the perfect solution to my body's aches and pains while on the road. I could practice in the morning before we travelled or at night after a show. I still use the podcasts when I'm back in LA as a supplement to my practice in the studio.

So if you're a yogi on the move or on a budget, I'd really recommend checking it out!