Overseas travel and yoga, part 2

Fear of flying

I have a number of overwhelming fears that might keep me from things I love, if not for some amazing yogic tools that allow me to go on and do it anyway. I feel lucky to have this resource to fall back on when one of these little buggers threatens to keep me from something I want.

Flying is one of them. Yes, I know all the stats; driving to the local store is more dangerous than air travel, and air accidents are rare and unlikely. But flying seems so unnatural to me; take-off and landing especially make me want to cry out “Mommy”!!

I used to try finding something really interesting to read, hoping I wouldn’t notice that I’m heading towards the sky in a big, heavy, metal contraption that really has no business being off the ground. The results were marginal at best. But now I’ve got a better solution and it works like a charm: My dear old friend, Nadi Shodhana.

This bit of breathwork has proven amazingly efficient for calming my nerves in a number of circumstances, and flying is one of them. Also known as alternate nostril breath, Nadi Shodhana is a pranayama practice that will set you to rights in no time. How did I ever live without this practice? No matter the upset, alternate nostril breathing can help. Performing in front of an audience? Nadi Shodhana. Upset with a friend? Nadi Shodhana. Sad or hurt? Nadi Shodhana. It is a great practice any time, but it works especially well during challenging moments.

This practice has the ability to bring an individual into balance. Our breathing tends to be dominant through one nostril or the other; the dominant side changes from one nostril to the other throughout the day. This dominance is associated with opposite sides of the brain, which have different ‘personalities’ or strengths. Persuading our bodies to breathe equally through both nostrils brings our whole being into greater balance. Each and every time I use this practice as a coping tool I am amazed by its efficiency.

There are many variations of this practice. I’ll describe my favorite. If it is evening, it is advised to start with the right nostril; in the mornings, start on the left. To remember this, think, ‘right at night’. We’ve arrived at the airport in the morning, so I’ll start on the left side.

As I hear the roar of the aircraft’s engines begin to build and my anxiousness starts to rise, I breathe out slowly and then inhale deeply through both nostrils. I then take the thumb of my right hand and press ever so slightly on the soft place just below the cartilage on the right side of my nose. It takes very little pressure to close this valve, so I relax and let my thumb lay in place. I exhale slowly and evenly through the left nostril and then allow the breath to turn and move inward. I lift the thumb and then allow the right ring finger to come to rest on the soft spot on the left side of the nose.

Now I exhale slowly through the right nostril and then inhale on the same side. Once this breath is complete, I lift my ring finger while replacing the thumb to the right side and perform the out and in breath on the right again.

I return my hand to my lap, and with my eyes still closed, take three natural and even breaths out and in.

Now I reverse the practice. I bring my right hand back to my nose and use my ring finger to close the left side. I exhale through right and then inhale again. I allow the ring finger to release and close the right with my thumb. Now I exhale and inhale through the left. I complete this set with an exhale and inhale through the right.

Again, I lower my hand and take three even breaths out and in through both nostrils.

Finally, I perform the original three one more time. Close the right nostril and breathe out and in through the left side. Close the left nostril to breathe out and in through the right. And one more breath out and in on the left.

Lower the hand for one last set of three breaths out and in through both nostrils. Look, we’re up in the air and I’m calm and back to rights. I’ll pull this tool out again as we make our descent, but for now, I’ll need to focus on keeping my spine nourished and happy while in flight. Not that easy in the cramped quarters I’ll be in for the next several hours. But I’ve got some tricks for that as well.

Yoga to the rescue yet again!

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