Ever tried to stay well on the road for an extended amount of time? Whether it’s a road trip, business conference or touristy blitz across Europe, staying well while away from home is a challenge any way you spin it.
We asked celeb yogi Chad Dennis to help us lay out a few rules for healthy living on the road. As a wellness guru for touring musicians like Adam Levine and Maroon 5, Chad possesses time-worn and well-proven insights on the topic. We can tell by Levine’s abs.
Chad was just one of the L.A. wellness pros who gathered with us for Buick’s summery, sweet panel earlier this week all about conquering the challenges of travel and L.A. car culture. Buick’s panel of healthy ideators shared everything from in-car breathing techniques and self-massage methods, to de-stressing car scents (it’s all about rose geranium!) and a little yoga. Chad, along with beauty Bar Refaeli, advised the brand on a few practical yoga ideas, some of which are in Chad’s notes below.
Bookmark these ideas for any upcoming road trips or, if you live here in L.A., read immediately and review before crossing the 405…
Adam Levine’s Yogi On Staying Well While Traveling
Yoga Studio When Home:
I am currently the Director of Yoga at the brand new Wanderlust Hollywood.
Describe your practice:
My personal practice is definitely a mix of styles and forms of yoga, movement and physical therapy exercises that have influenced me over the last 25 years. I practiced and studied Ashtanga for over a decade and also immersed myself in Iyengar and Anusara for another 10 years. My current practice is a hybrid of the two disciplines, which is often referred to as alignment-oriented vinyasa: a balance between dynamic movement and long, steady holds.
Why yoga for your clients on the road?
Traveling can be absolutely relentless on the body. I was on tour with Maroon 5 as their personal yoga teacher for over eight years. Over this period we traveled around the world countless times and clocked hundreds of thousands of miles. Yoga was one of the only things that brought our bodies and minds back to a state of balance.
Yoga travel tip:
One of the elements I love so much about yoga is its ease and accessability when traveling. All you need is a mat and that little sliver of space to unfurl it. Anywhere a 3′ x 6′ mat can fit, you can do yoga.
Go-to yoga mat:
Manduka Pro when I’m at home. It’s fairly heavy and bulky, but the shock absorption it offers is amazing. When I travel I never forget to pack my Jade Yoga Travel Mat. It’s perfect for traveling – super lightweight and you can fold it up to a medium-sized book.
Quickest most effective pose for travel:
Down dog. It gently stretches the hamstrings (muscles of the back of the legs), as well as the lower-back muscles. It’s also considered a mild form of an inversion as your head is below your heart (which aids in the re-circulation of blood).
Eating well on the road:
Water. Water. And more water. Staying hydrated helps prevent snacking or turning to junk food.
Fave yoga fuel:
I’m a huge smoothie and fresh pressed juice junkie. I’m also completely addicted to coconut water.
Tip for travelers with no privacy:
Beats by Dre Wireless Studio Headphones and a good quality contoured eye mask. You will be in your own world.
Fave spot to practice when not on the road:
In nature, if at all possible. If not, definitely Wanderlust Hollywood. The largest room, know as The Greatest Place, is absolutely stunning – exposed brick walls and 25-foot ceilings with exposed wood beams. It’s cathedral-like in its scale and beauty.
Go-to yoga wear:
My go-to yoga wear right now is tapered pants and sweats from Top Man and tank tops from American Apparel. Plain and simple.
Current mantra:
I have a two and a half year old son who’s in the thick of his terrible twos. My mantra right now is, “nothing is permanent.”
Can you share a simple sequence for in-car yoga?
Being a Los Angeleno, the in-car yoga pose that I constantly and consistently come back to is one I call Seated Mountain Pose. It’s very simple yet very effective.
Maintain a well-aligned spine (i.e., don’t round in the lower back), soften and release the shoulders down the back and make sure that your skull is in alignment with the rest of your spinal column (people tend to jut their head forward in space, which tightens all of the musculature of the face, neck and shoulders).
Take five very slow inhales and exhales through the nose – each time releasing more tension and stress. Perfect for when you’re just sitting in traffic on the freeway.
This post was created in partnership with Buick. #BuickHappiness
