Travel the Ayurvedic Way
Travel sparks creativity, can help get us out of a rut, expands our minds, and even helps us be less rigid in our beliefs when we are exposed to new cultures, new people, and new ways of doing things. Travel is an education in and of itself. It’s empowering, exciting, and eye opening. And travel, especially yoga related travel, often affords us an opportunity to examine our lives and reset our priorities.
I’ve had the great privilege of being able to travel quite a bit in my adult life, both here within the US, but also internationally and across multiple time zones. I know that these opportunities have been priceless experiences providing chances for me to grow, expand, live more fully. But despite the benefits that travel provides, there’s no denying that it’s HARD!!
From an ayurvedic perspective, travel is extremely vata provoking. Vata is the dosha that is made up of the air and ether elements, with qualities like dryness, mobility, lightness, coldness, roughness, and hardness. These qualities accumulate any time vata is provoked, so when we travel we are increasing these qualities within ourselves. The further away from home we travel, the more we increase them. And when we travel by air we add on an extra layer of vata provocation. The dry air in the aircraft cabin, the speed of air travel, and the very fact that we are moving through the primary elements of vata (air and space) can lead to some major vata predominant symptoms.
Constipation, bloating, dryness, anxiety, spaciness, and insomnia are common travel woes that many of us experience. These symptoms are all related to high levels of vata in our system. But we don’t have to resign ourselves to these symptoms, and we don’t have to give up our travel plans to feel healthy and balanced.
Ayurveda offers many simple techniques to keeping vata in balance before and during travel, and even after we arrive at our destination. Check out some of my top tips below and feel your best on your next getaway:
BEFORE TRAVEL:
If you are planning to travel to a different time zone, start adjusting your internal clock ahead of your travels. You can adjust your wake time and/or sleep time by 10-15 minutes per day so that by the day of your travel you’re as close to your destination time as you can be.
Travel can be very dehydrating, especially if you are traveling by air. Begin hydrating a few days before you travel. Increase your water intake in the days ahead of your scheduled travel. Remember that ayurveda recommends room temperature or warm water to pacify vata.
Packing and preparing for travel are vata provoking activities as well. To help maintain your balance while you are packing, stay organized! Make a list of all of the things you need to pack ahead of time, then check them off as you add them to your luggage, this will prevent any last minute anxiety over forgetting something important. It’s also helpful if you keep your luggage organized in zones or sections as well. Start by packing the things you know you will not need until you’ve arrived at your destination, and pack like items together. Keep things you will need to access, like your travel documents, snacks, and water bottle in a separate bag for easy access. See below for travel day essentials to have in your carry-on luggage.
And before the big day, plan a day of rest. Don’t fill up your last day before travel with last minute, frantic packing. Plan to have a restful, grounding day ahead of your travel. Eat nourishing, grounding foods that are easy to digest on the day before you travel. Kitchari is a good choice for a pre-travel meal. Prepare your body and mind for travel with some pre-travel yoga and meditation. And make sure you get plenty of rest on the day before you travel so you don’t feel so depleted when the travel day arrives.
DURING TRAVEL:
On your day of travel make sure you have the following essentials with you;
Ginger tea to support digestion and reduce gas and bloat while traveling. You can slice some fresh ginger and pack in a ziplock bag in your carry-on, or even more convenient, buy some ginger tea in bags to carry with you. Hot water is available on the plane if you’re flying. If you’re on a road trip, carry a thermos of hot water with you so you can sip on ginger tea throughout your travels.
Rosewater spray for hydration. Rosewater deeply hydrates the skin, and the floral aroma has a soothing effect on the mind. Heritage Store sells a small travel size that’s perfect for your carry-on.
Nasya oil to hydrate the nasal passages and protect your immune system. Nasya, or oiling of the nasal passages, moisturizes the nasal passages and protects them from harsh dry air when flying and calms and soothes an agitated mind. Oiling of the nose is also an ayurvedic practice for protecting yourself from invasion of harmful bacteria and viruses inhaled through the nose. Banyan botanicals makes my favorite premixed herbal nasya oil, but just regular sesame oil will do. I carry a small bottle in my carry-on luggage along with a stash of cotton swabs. Just before boarding a flight I’ll pop into the restroom, dip the cotton swab in my oil and swab both nostrils. If you’re on a longer flight you can re-apply mid-flight.
Healthy vata pacifying snacks are a must when traveling! The dry, crunchy snacks offered on airplanes, and the chips and crackers we often grab when making a pit stop at a gas station actually increase vata. When you’re traveling opt for snacks that have some weight and some moisture to help reduce vata and keep you grounded. Sweet or juicy fruits are good travel options, as are dates, nut butter packets, or even a small container of quick cooking oats (ask for hot water on the flight, stir it up in your to go container and you’ll have a warm, filling, and grounding snack).
Warm socks and a lightweight scarf will help you avoid getting chilled. Whether you’re taking flight or on a road trip, you don’t always get to control the climate. Aircraft cabins tend to be quite cool, and if you’re the passenger on a road trip you’ll want your driver to be comfortable and alert (and I know when I’m driving I like to keep it cool!). Having a warm pair of socks to slip on your feet, and a lightweight cotton scarf to drape around your neck will prevent you from getting chilled, which can provoke vata and aggravate the nervous system. If you have space in your carry-on luggage, or are on a road trip you could even bring a lightweight blanket to stay warm with.
Sleep essentials; sleep mask, ear plugs, natural sleep aids like Banyan Botanicals I Sleep Soundly, Melatonin, or CBD to aid relaxation. Sleep aids are really only necessary if you’ll be traveling overnight (flying to Europe for example), or if you are stopping on the road for a night of rest. Sleeping in a plane or a strange hotel room can be difficult, and you want to get the best night of sleep possible so you’ll feel your best when you arrive at your destination. The essentials listed here are some of my tried and true favorites for a good night’s rest.
During your travel time, make sure to take movement and stretch breaks as well. Sitting can be hard on your body. Take a stroll through the airport during your layover, if you’re on a longer flight make sure you get out of your seat when it’s safe and walk the aisle a time or two. If you’re on a road trip, plan in time for longer stops. I like to pack a picnic for road trips and stop at a rest area that has plenty of shade, or find a park along your route. Get out of the car to eat, take a short walk, toss a frisbee, or throw your yoga mat in the grass and do a few sun salutations!
AT YOUR DESTINATION:
Vata isn’t aggravated just during the preparation and travel phases of a trip. Being in a strange place, sleeping in a strange bed, and being off of your normal routine can mean that your entire vacation or retreat is just one big vata provoking event. To ensure that you feel your best and can enjoy your destination you’ll want to get on local time as quickly as possible (set your watch ahead to the time of your destination as soon as you board the plane or get in the car). Exposing yourself to the sunshine will work wonders in helping adjust your circadian clock. Time is just a made up construct anyway, so adopt the local time at your destination upon arrival. Resist napping, as it will only prolong jet lag. And try to go to bed and wake up local time at the same times you would if you were at home. Maintaining a regular schedule, even while you are away, will support your nervous system and help you feel well balanced in your days.
Before bed on your first night, set aside some time for a nourishing self-massage, known as abhyanga in ayurveda. Oiling the skin has a nourishing and grounding effect and will support a sound night of sleep.
One of the most common woes once we arrive at our destination is constipation. It’s hard to go poop in a new location! To aid regular bowel movements during your trip consider taking triphala before bed each night. Triphala tones the colon, supports healthy elimination, and as an added bonus, contains amalaki which is super high in vitamin C and will support your immune system while you’re away from home.
Nothing will aggravate your vata more while you are away from home than chaos. Things seems to end up everywhere in a hotel room, and every surface in the room becomes cluttered with stuff; from your toiletries, to your souvenirs, your car keys and wallet, it seems like stuff just ends up everywhere. To prevent the overwhelm associated with this chaos try to stay organized once you reach your destination. If you’re staying long enough to unpack, place your clothing items in the drawers and closets, and give your items like keys, wallet, toiletries, etc. a home. Then return everything to it’s designated home once you’ve used it. If you aren’t staying long enough to fully unpack, organize your luggage so that you have space for your used/dirty clothes (and aren’t tempted to just throw them on the floor), and keep your toiletries together in their bag. The neater you can keep your space the more relaxed you’ll feel.
And finally, days away from home can feel jam packed with activities, sights to see, and new experiences to try out. But, don’t overschedule yourself. Make sure you have some unstructured down time planned into your trip, and make time for your yoga and meditation practice everyday - it’s one small thing you can do that will have a deep impact on your day.
With a little forethought and planning, and some easy to travel with essentials your next getaway could be your best yet. With the tips above you’ll get better sleep, have less tummy troubles, and a more settled and calm mental state for enjoying your travels. Now, get packing and get out there and see the world!!!