We are a real travel-loving family, and we have traveled quite a bit already but always while staying conscious of our health and well-being.
As you have experienced before, traveling is tough on your system. To use Ayurvedic terms high-speed traveling disturbs our vata dosha. Which will result in external dryness like brittle nails, dry hair, lips, and skin. But also internal dryness which can lead to constipation, gassiness and bloating. And no this has nothing to do with the amount of water that you drink.
THe most comon travel symptoms
- Constipation
- Gas
- Bloating
- Dry and chapped lips
- Dry skin
- Jet lag
- Drowsy, lethargic etc
How to prevent travel symptoms
There are a number of things you can do to prevent your vata from rocketing sky high.
1. Self-application of oil (abhyanga)
It is essential to keep your skin moisturized before during, and after you travel in Ayurveda, they call the self-application of a (herbal) oil abhyanga. I would advise you to use organic cold-pressed sesame oil while traveling. Our body absorbs this oil the easiest. When possible, apply some oil once you reach your destination, preferably the same day.
2. Kitchari
meals
While traveling, our digestion is compromised. That is why I would advise you to make your own meals before
going on long travels; your body is accustomed to these meals and will be able to digest them the easiest. They are preferably hot meals in a thermos or ask the plane staff for some boiling water
to add to your meal.
The best meal, however, to eat while traveling is kitchari. It is a meal made of rice, split mung beans, and spices. It is effortless
to digest and helps your body cope with the long travel.
You can find the recipe here!
3. Ginger
tablets
To keep your digestive capacity as robust as possible, you can take two ginger tablets right before you start your travels. This will
help your body cope and prevent jet lag. When you are not familiar with these tablets or capsules, try them on an empty stomach on a normal day.
4.
Changing time zones
When you know that you will be flying to a different time zone, especially when the difference is more than 3 hours, start preparing
your body beforehand. Start by going to bed earlier or later, according to your new time zone. For example, if you are flying to a destination where the time is 3 hours later, start a week
earlier and move your bedtime to half an hour later and, if possible, wake up half an hour later. This way, your body will have the chance to get accustomed to the new time slowly and will ease
into it once you arrive at your destination.
When you board the plane change your watch to the time zone of destination when flying at night (according to destination) try to
sleep as much as possible. When flying during the day, try to stay awake.
5. Try to
stay grounded
This might sound funny when you are thousands of miles up in the air but try to stay grounded as much as possible. When we travel, we
tend to get a little stressed, and when we do, we tend to get up in our heads too much. Stay mindful of what is happening and, when necessary, meditate for a little bit while waiting, to reduce
the stress levels in your body.
6. Keep
breathing!
Haha, I know this might sound a little irrelevant, but staying mindful of what your breathing is like will help you relax. Sometimes
things don't go as planned, when they don't go back to how you are breathing, are they shallow, quick, short breaths then bring them down to the bottom of your belly do a couple of deep breaths
and feel what happens.
Traveling
with kids
When you are traveling with kids, try to make your day as relaxed as possible, they connect to your vibe and
whatever you are going through.
- Give yourself some extra time, leave your home a little earlier than when you aren't traveling with kids.
- Become familiar with your travel schedule before the day arrives, so any surprises won't strike you.
- Bring something familiar for the kids especially when they are younger and not yet able to share their feelings (think of blanket, bottle, food, teddybear)
- When they are older share your thoughts with them before the travel day (what will the day be like, where are you going, how long will it take, etc.) But also during your travels calmly share how you are feeling whether you are anxious, tired, scared, or anything in between they will feel it and calmly expressing your emotions will help them understand and deal with them.
I hope these tips will make your trip more memorable if you have any question don't hesitate to reach out we always love to help!
p.s. I would love to know what else you would like to read about. So please let me know in the comments below.
Write a comment
Jasmijn (Monday, 03 February 2020 06:44)
I am the happiest person thanks to your blog. Thank you so much!! I travelled from Holland to Australia (24 hour flight). I only ate kitcheri and drank water/ warm water. I usually had constipation after my traveling and my belly would hurt. After my flight to Australia though I had no problems at all!!! I didn't even have problems with the 10 hour time difference. Off course I was a bit tired but I went to bed at Australian night time and woke up the next day feeling pretty good. I didn't do any midday sleeping and didn't really feel the time difference. I am so happy to have this knowledge now, thank you again!!! I am a fan and will definitely follow your other blogs.