Balancing Travel

If travel depletes us, we counteract it with nourishment. If it overwhelms, we seek calm. It's all about soothing symptoms by bringing in the opposite qualities. That’s what I mean when I say “balancing,” and it’s a foundational approach in Ayurveda lifestyle. 

Think about those long flights, the bustling airports, the ever-changing plans. It's a cocktail of depletion and overstimulation. 

Here's a simple Ayurvedic breakdown of common travel energetics:

• unfamiliar, new, unknown = Vata
• unpredictable, changing (like your flight time, or the traffic at the airport) = Vata
• dry, crispy, processed foods (all the free snacks, and most of the available snacks in airports) = Vata
• fizzy, cold, iced drinks (almost all drinks served on a plane) = Vata
• movement = Vata
• high altitude (any flight) = Vata
• high stimulation (airports, planes, loud or crowded places) = Vata
• cold and dry climate (airports, planes, trains) = Vata

Basically, ANY travel experience has a lot of Vata coming in. 

It's no surprise then that most travel issues stem from Vata Imbalance. This is why most of our preventive and remedial approaches are centered on Vata Balancing.

I'll walk you through how to do that without any Ayurveda IQ necessary.

The key takeaway is that Vata from travel is a drying, degenerative, depleting, deregulating force. The most common travel symptoms result from these effects on various parts of us - from skin to nervous system. 

Take the Quiz below to see how many Vata symptoms you experience during travel. It's just for fun and a bit of self insight. 

Symptoms are parts of your body asking for support. If you've had these signs of Vata excess, or imbalance, during travel, they are likely to show up again. 

In my latest blog, Travel Hurts,I give you a simple summary of the effects of travel by body system.

We don't have to suffer for the joys of travel. We can always support ourselves more. 

Check out my Guide to Travel Well - it’s a succinct systematic guide to addressing your travel needs by system & symptom. It includes links to my personal travel essentials, as well as natural low cost remedies and travel recovery practices.