Travel & The Body:
How Health is the True Wealth that Affords us Adventure
If you’re anything like me, you have an itch for adventure. One that you’d like to nurture as you grow older, while staying young. The call to explore new places, meet new people, & embrace a wide variety of cultures keeps the youthful spirit burning bright. Simply arriving at the destination is pure magic. The plane lands, and the doors open to exciting possibilities.
The adventure begins the moment we depart from home. Each step composes the trip and delivers us to our destination.
Our feet carry us from Point A to Point B. They are responsible for moving the body and keeping us grounded. How often do we pause and reflect on how our feet are feeling as we explore along our travels? Our bodies are the ultimate vehicle for adventure, and it’s important to consider the health and wellness of our bodies prior to travel experiences. We benefit from nourishing and nurturing our bodies throughout all components of travel, from walking briskly through the airport and waiting patiently at the gate, to breathing in unfamiliar biomes at varying altitudes, to adjusting with language barriers and culture shocks. Otherwise, we risk depletion.
Over the last few years, I’ve grown intimately aware of my body and the cues that it offers me to achieve optimal health. As someone who has experienced an array of bodily changes, from being overweight to fracturing bones in my lower back, I have learned the curriculum of keeping my body, mind, and spirit harmonized. I compare achieving such harmonization to running a marathon. I’m sure it’s possible for many to leap from couch to 10k, though it would not be recommended. A wiser choice would be to train. To have a plan from beginning to middle to end, including prep and recovery.
Modern conveniences, such as first class, glamping, and VIP tickets have made it easier to skip training, and we certainly deserve to treat ourselves to such luxuries when we feel called to do so. Though the availability of purchasing upgrades is not guaranteed and is not meant to facilitate the avoidance of conditioning our bodies for travel. As someone who is 6’5,” I understand the appeal of seat upgrades on planes or an SUV compared to a small compact car. Such options though are not always available for me. What then?
I recall two particular experiences that challenged me to adapt. The first took place in 2012. At this point in my life, I was drinking a lot of alcohol and was extremely overweight. I traveled to Chile to study in Valparaíso and sojourned with a local family in Viña del Mar. My host family drove me to school a few times, and not only was it near impossible for me to sit comfortably in their car, I also weighed it down. I was not prepared for this moment, and my lack of preparation was mirrored back to me in the shock and awe spread across the faces of the family members.
January of 2012
The second experience occurred about 6 years later, after I was firmly-rooted in my lifestyle changes. At this point, I was feeling strong in every dimension: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Daily gym workouts and yoga practices had become my default setting, as I prepared my body for spinal fusion surgery, which was scheduled for a month after my return to Massachusetts. A close friend and I were traveling through Peru, and we decided to explore via the town of Tarapoto before continuing on to Chachapoyas.
The night before leaving Tarapoto, we had the honor of hiking to a Maloca deep within the jungle to sit in ceremony with Mother Ayahuasca. When the sun rose, the ceremony concluded, and we began our hazy adventure to find a bus station. The way out of the jungle was unfamiliar, and our wills were tested when we realized we were lost. Eventually we stumbled out of the wilderness and onto a main road. Our reliable feet continued carrying us through the journey, as we trudged along until a taxi appeared and delivered us to the bus station. Upon arrival, my eyes met the vehicle in which we’d be riding. Nerves filled my tummy as I saw the compact van with narrow interior, and I wondered how I would fit. When I sat in the front seat, my knees hit the dashboard, and my head scraped the ceiling. The look of dismay on the face of the woman seated to my left challenged me to lead with playful curiosity and optimism, as I conveyed to her a “we got this” attitude. Thankfully, my movement, mindfulness, & other wellness practices supported this bumpy, curvy, thrilling 10-hour van ride as my brain was still attempting to conceive reality following the total deconstruction from the night before. Convenience could not be bought, and the experience instilled within me eternal gratitude for the empathy with which my past self held my future self.
July of 2018
While both stories highlight common occurrences for me, I believe the themes are universal. Travel, much like the state of the world, is complex and unpredictable. Convenience and luxury aren’t always available, though when we properly train, we set ourselves up for optimal navigation of any situation. My list below of 10 training tips I consider every time I travel is designed for anyone, in any state of wellness and preparing for any type of travel.
1. Move The Body
Give ourselves the gift of movement before a long day of travel. Knee down lunges are a great go-to for a quick release of the inner hip and lower back, especially after sitting for long periods of time.
2. Stay Hydrated
Altitude changes, long travel, & sunshine drink up our water content.
3. Limit Toxins
While having fun, also maintain mindful awareness of how we desire to feel the next day. Toxins deplete the body and break down our cells and tissues, often leaving us with “wook flu” after otherwise blissful experiences. Setting intentions before each indulgence is an empowering practice of empathy for our future selves. For example, what is the intention behind partaking in another round of drinks? And for some indulgences, verifying the source to ensure quality & legitimacy helps to not only limit toxins, but also to facilitate a “less is more” appreciation for the added pleasure.
4. Eat Local Foods
When our diets allow for it, enjoying local cuisine is usually a great way to receive the benefits of nutrient-rich options. Typically, the closer to the source, the fresher. The fresher the food, the more filled with nutrients. And when in doubt, we always have Yelp reviews to ensure Western digestive systems align.
5. Meditate
Stay connected, clear, calm, and in touch with the mind. Meditation might look different while on the road. We might be seated, walking, sunrise gazing, taking deep breaths while waiting to board a plane, noticing the songs of local birds, or it could entail seeking out a local yoga studio. It’s all about accessing presence. When we are present in the moment, stress melts away. As soon as we reduce stress, the body heals. And as a bonus, when we create space for meditation, we also open ourselves up to feel the frequency of the geography and culture, and this vibration remains in the heart space, available for us to tune back into any time we feel nostalgic for a place we’ve visited. We are able to revisit the space in the heart any time, and choose to embody the frequency long after we return to our normal routines.
6. Rest
Be sure to choose rest & sleep. Our bodies will thank us for it. A lot of integration & replenishment occurs while we are in a state of rest & relaxation.
7. Explore Nature
Get outside and, as Zach Bush MD reminds us, #breatheyourbiome. Breathing in the environment strengthens our immune systems, which fortifies us for travel. No matter where we explore, near or far, there is always opportunity for immersion in Nature. It could be a stop off the highway, a more intentionally planned longer hike, a swim in the ocean, or a leisurely stroll through curated gardens. May we take mindful moments to choose nature and honor how much she provides for us.
8. Journal
Taking time to write about our experiences slows down how quickly the trip passes, mitigating feelings of stress. This practice also helps to increase Anabolic hormones as we reflect on moments that fill us with gratitude and inspiration. As a bonus, journaling helps us to remember tidbits about our trips, creating perfect time capsules.
9. Embrace the Culture & Remain Curious
One of the greatest gifts of travel is the opportunity to explore cultures different from our own. It’s common for the unfamiliar to trigger Catabolic hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, as we encounter the New. This is natural, as our nervous systems feel safest in what we perceive as normal (driving on the right side of the road, grocery shopping in wide aisles of abundance, convenient use of private bathrooms). What we perceive as “the other” or not normal (pooping in holes in the ground) often triggers judgment, which signals stress. Such stress hormones create wear and tear within the body as our cells & tissues break down to combat what we perceive as threatening, increasing difficulties when traveling. When we embrace the unfamiliar, judgment lessens. When judgment less, stress lessens, and we are able to perceive the wonder and beauty in the experience as a whole. We find ourselves humbled and grateful for the conveniences of home, while also integrating and synthesizing the new, weaving a greater tapestry of oneness within ourselves. Such oneness results in joy. Maintaining an attitude of curiosity and growth mindset is key when embracing different cultures. (For more on this, see our Twitch talk on Fixed vs. Growth Mindset.) And when we embrace the variety of cultures when traveling, we make new friends and have more fun.
10. Empathy for Your Future Self
This theme is so powerful, it deserves its own bullet point on this list. There are a number of ways in which we may activate empathy for our future selves. We might simply take a sacred pause before an indulgence to ask ourselves how we’d like to feel later. Or we may begin this process months in advance, imagining how strong we’d like to feel hiking a mountain or snorkeling around some coral, allowing such goals to catalyze gym routines. Perhaps we envision ourselves in a particular outfit while traveling, and to fit into the fine fabric requires some strength and mobility training. Cultivating and maintaining empathy for our future selves ensures that we remain in optimal condition as we adventure. Travelling is a marathon, and in each moment we choose our experience. May we travel with intention that serves our future selves, so much so that we are hiking Machu Picchu or skiing the French Alps well into our 90s.
