Summer for me is the time to travel. I love travel and I've gotten good at traveling, but it hasn’t always been this way. I've always enjoyed the novelty of traveling – taking in new landscapes, meeting new people, tasting new foods, etc. Yet, sleeping well and keeping my digestion smooth when I travel hasn't always been easy.

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That’s where the strategies of yoga and Ayurveda come in.  Over the years, I have cultivated an effective tool kit of strategies to keep me healthy when I travel. Now, no matter where I am, I do my best to keep a daily routine, and I incorporate strategies, foods and remedies that keeps my body-mind healthy and happy.
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These are my best travel tips:

Stay hydrated. This is my number one travel tip. It’s so easy to get dehydrated while traveling.  In my experience, dehydration leads to spaced out, grumpy and ungrounded. Dehydration also upsets digestion. I always travel with my water bottle. If it’s cold, I travel with a thermos full of hot water. To feel at home, I like to travel with a few of my favorite tea bags.

Travel with nourishing and grounding food.  There is nothing worse than being hungry while traveling, and there is nothing worse than being somewhere like an airport terminal or gas station convenience store with no good food choices. I love to try new foods wherever I am, but on travel days, I always bring along my own nourishing food in case I don't find good food options.  On travel days, I like to pack fruit, cut up vegetables, and nuts or trailmix. I often throw into my backpack a few packets of instant oatmeal or granola for early morning breakfasts on the go (simply add hot water to a thermos cup).

Support your digestion. Traveling can easily disrupt digestion. These are some ways I support my digestion while traveling:

• Ginger tea. Drink throughout the day and after a heavy meal.
• Triphala. The Ayurvedic remedy triphala in capsule or powdered form with warm water before bed is great remedy for good digestion.
• Magnesium supports healthy bowel function. Try magnesium citrate. I like this type.

Support your sleep. Do you find it hard to sleep in new places? I am a sensitive sleeper. These are the strategies I use to sleep soundly when I'm traveling:

• Use an eye mask. I love this black silk eye mask. It helps me sleep soundly when I'm home and away.
• Magnesium. Magnesium supports healthy bowel function and it also calms the body. I find magnesium helps me unwind and sleep when I'm away from home. There are many forms of magnesium available. Two forms I like are magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate. I use this type.

Stick to a routine.  No matter where I am, I do my best to keep a morning and evening routine.  My routine helps me feel at home wherever I am. These are the habits I keep that help me stay grounded and centered anywhere on the planet:

• Wake up at roughly the same time of the day.
  
• Drink 1-2 cups of warm water first thing in the morning.
  
• Center myself with a morning  meditation. (Looking for meditation? Check out my guided meditations on Insight Timer.)
• Do ten minutes of movement before breakfast.  
• Before bed, massage my feet with oil. A foot massage relieves stress and fatigue from travel and helps settle the nervous system for sleep.
• Try to get to bed by 10 PM

Do yoga.  A few poses every day while traveling will help your body feel comfortable and strong. Whether your travel includes lots of plane or car time, or lots of hiking, a few sun salutations in the morning or some supine poses in the evening will refresh, enliven and keep your body from getting stiff or sore.  (Yoga on the go? Check out my free yoga resources. You can play them right from your smartphone.)

Use essential oils.  Essential oils are great for travelers.

• Use lavender to  reduce stress.
  
• Peppermint and ginger help with motion sickness and improve digestion.
  
• Eucalyptus supports respiratory health.
  
• Citronella is good for repelling insects.

​Happy Travels!