Staying Healthy On the Road III : Liverpool & Wales

Staying Healthy On the Road III

Before I left for the trip to UK I asked my Facebook crowd if they’d think that I would be able to follow my own Healthy On The Road advice, referring to the previous posts How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling, Practicing How to stay Healthy on the road I & II 

However, this time around I wasn’t flying across the Atlantic nor was I on the road for very long. Still, sticking to healthy choices and routines during shorter holidays, weekend trips and the like is just as challenging!

Let’s see how I did.

I washed my face with a tea bag! There are many reasons as to why our skin dries out, the most common being insufficient water intake. When traveling, the air in planes, airports, hotels etc. is very dehydrating and it is important to drink a lot of water. Another reason for dry skin is stress and anxiety and in How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling, I mention a few herbs to calm the body and mind. Chamomile is also one of the common herbs used all over the world for its relaxing and calming effects. So after having finished my relaxing chamomile tea in the air between Copenhagen and Manchester, I figured I’d use the rest of the tea bag to give my face some extra love! Since I usually feel the skin of my face and around my nails dry up on airplanes I carry a small bottle of oil in the carry-on, which I applied after the cooling tea. I felt not only better and more moist in the skin but more alert too!

Digest gluten with Mint Tea! Another of my favourite herbs that is easily found worldwide is mint (any kind). In the UK it seems standard to have at least one of the two in any place that serves coffee. Both mint and chamomile aid digestion, strengthen the stomach, and reduce gas and cramps in the belly. Therefore, I always bring with me one or the other, in case I have to make one of those exceptions regarding gluten or dairy so that after the meal I drink my tea to help the body getting rid of anything unwanted. That’s what I drink in this picture, just after having had a granola bar! After the tea I soaked up some sun before entering the museum underground....

Moving the booty! If not Yoga, at least walk around! Flying from Copenhagen to Manchester doesn't exactly involve long layovers. Still, I find it unnecessary to sit down and wait when I can stand or walk around and wait. We took several laps around the middle area of one terminal made up of sofas as we were waiting for gate information. Moving around helps maintain a good circulation throughout the day, reduces bloating and swollen feet and legs. The important thing is to stay on your feet (or head) so that the blood can flow freely. Personally when on an airplane, I feel like I’m putting on a strap around my waist that strains all the Prana, air and blood flow in my body. Not only is it the seat belt (which obviously is adjustable), but also the tiny legroom and seats, forcing me to hold a very unnatural position for a long time. Especially on shorter rides it’s not ideal to walk around the airplane. Hence, I do it before I board!

Give yourself a foot massage. Another great idea I got while waiting in the airport was to massage my feet! Seriously, you want to try this! Remove your shoes (just doing that makes wonder for the entire body!) and give your hardworking feet some gentle rubbing to get the blood moving. Especially press and pull the toes, press around the heels and draw your hands alongside the feet and around the wrists. Mm YUM, your feet will thank you! 

More tips and ideas? Post in the Comment below!

Stay tuned for the post about how we enjoyed Liverpool in many nurturing and healing ways!

Love and Light

Skattungbyn, Dalarna: Nomadic Yogi

It's something special about flying, isn't it? Sitting down in your seat, feeling the dry air inside the plane and sensing the smell of adventure; soon to be above the clouds. The airplane is the muggles’ version of a Portkey- a way to transport yourself from A to B by holding on to an object while spinning in between worlds and clouds. Somehow always exciting and somehow always the start of something new, regardless of where you're headed. It is worryingly easy to fly domestically in Sweden. The airport busses in Stockholm and other big cities take you directly to whatever airport you need to go to. You do the check-in yourself and drop off the baggage. The lines are short, there is no fuzz in security, the tiny airplanes have free seating and the transportation time is short. In addition, most departures are way cheaper than the correspondent train ride. There are several options when flying between Stockholm and the south, such as the airports in Växjö, Kalmar, Ronneby, Malmö... And it'll only take you about 50 minutes compared to the train's 3,5+ hours. 

The environment and earth loving being inside of me struggles with this conflict. 

What is the solution, really? A vast improvement of the trains and railway system?  Something that can actually compete with cheap tickets, short hours, motion sickness and all together pure smoothness when traveling...

However, this story is not about the amazement of Portkeys but of the adventures lying on the other side. On the other side of a 4 hours train ride, some good ol’ catching up and a 6+ hours road trip lay stories about Love, connection, fairies, and sisterhood, newly found brothers, sublime nature, and Dance. The Nomadic Yogi went to the North once more: this time to attend a yoga festival in Skattungbyn, Dalarna, to guide a Yin and Drum workshop. Many inspiring creatives from all over Sweden were gathered to share delicious Ayurvedic food, yoga asana classes, songs, dance and shamanism. The event felt like a gathering of catching up with old friends, family, light workers and roots. The entire area around the mythical lake Siljan showers me with inspiration and remembrance every time I visit.

Blessings and Thanks to all that together made it happen! And to those of you who weren't there, I herby invite you to come travel with us.

Travel in stories, times, movement, sound in the body, mind and soul!

Travels within and without.