One of the most endearing aspects of humanity would have to be our ability to gain wisdom and knowledge from experience and then to pass that on. This was the driver for me in becoming a Kinesiologist. When I first experienced a kinesiology session, my perception of the world was changed, and I was able to better navigate my life from a place of greater wisdom and harmony. It helped me to heal so many physical, mental and emotional challenges that I had been carrying since I was young. I felt better and better after each session. Gradually my strength and resilience to face the next thing in life grew and my connection with my body and soul’s wisdom grew. And this is why I became a Kinesiologist - so that I could support others with this fundamental aspect of life.
On a more recent note, I feel I have been blessed to literally travel the globe with greater awareness than ever before. I was very grateful to have such a wonderful travel buddy - my husband, who was on the same page as me most of the time. I also love that we have such open communication to share our perspectives and accept each others differences to negotiate all of the ups and downs of travel together. We have both learnt a lot through our travels to England, Canada and Turkey. I am just returning from a short trip to Dunoon, the macadamia capital of NSW where I spent time with my brother and his family. He recently had a big health scare. His wife just had a baby. His daughter just had her 6th birthday. All these things added up to my heart calling me to be with them for a couple of weeks and I am so glad I did. When you get close to losing someone you love it is a good reminder to follow the heart and make the most of every moment with the people you love.
I could have mad this a long blog about all kinds of travel matters with the does and don’ts. Instead I am going to write from the heart and summarise how to best take care of yourself while travelling.
Without further ado, these are my top tips for Body and Soul Nurturing while travelling:
1. The Sacred Body Electric
It is a fact of life now that we are dealing more electromagnetic frequencies than ever before and while our bodies evolve to become more resilient in the face of it, there are a few things that are worth considering. Our bodies and brains are highly reliant on electrical signalling for cellular health and neurological function. Excessive electromagnetic forces in the environment can disrupt electro-chemical communication. It is remarkable to consider just how much electrical activity we are exposed to simply by traveling in a car, mobile phone on hand, loaded with various streaming platforms, phone messages and a navigation system that is sending electrical signals to satellite dishes and back to the earth at breakneck speed and amplitude. It is also a lot of electrical and radiation exposure when flying. Equivalent to having a number of x-rays on your body, according to my dentist. Something else I learnt from my dentist was the fact that this level of radiation can cause harm to the microbiome of the body, especially if flying for over 5 hours.
My body can vouch for this from experience after taking flights from Perth to London to Toronto to London to Istanbul to London to Perth, within a space of 9 weeks. By the time I arrived home my gut and digestive function, sleep wake cycles and my brain function were all in a state of disrepair. The travel essence I had taken with me had been exposed to more x-rays and radiation than it could handle (despite having fringed violet essence which helps to guard against this interference pattern) and didn’t quite cover me by the end of it all.
Mental note to self - don’t take so many overseas flights in such a short period of time. Michael and I managed to find some green spaces to put our feet on the earth or swim in natural bodies of water to help our bodies recover after each flight.
2. Holy Hydration
Keeping your body hydrated is the kindest thing you can do for your biochemical body. Spending time in air conditioning of planes, airports, trains, buses, transport stations, restaurants, cafe’s etc. can cause dehydration if not managed mindfully. It pays to be proactive and take water with you wherever you are travelling to be sure that you can hydrate in the moments you need it. Ask for extra water on the plane as what they provide is normally not enough. On long trips pack with you a coconut water, vitamin C powder or some sea salt to add to your water to support the cells ability to take in the water and hydrate. Dehydration causes a number of stresses and will particularly affect your brain function, which is highly valuable for problem solving and navigating so many new and unknown situations that arise with travel.
3. Tummy Talk
The microbiome of the gut is responsible for supporting appropriate nutrition uptake into the body, as well as providing immune support. As mentioned it can be compromised by long flights, yet also with alcohol, highly processed food, pesticides, antibiotics, insufficient time outdoors, and trauma. When travelling, gut problems such as parasite infections, candida or yeast overgrowths and small intestinal bacteria overgrowths can arise and it is good to know what you can take with you for resuscitation.
To address overgrowths or parasite infections in the gut there are a few go-to supplements that I like to take with me. Diatomaceous earth is wonderful for clearing parasites, supporting gut health. Essential oils such as oregano, clove and ginger can be helpful to have on hand. You can put a couple of drops of each in a veggie or gelatin capsule along with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut or olive oil. They are best to pack separately and make them up as needed.
While we are talking gut health, it is worth mentioning constipation. Travelling can involve a lot of sitting, cause tension particularly in the pelvic floor, low back and upset your usual body rhythms or exercise routines. I suggest addressing constipation at the earliest onset. The longer the waste sits in the bowel, the more toxins are re-absorbed into the body and the more chance pathogens have to colonise and disrupt the gut health. Plus, let’s face it, constipation literally feels shitty and not what you want on your holiday. Personally, I address it with large doses of magnesium - adding an extra tablet or 2 to my usual daily dose. Large doses of vitamin C will have a similar effect of drawing more water into the bowel and creating more motility. Soaked chia seeds - 1 to 2 teaspoons is also a good option. While I don’t recommend long term use of laxatives (because they can cause a lazy bowel) there may be times when you need them. The most natural laxative and the one I recommend is Senna, because of the fact that it is a herbal tablet and doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners or other toxic additives. A word of caution, severe constipation and abdominal pain needs medical attention.
4. Million Dollar Sleeps
Sleep is an absolute foundation for mental health, cognitive function and physical regulation. You are guaranteed to enjoy your holiday a lot more with good sleep, primarily because your ability to handle stress, to problem solve and to make healthy decisions for yourself is improved. Treat your sleep habits as a non-negotiable. It is worth a million dollars and it pays to treat it that way. Use whatever you need to have a good quality sleep - eye masks to ensure darkness and melatonin production, ear plugs, warm fluffy socks, paracetamol for pain relief, etc. etc. Love and treat yourself like an adoring mum or dad would treat their child. While travelling, Michael and I made it clear to all our beloved hosts (his family members) that we like our early to bed routine and we made sure not to make any travel plans or book any planes or trains that disrupted our sleep routine. Holidays are the perfect time to catch up on some sleep debt and rejuvenate yourself. Are you prioritising your sleep like the million dollar deal it is?
5. The Gift of Presence
Mindfulness and attention to ‘being present’ and being in the moment is commonly talked about. I have to say that this is not always as easy as it sounds. Yet being overseas, not having to operate in my business or tend to everyday duties, alongside the knowing that this will be the only time I see a place and that there will never be this same set of circumstances again, made it easier to have the mindfulness to be present. Those memories and habits of enjoying so fully a moment and a place have been carried with me as I have returned to everyday life. It has certainly made for a richer experience of life. The wholeness that comes with having so many meaningful connections with people and places has certainly been soul nurturing.
I am grateful to have had those 9 weeks away to practice soaking in every moment like it could be the last - which was not hard to imagine when being taxied in Istanbul at 140km per hour by a taxi driver who drove a rulers length from the car in front, and was on the phone for the whole trip. I realised how at peace I was in myself and in my life in this moment of chaos and enjoyed this upgraded version of myself. My old self would have viewed the situation very differently.
I also learnt the value of being present while navigating around the English countryside and cities. One moment of taking my attention off the moment (and task at hand) could make things difficult. Additionally the navigation directions weren’t always accurate and occasionally required a manual over-ride and a swift set of directions or ‘recalibrating’. It felt like a metaphor for life - If you don’t pay attention to where you are and where you want to go in life, you end up a little frustrated and wasting a lot of life.
6. Soulful Intentions
On a big picture perspective, your soul is here to experience and learn what really matters to you. Keeping this in perspective when you travel can make it all the more satisfying. Tuning into your hearts desires and your purpose for your trip makes for fulfilling travel. I take a moment each morning to connect with my soul intentions and feeling of purpose, whether I am travelling or at home. It helps me to know that I am making the most of my life on Earth and honouring the callings of my soul. I feel very privileged to be a Kinesiology practitioner, as I have learnt the value of soulful connection having witnessed the grief that people have when realising they have ignored their heart and soul for so long. So for the holidays coming up, whether at home or away, ask yourself ‘what is my heart and soul calling me to experience?’