Blog

Steadiness & Self-Care While Traveling

Traveling is my passion. While I love the steady, nourishing foundation I’ve cultivated in Vermont, I love the excitement and nervous energy that builds before I embark on a trip – an airplane ride to Central America, a week of surfing and camping, back-country snowboard expeditions, or a van ride from coast to coast with stops along the way to yoga conferences and hot springs – like I am on right now! It’s been two weeks since we left Vermont and I’ve missed home more than I thought I would. Traveling challenges me to adapt quickly and to find steadiness. I have daily threads of consistency to create that – All of my van mates do too. At home, my morning meditation and yoga practice are integral to how I move through my day and life. I have a space dedicated to where I practice each morning and evening at home. While traveling, I adapt my meditation and yoga practice to whatever space I’m in. I have meditated, chanted mantra, practiced pranayama in my tent, on the airplane, in reclined positions, at a truck-stop waiting to shower, in the grass at rest areas, on hotel beds, in the Colorado Rockies, at the base of the Sierras, and on the shores of Lake Tahoe. One thing is consistent and that’s my choice to practice daily – It’s my anchor and connection to myself that allows me to feel healthy. The three of us eat a daily breakfast of organic granola, fruit, and chocolate coconut water – yes you read that right, coconut water instead of milk! One of my travel partners crochets ritually each day, turns off technology before bed and reads a book prior to bed. My other travel partner prepares a hydrating concoction made of orange juice with chia seed and Green Vibrance, a green super food we picked up at Healthy Living. The three of us create space to find our inner steadiness daily to support our ability to adapt and feel whole as we move from place to place.

I’m a home body, so when I travel my challenge is packing. I try to bring as little as possible while planning for whatever may arise as I move through various climates and landscapes. Here are my essential self-care products for traveling, whatever your journey of choice may be.

• Tea tree oil
• Peppermint oil
• Arnica gel
• Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap
• Tiger balm ointment/liniment
• Calendula cream
• Herbal salve
• Bandaids/Qtips/Neosporin
• Kiss my Face Sunscreen
• Waleda spray deodorant
• Coconut Oil
• Cuppow Lid and kurierholster travel coffee mug

Tea tree oil, bandaids, Qtips, Neosporin, and herbal salve serve as my natural first aid kit. Tea Tree Oil can be used for multiple purposes. I use it to disinfect cuts, scrapes, or skin irritations. Just dilute with water and apply with a q-tip to any infected area. Healthy Living has a variety of excellent natural herbal salves hand-crafted across Vermont and there isn’t one I wouldn’t recommend – I use salves to keep my skin healthy and balanced while I travel. Calendula cream is great for rashes, bug bites, or sun burnt skin. As we learned on the beautiful shores of Tahoe yesterday, don’t forget to apply sunscreen in a new climate! We woke up with healed skin thanks to Boirin Calendula Cream. I use Boirin Arnica gel and Tiger Balm handy all the time. I use them after a shower and before bed on any sore areas. If I am feeling ungrounded or unsettled, I try to find time to massage my feet with tiger balm and then place warm socks on my feet – It helps relax the tension throughout my body and I sleep better. To keep my scent fresh and clean I offer myself a sink shower any time I can and follow it up with Waleda spray deodorant – My favorite scent is the rose. Dr. Bronners can be used to clean anything, brush your teeth, do laundry and it’s biodegradable and phosphate free – River shower anyone? Also add peppermint oil to your load of laundry. We use coconut oil for everything on this trip! I cook with it, add it to coffee or hot chocolate for sustenance, Kaylee and I moisturize with it, Scott oil pulls weekly, it can be used in place of toothpaste if you run out of it, he also spreads it on bread with honey – Yum!

Having a small bag of home comforts supports me in maintaining a healthy lifestyle as I encounter the unknown on the road. If you have any travel must haves, please share them with me – I’m on the road for a couple more months and would love to hear from fellow travelers! I’ll be back at Healthy Living offering a Mindful Eating series this winter and can’t wait to share what I’ve learned at Yoga Journal’s Gamechangers Conference, Hathavidya LA Teacher’s Practicum, and in November the Hathavidya Inner Harmony Module focused on the modern Yogic diet.

Enjoy fall in Vermont and be sure to connect with whatever creates inner steadiness within you!

Gaby Goldberg is a seeker, an adventurer, and a liver of life. She is located in the heart of northern Vermont where she regularly teaches yoga and plays on the mountain. She leads yoga and surf retreats in Maine and Central America. Gaby thrives on fresh air, connecting with people, and nourishing food. Her yoga classes offer transformative experiences. Join her in learning how all aspects of your daily life can become an act of yoga, including cooking and eating. This post originally appeared on Gaby’s blog, where you can also see more photos of her journey.