Yogi — Today in Thyme — Moonbeams in Thyme

As I alluded to in my Instagram post earlier this week, travel is not always glamorous but in fact can be down right awful. Usually we see the best slice of travel, maybe the sweet hotel room views, the cafe you had 2 mins to enjoy while on the way to the client site, maybe the river or street art captured while you woke up at 6 am just to get in that run or yoga class. I could go on and on especially about the downside of travel - but instead honeybuns let’s keep it upbeat. Here are my top survival tips for how to pack, what to store in your carry on, and how to make the most out of your travels so that you’re taking care of YOU along the way.

The Luggage situation

The Rollie
I am a new owner of the Away The Carry-On - and LOVE it! The wheels glide so smoothly, I can fit all the things into it, and it’s so light weight. Definitely an upgrade from my ragged old Samsonite rollie. I also carry on always, ALWAYS, #always, even on my two week trips, I avoid checking my bag. I’ve had too many lost luggage incidents to deal with the stress that causes. So I pack light and keep everything close.

The Pack
I recently upgraded to a new Patagonia Black hole 30L pack and couldn’t be happier. My old bag which was great - just wasn’t cutting it; I had a 25L Hershel. She was good for the last 4 years and was due for retirement after some rips and tears. This new pack can hold it all - definitely makes one or two week trips manageable. Whatever over flow that can’t fit into my Rollie goes into the pack. Complete with several pockets to keep me organized. There’s a pocket for everything. Air travel has become so much easier. May seem silly that I’ve put such an emphasis on luggage but it truly makes a huge difference.

Next up, how to pack the right things

So it really depends on what kinda trip you’re taking but I practice the “Marie Kondo” method for what makes it way into my rollie. I opt for my favorite dress, jeans, sweater, shoes, and jackets. I do this because travel is stressful enough and if I feel good in what I’m wearing then I’ve at least got a thumbs up in that aspect. Nothing like arriving to your hotel and then realizing WTF did I pack? Why did I bring something that, 1) I am not comfortable in and 2) I don’t feel great in and 3) may not even be functional (yes I’ve packed a skirt without a top to complete the look). So I always pack my favorite staple pieces, I’m also guilty of all black everything with a few splashes of color. This is done for a few reasons. Mostly because I can rewear a majority of those items. Makes for easy mix and match outfits. And let’s be honest, if I spill something it’s usually not noticeable.

Snacks

This is a KEY piece to any successful trip and I’m not exaggerating, you’ve got to make sure you have your snack bars, mixed nuts, dark chocolate goodies to help you when you’re so hangry you could hurt somebody. You also need to stay . as hydrated as possible, water, WATER, #water. Some of my favorite staples include:

Justin’s nut butter packets
Dark chocolate (been loving on Endangered Species)
Macadamia nuts, Almonds, or any mixed nuts will do
Purely Elizabeth Granola bars (grain free!)
Tea bags
Potato chips (GUILTY! Need this especially being grain free, gluten free)
Paleo Beaming Granola

The Hotel situation

So, I’ve got about every hotel rewards program you could imagine, Marriott/SPG, IHG, Hilton … the list continues. What I find most critical in booking hotels is the proximity to a yoga, spin, or barre studio. It’s super important to maintain healthy workout habits when traveling. I focus mostly on yoga studios because that is how I survive travel. I need that grounding and centering that I can only achieve in a sacred studio space. I use the MindBody app to help me explore local places when on the road.

The Mantra

As I mentioned last week in my instagram post, a mantra is super important to have while on the go. Some of you may be wondering what a mantra is, so let me explain honeybuns. A Mantra is a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. In yoga, chanting a mantra focuses concentration on a single thought or stills the mind in meditation. Last week my personal mantra happened to be the Maha mantra (Hare Krishna). When this particular mantra is said out loud it helps to enhance consciousness to the greatest possible degree.

The maha mantra is chanted for the benefits of the energies of the three Hindu deities referred to in the mantra. The name comes from the Sanskrit, maha, meaning “great”; man, meaning “to think”; and tra, meaning an "instrument" or "tool." A mantra, therefore, is an “instrument of thought.” The mantra goes like this:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

I personally enjoy listening to mantras when flying, and Krishna Das is my go to! Peep him here on Spotify for lots of good songs, or view the Hare Krishna video on Youtube.

Your mantra doesn’t have to be the above, it could be as simple as “Love”, “I am okay”, or “Breathe in, breathe out”. Whatever phrase or word resonates with you is a great place to start. some alternative mantras that are very powerful are the below:

“Aham Prema” (ah-hem-pree-mah) This mantra translates to “I am Divine Love,” a simple mantra to chant 108 times
“Aum Gum Shreem Maha Lakshmiyei Namaha” (ohm-guum-shreem-mah-ha-lok-shmee-yay-na-mah-ha) ...
“Om Mani Padme Hum” (ohm-mah-nee-pahd-may-huum)

Now, if this is the ONLY thing you take away from my post then my work here is done. As a society we need more meditation, so fly on little birds and spread your wings, sing your mantras high into the trees.

The Oils

Naturally I have my go-to oils that I always have with me. The list includes:

Peppermint (aids digestion and sore muscles)
Lavender (for skin, sleep, frizzy hair)
Citrus Refresh (pick me up boost!)

If I’m traveling during a new moon, full moon, or in retrograde, then I usually pack one of the following:

New Moon
Full Moon
Custom blend of Sage, Lavender, + grounding oils

I think that about covers the bases. Of course I always have a great travel hat, my sunnies, my crystals, and a good book to accompany me on the go. I would love to hear how you stay sane and healthy while on the go! Always love to hear about new travel trips and ways to make travel more efficient! Love & Light, xx

I've officially been traveling for 34 days. It may all seem wonderful, but travel is tough. Don't get me wrong, I chose this path of adventure and of being away from everything familiar for 90 days, but it's not all sunshine and puppy dogs. As exhilarating as travel is, it's also exhausting.

Well, yesterday I hit my wall. I was flying from Christchurch to Sydney, flight time wasn't bad, less than 4 hours, then I had to catch a ferry to Manly, and then I walked (20 mins) to my friends apartment by the beach. Total time between returning the rental car in Chch and arriving in Manly it was a full 12 hour day. Let's rewind for a moment though, as 12 hours of travel is NADA, when I think about the 18 hour flight from Houston to Auckland I survived a month ago. However, let's think about it in the following terms: one month on the road, zero routine, zero familiarity, small comforts few and far between, missing two large holidays, introduce another time zone, and oh yea ... missing loved ones dearly. So needless to say I spent a good portion of the day in tears. I've highly enjoyed my journey abroad thus far, but it also has taken it's toll. I feel disconnected from all those dear to me. The lack of routine is OK, but when it's everyday, it's hard for your mind and body to really react in a manner you'd like it to. I haven't been physically practicing as much as I would like to on my mat either, thank goodness my meditation game is strong. And when I can't commit to a daily asana practice that always makes me feel guilty. I have been very active with hiking, biking, running, and dance parties with Katy but quality time with my mat has been suffering. And yes, I did practice a good deal in Chch at a heated studio, but I needed some real mat time. You know, the kind of practice where you are so in the zone that you completely forget about everything and anything. Letting your breath be your true guide, as nothing else in that moment matters. All the stress, fatigue, and worries, drip away in the same way a bead of sweat falls from your brow. So that's exactly what I did. Since I have the apartment to myself for the next few days I have some quality alone time. So, I rolled out my mat, got some jams going on Spotify, and lost myself for over two hours working every inch of my body, as I moved to my breath, and worked though all the things that have been eating away at me since I left. Pratice felt great, I was convinced this was what I needed to set things straight.

I slept shitty. Yep, about 4 hours of sleep I'd say? I woke early around 6:30 AEDT and rolled out my mat. A few sun A's and B's and then it was time for my morning espresso. As I sat on my friends couch I closed my eyes, and just started to breathe. I remembered what one of my teachers once told me from the book 'Leap Before you Look':

"Become aware of the movement of the breath. Without trying to change it in any way. Watch the breath come in. Just before the in-breath turns into the out-breath, notice the small gap. Then watch the breath go all the way out ... Pay attention to these gaps. Be present in the gaps. And present as the gap."

One breath to the next, one heartbeat to another. If you quiet your mind, you can find that space. I found the space today, and in that space I discovered my stress, insecurities, worries, and sadness that had been plaguing me for the past several days and decades. But, I also found love, courage, and strength. It's funny this time of year people make 'Resolutions' for the year to come. I gave that practice up a long time ago, I prefer to set intentions, which arguably could be considered one in the same. As I thought more about this, it's not about the resolutions we make, but becoming resolute - more determined and focused on those goals or intentions -- call them what you'd like. I know for me I want to let go of fear, but a lot of this trip has to do with fear. I posted on facebook on New Years Day the following:

Last night we wrote down what we wanted to let go of from 2016. When I sat down to think about it I realized that fear had been a huge theme woven throughout the past year. Fear of surgery; fear of traveling abroad for 90 days; fear of falling in love and loving in return; fear of failure; I choose to let that all go. Because when I reflect back yes - I was scared, but I also triumphed all of those fears. FEAR has two meanings, 'Forget Everything And Run' or 'Face Everything And Rise'. Let's Rise!

To state the obvious, we are constantly working to improve ourselves, we can't expect miracles overnight. While, I have made progress in my fears this past year, I still have a road ahead of me. Do I expect those fears to be over at the end of my 90 day journey? I think not, but I hope to have a jump start on letting them go.

After finding the gaps, I made a few calls back home, and set out on my day. I ran a 5k around Manly Beach, went to a fantastic yoga class at Power Living yoga, strolled through the shops, stuck my toes in the sand, and let the ocean breeze caress my face. Oh yea, and I also drank a pint of Lager from a local Microbrewery in town called 4 Pines - who knew Lager was food for the soul? The spaces between breaths can often reveal so much to us.

The Traveling Gypsy