I recently flew to Madagascar after ages. The whole time thinking about how I can incorporate Ayurveda in my travels to make sure I don’t aggravate my Vata. Flying is very drying as it is a lot of movement, cold and the drying air in the airplane.

Traveling is very Vata aggravating and can lead to a lot of vata imbalances. The gunas of Vata are dry, rough, cold, light, subtle, mobile and clear, so to balance vata, we need to bring in moist, warm, and heavy.
Vata imbalances show up as dehydration, constipation (or irregular bowel), dry skin, nails or hair, bloating, gas, restlessness, anxious, insomnia, poor circulation and so on…

What can you do while travelling?
1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate with warm water or infusions. Avoid the cold, iced drinks. Try some ginger tea to help your digestive fire. If you are like me, you hate getting water on plane. I had a terrifying incident with the airplane bathroom as a kid, so I refuse to go to the bathroom on the plane till this day. So I understand, but we want to enjoy our travels without the vata imbalances bothering us.
2. Avoid the dry snacks given on the plane, and aim for warm, moist foods. Some airplane food will dry you out, which will aggravate your Vata.
3. Wear warm clothes. The air conditioning on the plane gets pretty cold; do not forget your jacket. Personal fav, bring fluffy socks with you. I feel very restricted in my shoes, so I remove my shoes and wear my fluffy sock on the plane.
4. Full body oiling or at least try to wear moisturizing cream before going on the plane. It can keep your skin soft and hydrated during the flight. If you have a favorite mist, take it with you. I love my jasmine mist. It can keep your face hydrated and moist from the drying air.

5. Try not to wash your hair before your flight, as your hair won’t be fully dry before the flight, hence being in the cold category that we are trying to avoid when on a flight. Who wants to catch a cold while traveling!
6. Try doing some gentle twist and simple yoga movements to keep the digestive fire going. This can also ensure that there is good circulation in your body.
7. Ground yourself upon arrival. Walk barefoot on the grass if you can; connect yourself with the Earth to help remove the excess vata in your body. Or, oil yourself (suggest sesame oil as it is very grounding) and take a warm bath. Water heals, as well. ;)
Safe travels :)
In gratitude,
Shweta
Additional tip, if bowel movement is irregular after the flight, take 2 capsules of Triphala (or powder) before bed.
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