If you’re worried about your well-honed wellness routine falling by the wayside when you jet off to a fabulous new travel destination, fear not. We’ve consulted with high-flying travel experts to get the lowdown on how they incorporate their mind, body and wellness into their journey.
Keep up Your Yoga Practice (and your zen)
Travel writer, editor, and yogi, Ann Abel, former New Yorker now living in Lisbon, Portugal, says she’s done 25 far-flung trips (she counted) in the past year. Yet for all those wheels-up her yoga practice never missed a beat.
Ann’s Expert wellness advice: “I used to carry a yoga mat with me everywhere I went, until I was at a yoga retreat in India a few years ago and saw a teacher practicing on a hardwood floor with no mat. If the place I’m staying has one, great. If not, I can still do a good sequence on the floor or carpet, in my hotel room. A ritual I take with me when I travel is to start each day with yoga. If I have time and motivation (to be honest, that’s rarely) I will do the full Ashtanga Primary Series but at the very least, I do some sun salutations, a backbend, and a headstand. A good headstand can be more energizing than coffee. I also did a workshop at Mountain Trek in British Columbia, about managing anxiety, which is important when you’re traveling and the best tip I picked up was to be mindful about making sure you feel safe in your space, so make sure no one can see into your hotel room and make sure you lock the door. “
Elevate Your Health, Wellness and Diet
The act of traveling– especially long-haul flights – can take a toll on skin, hydration, and overall sleeping and eating patterns. Which is why Tiffany Dowd, founder of social media marketing company for luxury travel Luxe Social Media, travel influencer and writer takes a multi-task approach to wellness travel.
Tiffany’s Expert wellness advice: “Because I travel globally so frequently (over 100K miles every year), having a consistent routine that includes mind and body wellness is crucial. I always find a way to exercise, either in the hotel gym or by doing yoga or gentle stretches in my hotel room, I always travel with an exercise band which is so easy to pack. Flying and traveling is very dehydrating so I drink lots of water, steer clear of alcohol, and use a hyaluronic serum on my skin. If I’m feeling stressed, I play relaxing music or do a guided meditation on my phone app. To boost my health, immunity, energy levels, and ease jet lag, I always carry Vitamin C, melatonin, and magnesium. I have also adopted a plant-based diet and can honestly say some of the best vegetarian and vegan dining experiences I’ve had have been when I traveled. One standout was a recent trip to Jade Mountain, Saint Lucia, where the ingredients were from the resort’s organic farm. There was also a fully dedicated vegan restaurant at Anse Chastanet which was simply delicious. I cook with a lot of spices, and I really enjoy bringing home ingredients from abroad to include in my recipes, such as nutmeg and cinnamon from Grenada – the Spice Island, olive oil from Sorrento, Italy, and fresh honey from The Brando on Tetiaroa in French Polynesia. It always makes a meal that much more special.”
Ground Yourself After Long Haul Flight
Even with an aisle seat and making a conscientious effort to stand, walk and stretch a bit, movement is limited during flight. That’s why Cord Coen founder and CEO of ZENTS, a luxury body, and spa brand, immediately grounds his feet to the earth when he hits the tarmac.
Cord’s Expert Wellness Advice: “I spend 50-80 percent of my time in the air – New York, Shanghai, Oman, and every place in between. So one of the very first things I do [upon landing] is removed my shoes and socks, ground my bare feet into the earth and do some stretching, ideally on the grass. If possible, I dive into the ocean as saltwater resets the body system after hours of flying and helps with jetlag, or bring your own salts and take a bath upon check-in. I also never leave home without these beauty and wellness secret weapons: ANTARA Vitality Elixir, a CBD internal tincture that works to boost your immune system, help induce sleep when you’re in different time zones, minimize stress and boost overall feelings of happiness. ZENTS Probiotic lotion in mandarin to hydrate and balance skin after the flight, UNZENTED concreta to nourish the eyes, neck, hands, and MCT oil which I add to coffee or tea to boost brain and metabolism function. I also learned deep-breathing exercises in India and I do these every day. Deep breathing helps boost the immune system, reduce stress, balance your hormones, and strengthen the lungs. I also pack the medical-grade frankincense I bought in Oman, which I add to my water, it’s said to have amazing healing benefits for body and mind.”
Maintain Your Natural Body Clock
Moving through time zones, sleeping in strange hotel beds, eating out can disrupt your natural body rhythms. Janine Cifelli (Jaj), founder of Janine Cifelli Representation, a high-end travel company with properties in the Americas, Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, Maldives, and Fiji, knows the value of maintaining your body clock by getting a good night’s sleep.
“I travel on average 160k miles per year, usually to a far-flung location for a few days and I have to be on. Needless to say, getting proper sleep is imperative. I always travel with my eye mask and pillow which I carry in a space bag to shrink it down so it goes in my suitcase I also pack these wellness essentials in my travel bag: Beautycounter skincare products to plump, hydrate, and glow to my skin. And log onto my faithful Beach Body on Demand workout, so I can do it anytime, anywhere. I also consume a lot of coconut water, for hydration. I’ve always liked and had a healthy appreciation of coconut but it wasn’t until immersing myself in the coconut groves at Laucala Island, Fiji that I truly discovered its nutritional (it’s high in manganese and fiber) and restorative benefits. In Fiji, I drank fresh coconut water daily and spent time in the hotel’s Spa Kitchen making homemade lotions and soaps. Later, I visited Velaa Private Island Maldives and indulged in its pure coconut oil spa treatments which were amazing. Even now when I’m not traveling I drink coconut water and have replaced dairy for coconut milk when cooking, you should taste my signature coconut crème pie.”