Travel logistics and its inevitable complications can make for a stressful journey – not to mention the flying part! We find out from ASPAR and Aurora Spa Founder, Lyndall Mitchell, how simple planning and a few handy flying tips can make you feel more relaxed in the air.
Start with your senses. The more attention you can give to them the more likely you can calm yourself and reduce irritability – ignorance is bliss.
Movement
“I aim to stretch once for every hour I fly”.
The restrictiveness of travel means we need to be more conscience about how and when we move around. Try stretching your legs once every hour and increase your rate of incidental exercise –take the stairs over the escalator or travelator (if time permits). Lyndall’s personal tip is to do ‘legs up the wall’ pose (or Vicarirate Karana for the yogi’s) when you arrive at your destination allowing for the mind and body to relax. Despite being a passive pose, its benefits include promoting excessive fluid build-up preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis.
Taste
“Sometimes it feels like I travel with more food than clothes, a travelling café really”!
Being couped in a confined space for long periods and the dry recycled air of an airplane cabin is dehydrating, so it’s important to stay well hydrated. Lyndall recommends traveling with Hydrolyte sachets and to resist the temptation of dehydrating alcoholic drinks. For nutrition, it’s best to go healthy and organic. Travelling with a supply of healthy snacks like dried fruits, nuts or superfoods are ideal to keep the energy levels up. The Daily Bar up in Byron Bay serve up scrumptious superfood bars wrapped in earth-friendly packaging.
Touch
“I have a skincare kit that has all of my essentials in it”
Your approach to eating and drinking whilst travelling should be similar to how you should care for your skin: staying healthy and keeping hydrated. Lyndall, when travelling, has her own in-flight skincare ritual every two hours – “I spritz my skin with the Rose Hydrating Facial Hydrosol and follow with Ultra Hydrating Face Moisturiser. Then I apply the Rose and Shea Hand Cream to nourish my hands and lastly Sweet Orange Lip Balm for my lips.” A moisture rich lip balm, like the Sweet Orange Lip Balm, is an absolute essential.
Mind
Calm is key
The ability to overcome feelings of anxiousness and stress is all in the mind. A good recommendation is to consciously distract yourself by listening to music or a guided meditation – Lyndall recommends meditation app Insight Timer – or to read a book or magazine. Reading is one of the best forms of organic meditation. If reading makes you tired, embrace the onset of sleep using a Relaxing Eye Mask to rest your eyes.
A little conscious thought and preparation can go a long way to making your journey a relaxing one. ASPAR’s Travel Essentials kit was created with common travel concerns in mind so there’s one less thing to worry about when embarking on your next trip.
