Photo: alicepopkorn

Fewer than twelve places left in America where silence pervades. Nowhere in Europe.

Those are some pretty intense statistics. Before you say, “I can go out to my backyard and get some silence,” in a recent Newsweek article, audio ecologist Gordon Hempton defines silence as “the complete absence of all audible mechanical vibrations, leaving only the sounds of nature at her most natural.” And we’re talking about having this absence over many square miles here, people.

Hempton believes we are facing the very real possibility of “silence extinction.” And when you start to bring up all those open spaces in the US – like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada – remember planes. Or:

…The snowmobiles roaring through Yellowstone, helicopters flying over Hawaii volcanoes, and air tours over the Grand Canyon.

Yeah, not too many places you can get away from our transportation machines. But does it really matter if we are left with no silence?

The Noiseless Experience

Photo: Pardesi*

What’s the point of silence anyway? Often, we don’t even realize what silence means until we have a chance to feel it for a good while. There are some – I’d venture to say more than a few of the younger generation, in particular – who have never truly experienced more than a moment here or there of silence in their entire life.

To be in silence gives the chance simply to re-ground into the self. For me, wired to be a bit high-strung, silence provides “de-stringing” action that brings down those stress hormones, so damaging to our overall health. Very few people can truly unwind while surrounded with noise, even if it’s the everyday noises we’ve gotten used to – the cars zooming on the freeway near our house, the construction we pass everyday on the way to and from work, even the low buzz of street lamps outside our bedroom windows.

The power of silence is even found in areas we believe cannot be healed; as Hempton points out, “recent studies have shown that nature experience can be as effective as medication in the treatment of autism.”

This is the scary thing about losing silent places: our experience of travel will change. One thing I look forward to most about adventuring to a new place is finding a golden space of noiseless action; sure, there is always the rustling of animals, and nature sprouting, but nothing man-made. It just feels different to the body, instantly, to be in this type of space.

Or, as Hempton notes:

To be in a naturally silent place is as essential today as it was to our distant ancestors…we are given the opportunity not only to heal but discover something incredible—the presence of life, interwoven! When I listen to a naturally silent place and hear nature at its most natural, it is no longer merely sound; it is music. And like all music, good or bad, it affects us deeply.

How can we help? Rerouting aircrafts is the major answer that Hempton offers. Individually, we can refuse to participate in tours that fly over sacred, silent areas, such as national parks. Drive to designated areas in these parks, and then hike your way away from the noise. Surrender some of these spaces to the animals and creatures that inhabit the area.

And leave that iPod at home.

Do you think trying to maintain silent places is important? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Bracketing Life

There is something about a brief glimpse of understanding the self that feels like a window into humanity. Rarely does it last. But hopefully, it comes around again, albeit in small pieces and unexpected moments.

To me, seeing an astrologer (a good one, at least), is a bit like getting a glimpse. They will explain to you some fundamental aspects about yourself, how the stars take part in making it so, and that at different periods of your life, you will be forced to stare deeply in the mirror in order to propel forward.

Sure, one can say “I already know myself well, and understand I will face some hard times in life,” but it is often helpful having someone else clarify, at least in part, why you do what you do. A lot of “ah ha”s can come from that.

Yeah, if you haven’t guessed by now, I love my naturopaths, massage therapists, and psychics. Fine, call me a new-age hippie – I can take it. But even if you can’t get on board with any of those alternative approaches, astrology tends to be a bit more of an accepted genre – who doesn’t read their horoscope at least every once in a while?

Well, it’s time to forget that horoscope, since it’s never right (it’s almost impossible to tell the whole world of oh say, Capricorns, what’s going to happen that day; so much is dependent on a person’s time and place of birth) and open your mind to something that can help you figure out a good time to push your career forward, when love might approach, and maybe most importantly, the best time to travel.

Here are five things to keep in mind when you decide to get an astrology reading:

Photo: Oslo In The Summertime

1. Get a recommendation.

Yep, same goes for astrologers as psychics. Really, get a recommendation for any professional you are paying good money, from a lawyer to a bikini-line waxer (very important).

Would you drop off your beloved dog after randomly coming upon some house with a broken-down sign outside that says, “We luv pets”? No. Don’t just pop in an astrology establishment because you are on vacation and think it might be fun to ask what’s happening in the stars. Unless, of course, you don’t really care about the answer.

2. Do your homework.

Learn a bit about astrology before you make an appointment. For example, the astrologer will need to know your exact time of birth, and usually specifically what questions you would like answered. Not only is your sun sign (the one most people know) important in defining your personality, but so are your moon and ascendant signs.

Astrology will become a lot more clear to you if you learn about your chart in this way. You can hit Astrology.com to get a free natal chart. Although you only receive part of it for free, you’ll get the essence.

Also, understand that there are different types of astrology, including evolutionary astrologers and Chinese astrology, among many others. Get clear on which one you are most on-board with before you make an appointment.

3. Think about the bigger picture.

I know I can sometimes get caught up in what is going on in the moment, and desperately want to know if that hot guy is interested or if that proposal will get accepted. What a waste of time to see an astrologer and ask these piddly-little questions.

Before the most recent trip (via phone) I took to an amazing astrologer, I deliberately decided to mark it as a practice of mapping out 2010. This is the second year in a row that I’ve used my birthday, which neatly falls at the end of the year, as a stimulus to both plan for the coming year, and see what makes the most sense to focus my energy on. Usually, what has already been in my thoughts ends up showing up in my chart, but rarely in the way I thought they would.

Learning that May might be the best month for you to try and make some extra cash because the stars are aligned is helpful information. Also knowing when it is best to sit back, relax, and rework (like during the dreaded Mercury in retrograde, which occurs four times a year for three weeks at a time – THAT’S why it feels like it’s always happening) can save you a whole lotta aggravation.

4. Be emotionally prepared.

Seeing an astrologer can be a bit like going to a psychologist. Hopefully, through recommendations and homework, you’ve happened upon a very loving astrologer (as far as I can tell, there are a lot out there). But, they are also here to tell it like it is, and not sugar-coat the work that needs to be done.

They should skillfully take you through the process of understanding yourself a bit deeper, but as with any self-inquiry, some of it certainly can sting if you aren’t already aware.

Photo: Image Editor

5. Have fun.

Although astrology, like meditation or travel, gives you a chance to go deeper, it also gives you a chance to get out of yourself a bit at the same time. I often laugh uncontrollably when I’m “called out” by an astrologer (it is scary how dead-on they can be).

For example, in my last reading, the astrologer noted my Scorpio (dark, brooding) in Venus (sign of love) would have me always attracted to that which I shouldn’t be attracted to, so I’d better start working on accepting it instead of fighting it. Thinking about my propensity toward men who are for some reason or another out of reach, I couldn’t help but respond with a “touché”.

Let knowledge give you a chance to make fun of yourself. We all gotta take things a little less seriously, right?

What do you think about astrology? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: Rich Man

So you survived, and possibly even thrived, Thanksgiving with your family or friends.

Nobody got hit in the face with a ham/turkey/tofurkey/turduken, got raging drunk and spoke of Uncle Harold’s penchant for wearing women’s pantyhose, or swallowed a bottle-cap and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery in the middle of the night. Well done.

But alas, it is day two of the Thanksgiving holiday, and everyone is beginning to wear on your nerves.

Or, if you got out of dodge already, there’s that whole other holiday coming up in less than a month that will pit you against airports, traffic, and your crazy Aunt Glady (yeah, that’s a shout out to my favorite holiday movie, Home for the Holidays).

Luckily for us, there is a whole slew of new ways to keep our calm during the holidays. Well, not really new – more like repackaged. Nonetheless, the following suggestions can certainly help you to arrive on the other side of this madness-we-call-celebration relatively psychologically unscathed.

Yoga, Zen, and Hangovers

Yoga has certainly made it to the masses, when even Fox News reports on an airport parking shuttle service that teaches the ancient calming ritual on its rides to the airport. Yes, a parking shuttle service. No, you can’t do standing poses. At least I’m assuming not.

Spiritual Zen gives some tips on how to avoid family drama during the holidays, including pre-planning about how to deal with uncomfortable situations, doing your best to put on that understanding cap and leave your need-to-be-understood-ego at the door, and my favorite – straight up avoiding them.

Nothing makes me hate my family, or anyone else really, more than a nice, crippling hangover. Yes, the holidays are about overindulging, but too much of that attitude certainly comes back to bite you in the derriere.

So right now, or every Friday, Saturday, or Sunday pathetically useless afternoon from here until New Years, it’s worth contemplating a mini-cleanse. Dr. Mao gives some easy tips, such as walking, drinking herbal teas, and my everyday favorite, good for both digestion and rehydration: sipping on some Apple Cider Vinegar (it really is tasty).

Last but certainly not least, there is something that can help with the travel annoyances, the family drama, and the almost-alcohol poisoning…wait for it…ah yes, meditation. Luckily, we’ve already compiled 20 Basic, Fun, Sexy Resources For Beginning Meditators, so you don’t even have to try and do a Google search in your dazed and confused state.

Happy Holidays!

What are some other tips for surviving the holidays? Share your thoughts below!

Community Connection

What happens if you have to travel after a few too many the night before? Check out Turner Wright’s 5 Survival Tips if You Have to Travel Hungover.

Photo: notsogoodphotography

When I flipped over the handlebars of the bike I’d rented in Vancouver, BC, I earned some impressive bruises, a badly lacerated spleen, and new fears stifling my wanderlust.

Luckily, I was hospitalized in an English-speaking country only a few hours from friends and family in Seattle. But what if an accident like this happens on one of my pipe-dream adventures elsewhere in the world?

Turner Wright previously published a piece at BNT about how to handle medical emergencies on the road. It gives good advice, such as learning the word for hospital in the native language and cultivating patience.

But even if I’d been prepared with traveler’s insurance and – had I been in a non-English speaking country – learned the words I needed to communicate, I would still have had to cope without the support network I have at home.

Simply being in another country without my friends and family made my problems more complex.

Future Plans

During my five nights in the hospital, I thought about how my ordeal would affect future travel – my dreams of backpacking in remote places or spending a year living abroad. Would the fear of potential injury or illness change me?

Photo: delicategenius

I fluctuate between feeling that I’ve paid my dues to karma and can’t possibly have any more bad luck, and the rather jarring realization of my body’s fragility.

As J. Raimund Pfarrkirchner notes in his piece, The 5 Deadliest Travel Fears (And How To Defeat Them), “Fear of the unknown hails from something deeper, something practical at times…had the dodo been frightened of visitors to its native Mauritius, where it had no natural predators, the dodo might be flourishing today.”

While I’m eager to continue traveling – and cycling – I don’t actually have any plans for the foreseeable future. I may feel differently when plans and ideas become more concrete. Inspiration comes from people such as Robin Esrock, who was hit by a car while driving his scooter, and ended up on a stretcher instead of going to work that day.

Instead of staying home and buying a car, Robin decided to buy a solo round-the-world plane ticket and backpack around the planet.

The Stranglehold of Fear

It’s likely these fears will fade and I’ll get back to my normal, travel-hungry self, but there will probably always be a part of me that wonders if this can happen again. Phobias can take hold at any time in one’s life; author Samantha Ang discusses how, after being “born traveling,” she developed a fear of flying based on overhearing a mother’s words to her child about the dangers of take-off and landing.

And what if another accident does happen? If I endured serious injuries in a first world, English-speaking country a mere three hours from friends and family, what are the chances of something happening while traveling solo, to remote places, or to countries with less advanced medical technology? Pretty high.

I hope this fear will teach me to be as prepared as possible, but there’s always the possibility of an accident, a mistake. There will always be factors out of my control.

Tragedies can happen even to the most careful people.

Has fear or risk ever prevented you from traveling, or changed your plans in some way? Share your thoughts below.

Cover of Nov’s Wired magazine.

Chances are, you may know someone that has contracted swine flu. There’s also a good chance that they got sick, were laid out for a few days, and then got better (just like the regular flu season).

So why the global hysteria around getting the flu vaccine?

Everytime I turn on the news, the reporters are citing a new study that says H1N1 is even more potent than ever; in fact, it affects YOUNG HEALTHY ADULTS the worst! Public areas are plastered with signs shouting foreboding messages like “Take your life into your own hands. WASH THEM.”

Now, with the “second wave” of the flu season upon us, Obama declares H1N1 a national emergency.

It’s enough to scare everyone into being first in line for the flu vaccine. And that’s exactly what some people have done.

On Saturday, Oct 24, the Omaha News reported that:

Hundreds of people [stood] out in the cold, trying to avoid getting a cold. So many people showed up to get their shots, the clinic was forced to turn dozens away.

And yet…not everyone is buying into the flu shot. In fact, some polls say 48% of Canadians will not get the shot. In the USA, that number has climbed to 60%.

The Culture Of Fear

I’m one of the those Canadians who is suspicious of the flu shot. While I have nothing against vaccination, I find myself at odds with the H1N1 vaccine, likely stemming from a number of factors:

• the vaccine felt rushed out the door, and in fact, had been approved with no testing by Health Canada.
• the severity of the flu seems vastly over-hyped;
• and perhaps most importantly: why has the media been so eager to whip up a culture of fear?

Sure, scary headlines sell newspapers and help their ailing bottom line. But even so, I’m suspicious of a hidden agenda when I see not one, but TWO cover stories on prominent magazines telling me I HAVE to get the flu shot or HUMANITY WILL PERISH.

Take the Wired issue this month. The cover features an innocent child with the word FEAR emblazoned above its head. The lead story is titled: An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All.

Likewise, Maclean’s (Canada’s Time magazine), ran a blood red cover story this week: SWINE FLU FIASCO: Everyone needs the H1N1 vaccine. Says the article:

People are being bombarded by “on the one hand” and “on the other hand” studies and recommendations. “There is confusion,” says Dr. Sarah Kredentser, president of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. “And I think it’s warranted confusion, because the messages keep changing.”

Killing The Shot

I don’t consider myself a conspiracy theorist – which is why I’m not bothering to attribute the vaccine to some nefarious Illuminati plan to initiate a mass die-off before ushering in of the new world order.

Yet everytime I consider changing my mind and getting the shot, I’m hit with another demand to get the vaccine or face CERTAIN DEATH. And so, ironically, my resistance to rolling up my sleeve stems mainly from the frenzy created by public health officials and the media.

This is a huge blunder on their part, explains a Washington Post article from 2005, when the news was all about Avian Flu (remember that one?):

To promote vaccine use, many in the public health community have overstated the risk of flu-related death and the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing it. While the flu vaccine may have some important benefit (less flu-related illness), we really do not know whether it reduces the risk of death.

The dangers of hyping fear are serious:

Public health officials should not exaggerate risks or benefits to promote vaccination. Exaggeration carries a price: Not only do some people get scared and engage in behaviors that increase their risk (like waiting in a crowded clinic for a flu shot). They may also grow cynical and end up ignoring health messages that really matter.

What do you think? Do you plan on getting the flu shot? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Photo: Smoobs

I must admit, when I heard about the two deaths and 22 hospitalized at a sweat lodge near Sedona, Arizona this past weekend, I readjusted my long-held desire to be a part of one.

But reading further into the specifics of what happened made me, well, not so surprised that it happened.

First, as Joseph Bruchac, an expert on Native American traditions and author of The Native American Sweat Lodge: History and Legends noted in the New York Times article about the accident, the number of people taking part in the ceremony at Angel Valley – 55 to 65 – far surpassed the 8 to 12 at a typical sweat lodge.

Bruchac said, “It means that all these people are fighting for the same oxygen.”

Also, a great deal of preparation goes into traditional sweat lodges, and they are usually made of “willow branches and covered in canvas or animal skins, and are not meant to be air-tight.” Authorities at the Angel Valley lodge noted this sweat lodge was covered in plastic and blankets.

A typical ceremony usually lasts an hour, and this one had clocked in at two hours before the organizers called 911.

Understanding the Process

This sweat lodge was led by self-help guru James Arthur Ray. His bio notes he:

…has studied and been exposed to a wide diversity of teachings and teachers – from his collegiate learning and the schools of the corporate world, to the ancient cultures of Peru, Egypt and the Amazon.

Photo: Jeff Kubina

If you take a look at his picture, it’s pretty clear that Ray is not Native American. I have no doubt that he has learned quite a bit about different cultures in his travels, as we all do.

But I have to question, is it right for a white man to lead a Native American ceremony?

After I read the book Coyote Medicine, I understood the complexities of building and running a proper sweat lodge, and how a shaman passes this information on to a shaman-in-training.

As Julie notes in the comments section on RightJuris.com:

Native Americans and ONLY Native Americans understand the entire process of a sweat lodge ceremony. This is their spirituality and their culture, NOT something we can easily adopt nor can we even begin to understand without extensive training BY a Native American traditionalist, and I mean EXTENSIVE.

Finally, the cost of the retreat is a bit suspect: $9,695 per person. On his site, Ray says participants will “experience a new technologically-enhanced form of meditation that creates new neurological pathways.”

While I do believe the last part is possible, a true Native-American ceremony would not cost that much. And unfortunately, deaths and injuries resulting from Ray’s negligence will make many condemn sweat lodges in general, and this will certainly hinder people from developing any “new neurological pathways.”

What do you think about a person who is not Native-American performing a traditional sweat lodge ceremony? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: swimparallel

Drinking alcohol tends to be a large part of many traveler’s itineraries.

Ok, maybe not ‘itineraries,’ per se, but checking out a local pub or expat bar usually plays into the travel experience.

Sometimes, drinking is taken entirely too far, and ruins a trip or friendships. Other times, it simply creates too many missed hikes or day trips because of those gosh-darn hangovers that make you want to hurl at the thought of rolling out of that uncomfortable hostel bed.

So here we go with a new study that lets us know if you don’t drink alcohol, you’re more than likely to be depressed. Even more so than a heavy drinker, apparently. Alrighty, then.

And it’s not just depression, no no. It’s also anxiety disorders.

When they try and break down the “why,” it seems that most people who completely abstain from alcohol either have some extreme illness like chronic fatigue, or are former alcoholics, both of which are more prone toward “melancholy.”

Added to that is “the most powerful explanation”:

…It seems to be that abstainers have fewer close friends than drinkers, even though they tend to participate more often in organized social activities. Abstainers seem to have a harder time making strong friendship bonds, perhaps because they don’t have alcohol to lubricate their social interactions.

Yes, alcohol is a lubricant. When traveling, this can be especially helpful in sliding your way into a new situation where you don’t know anyone (especially when traveling alone). But really, abstainers have a harder time making strong friendship bonds? We clearly can’t be trusted to connect without a little tequila (or vodka, or red wine…).

I wonder if this is more an issue of self-acceptance and self-determination more than anything else. Not to say I don’t ever partake in a little drinky-drinky myself…

Do you think alcohol is a necessary social lubricant while traveling? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: jurvetson

Here’s a new way to sell India: it’s like boot camp.

Instead of your regular calming, relaxing (or at least eye-opening) yogic/meditative/slum experience in the country of Buddha, the Taj Mahal, and Bollywood, apparently the latest way to get Westerners into the country is to make it seem as if they have signed up at Gold’s Gym.

Just the purgation/core strengthening route instead of a step class.

In a recent article on the Jakarta Post site entitled, Nature’s Boot Camp, the author notes:

The average day begins at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of bhajan…once up, patients participate in yogic kriyas – a process that induces controlled vomiting or purgation of the nasal, stomach and intestinal pipes…those prone to migraines are encouraged to insert a thin piece of rubbery wire through the nose and out the mouth. Asthma patients often swallow a thin muslin-like cloth down the esophagus to remove blockages. Others drink repeatedly a mixture of hot water, salt and cardamom.

Sounds like a lovely time.

Yes, liquid-based diets are to follow, along with whirlpool baths and your everyday enema or colonic. But make sure to enjoy the “pretty setting with benches to view the sunset over a pristine lake and lots of greenery infused with rare species of migratory birds.”

Ok, given, I actually know people that have gone to India for such cleanses, Panchakarma’s and the like. I’ve been through similar cleanses myself, and believe in their curative effects for the sick.

But really? This is how they are trying to sell India now? How many desperate-to-be-skinny/ “pure” wanna-be famous people are salivating over their assistant’s computer right now?

I will make sure to not spend $1500 for an Executive Single Room or $8,000 for a Deluxe Hut a day to either a. see India, or b. do something that would cost me less than $100 for an entire cleanse at home. No thank you.

What do you think about packaging places in India as “nature’s boot camp”? Share your thoughts below.

Photo: lululemon athletica

Ah, those lovely muscle knots generated from being on the road for over 3 weeks—hauling the heavy back pack, walking non-stop, carrying screaming offspring, and the stress of adjusting to a new culture.

You seriously need some yoga.

If wired, you can take advantage of the free online yoga classes that cater to complete novices, Gumbies, or those in between. Travelers without internet need not miss out, as there are other ways to keep your Samadhi running smooth on the road. Your practice can be done anywhere, in your PJs or your birthday suit, and at 3am if you wish.

Here are some online yoga podcast classes that may transport you to classes back home, but without the regular crowd (and smells).

Beginners

Photo: lululemon athletica

Elsie’s Yoga Kula. Elsie, a lively Anusara instructor has a thoughtful blog and many level 1-2 classes to choose from. Live class recordings.

Hillary’s Yoga Practice. Another Anusara yoga podcast that offers one hour long classes for mixed and beginner levels.

Yoga Today. A freebie yoga class can be sent to your inbox every week if you sign up. You can also buy a class for $3.99 and choose from a huge menu, arranged by skill level/yoga style/ anatomical focus. Way cheaper than taking a drop-in class.

Intermediate

Padmani Yoga. Padmani, a Jivamukti instructor, has got the best voice in the land of yoga podcasts. There are many 45 to 75 minute classes to choose from—the 45 minute economy practice is my favorite.

Yoga Download. These 20 minute power yoga classes can be downloaded and enjoyed for a brisk quickie.

Honorable Gumbies (or those looking to scorch major calories)

Yogi Wade. Wade has many years of archived 90 minute power yoga/Ashtanga style practices on his site, ones which incorporate more uncommon asanas such as crocodile pose. The audio quality isn’t the best, but his instruction and humor make it worthwhile.

Dave Farmar. Dave’s hour-long Baptiste style power yoga class isn’t to be taken lightly. He’ll sadistically have you holding arm balances, twists, and inversions for an eternity as he talks philosophy, completely oblivious to your discomfort. You’ll no doubt get your workout, and thank him in the end for your toned muscles.

Other Options

Pack it in. Pack some portable books such as Light on Yoga or a flow chart filled with yoga sequences for different practices. If you don’t like to flip pages while balancing on your head, many companies make yoga cards that allow you to mix and match poses. For suggestions, browse Amazon.com and check out the ones that received stellar reviews.

Use the web. For the ultra-organized, go to the Yoga Journal website, print out sequences of asanas for each day of the week, and place it in a folder with color coded tabs.

DVD run. Borrow some yoga DVDs from the library at home or better yet, at your new destination—it’s a fun way to pick up the target language.

Practice with others. If you’re willing to spend some money for a real yoga class, the best way to find one is to go to Yoga Journal; they have a directory of international yoga studios. It also helps to ask locals that you meet for suggestions – many health food stores and vegetarian restaurant staff are more than likely to have suggestions in locating a studio.

Final Morsels of Advice

Toting a yoga mat can be cumbersome, but it can be used to multi-task – remember, the mat can be used for a picnic, or placed as a protective layer between you and the ground when sleeping al fresco.

Photo: lululemon athletica

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of carrying one, buy a pair of Yoga Paws or socks—they’re meant to give enough traction so that downward facing dog is a possibility whenever the urge strikes.

If the idea of forking out an hour for yoga interferes with sight-seeing plans, go for yoga spurts instead—a head stand while your buddy is in the bathroom, yoga nidra meditation on a train ride (others will just think you’re having sweet dreams), pranayama during a walk, and standing postures done randomly throughout the day—at a park, over a castle wall, or on the beach.

Use restorative poses an alcohol-free nightcap. And if you are a gifted individual who can advanced Ashtanga, it’s a great conversation starter.

For those used to using props in their practice, be creative: the phone books in the hotel room can work as blocks, that back pack as a bolster, and the benches or chairs for a supported shoulderstand.

What are some other tips for maintaining your practice on the road? Share them below.

Modena, Italy / Photo: Ian MacKenzie

It should go without saying that travel is for everyone, not just the svelte and the toned. Nevertheless, airlines such as Southwest, United and Continental, among others, are beginning to charge larger passengers.

Or, in their terms, those who can’t fit into 17-inch economy seats with the armrests down and their seatbelts buckled must pay for a second seat or upgrade to a larger, considerably more expensive one.

Struggling with one’s weight is never easy, even without the apparent discrimination that many of us either subconsciously or, in the case of certain airlines, overtly expose our larger brothers and sisters to.

But in spite of the apparent onset of restrictions facing the third-trip-to-the-buffet crowd and those who are just plain genetically predisposed to packing on pounds, budget travel can actually be a good way to lose weight.

Change Your Mindset

If money is no object, of course it’s possible, and even probable, that you’ll gain weight while traveling. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Even if you have some extra cash to play around with, travel as though you have to consider every dollar.

Most budget travelers I know would much rather cut a few dollars here and there from their food fund than cut a trip short and indulge their culinary fantasies. By no means is this statement meant to advocate self-starvation, but for people who are chronic overeaters and compulsive snackers at home, being far away from the familiar cookie jar can be a good way to cut down on between-meal indulgences.

And remember, the less you snack, the longer you’ll be able to stretch your travel dollars.

Photo: Divine in the Daily

Take Advantage of Smaller Portions

In many places, especially Asia, food portions are in general, visibly smaller than they are in the West. This means travelers there will likely be less liable to overeat. Over-drink, perhaps, but overeat? Only after over-drinking.

What’s more, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating less can, over time, actually reduce the capacity of the stomach by up to 36 percent, meaning you’ll feel fuller sooner, and eat less.

Be Conscious of Cultural Differences

In places where being overweight is the norm, such as the newly-crowned monarch of the rotund new millennium, Australia, being “drought and famine resistant,” as Homer Simpson once famously described having a spare Michelin around one’s midsection, will not likely draw any untoward comments or unwelcome stares.

However, there are places, and even whole continents, such as Asia once again, where it is far more common to see stick-thin men and women than it is to see overlapping underbellies and thighs-a-chaffing. This means the larger among us may, unfortunately, be met with the occasional seemingly socially awkward comment while abroad.

A Case Study

“My god, you’ve gotten fat.” My former roommate, a once very slender and fit Kiwi who had indeed put on a pound or two, but was by no means “fat” in the Western sense, was visibly taken aback.

After all, this was the opening remark of a woman with whom he had arranged to meet for a date in a crowded Taipei night market after they had met a few weeks previously.

But this woman was Taiwanese, and in Taiwan such remarks are not seen as malicious, but more of a sign of concern for one’s health.

Travel as a Tool of Physical Reinvention

So what does this have to do with the rest of the chunky jet set?

Simply this: If you are self-conscious about your weight, use travel as an opportunity to do something about it. Invent a healthier, slimmer new you. Explore new cities, or even your own city, on foot or by bike. You’ll save money on transport, discover muscles you never knew you had, and extend your potential travel time all at once.

Photo: echiner1

If you prefer biking to walking, but don’t want to haul your bike overseas, take advantage of the fact that more and more cities, such as Taipei, Milan, Montreal and Paris, just to name a few, are implementing free or low-cost bike share programs.

For a fat-melting one-two punch, research the top health food joints in cities you plan to visit ahead of time, type in their addresses on Google Maps, and when you arrive in said cities, make walking or biking to the restaurants from your hostel a part of your daily routine.

And if you, like my ex-roommate, find yourself in a situation similar to the one he faced, try to take it in stride and remember that it’s likely a cultural difference, not a bumptious attempt at public belittlement.

Many better men than I have pointed out how good travel can be for the mind and the spirit. Make it good for your physical well-being too.

What do you think of the traveler’s diet? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Jolanda, healer on trial / Photo: Jolanda.nl

Before I left for my last big trip, I went to see an intuitive (or a psychic, clairvoyant – whatever name works for you), as I often try and do at momentous occasions in my life.

I thought she was the woman a friend had recommended to me; it turned out that she was not.

She told me a few things (all of which ended up being wrong) and performed a bit of energy work on me at the end (which I’m assuming helped me in absolutely no way).

And yet last year, I was lucky enough to connect with a different woman who I literally felt knew my soul.

Rather than talking about the future, per se, we discussed more of what was happening for me on an energetic level, all of which really resonated with me. When she performed energy work on me at the end of the session, I definitely noticed it.

Alternative On Trial

So I was saddened to recently read that a spiritual healer and two alternative doctors in Amsterdam are being put on trial for the death of a popular TV star there, Sylvia Millecam.

I tend to believe that anyone practicing outside the “norm,” especially as alternative approaches to health become more and more common, is vilified whenever possible.

Then I got to the middle of the article:

The self-styled medium and faith healer known as Jomanda and two alternative doctors are on trial because they told Ms Millecam she did not need treatment. Jomanda, charged with causing grievous bodily harm, convinced Ms Millecam she was suffering from a bacterial infection.

It’s hard to know if this is the whole story, but if this is true, I’m horrified.

I did a quick search about Jomanda and came across the Apologetics Index, in which psychologist and naturologist Ewald Vervaet states that he has investigated dozens of her purported healings and miracles, but thus far has not one has been verified.

She is known for infusing water so as to give it healing power.

Thing is, she has had a large following since becoming a “celebrity” in 1991 when she started organizing healings in Tiel, so for better or for worse, some people believe she is the real thing. That means they have connected with her, felt healed by her, somehow came out better than when they started.

Beliefs around healing

Photo: Wonderlane/ Feature photo: kshgarg

I have heard countless stories of friends who have visited India or Thailand, or even spiritual areas in the US that have been greatly affected by healers they have come across.

Many of these healers would be considered “quaks” by Western standards.

If, like the crackdown and arrests of supplement sellers or the fight to ban home births in the US, this is a way to put those on the fringe of “accepted” methods of healthcare in their place, I’m not impressed (nor would I be surprised).

On the other hand, if this woman truly convinced Millecam that she did not have cancer, than maybe she should be on trial – or at least have it made publically known her errent influence on people.

Still, this still brings up questions of self-will and our right to choose our own path around health.

What do you think about alternative healers being put on trial? Share your thoughts below.

Run! Pandemic is coming! / Photo: Playadura / Feature photo: y

I was reading Matador Abroad co-editor Sarah Menkedick’s dead-on piece about traveling in times of our current lovely, media-frenzied swiney pandemic, and I began to think about how we’re all going to kill ourselves from the stress of such thoughts, rather than any actual disease or illness.

Once this pandemic clears, there will be another “it’s going to kill as all!” catastrophe on the horizon, whether it has to do with organized terror, pathogens, gangs, or voodoo.

Of course, it is important to know what is happening in the world, but it is also good to have some tools in the chest to handle the adrenal surge to avoid what is actually the world’s largest killer: heart disease.

Luckily, I found a nice little video created by the Humanity Healing Foundation about the 12 Keys of Spiritual Activism. These can easily be adapted to how to spiritually and sanely deal with the hair-and-cortisol-raising realities of, well, stepping out your front door in the morning:

Here are a few of the instructions noted in the video:

1. The core dynamics behind the Spiritual Keys are creativity, adaptability, understanding, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

How often do we, as humans, approach conflict with the “we’re gonna git em!” attitude? How many words have been fought abroad, and at home, because of our ego’s need to win?

The same goes for handling disease. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re never going to fully kill off bacteria and viruses. They mutate and evolve for survival, just like we do. Can you blame them?

Maybe it’s time to start looking at how to work with them, instead of against them. First place is to start working on your own immune system.

2. Compassion flows from the understanding of Connection between all living things.

When you visit a country and get to know a new culture that you previously had no contact with, other than the occasional news story or Hollywood movie, you find the similarities that connect you, and the differences that sometimes challenge, and sometimes excite you.

But once you realize that most of us have the same underlying basic fears, wants, and desires, and that we depend on each other economically, spiritually, and intellectually, you can see this whole big experiment we call Earth is really based on a delicate balance between humans, animals, and nature.

And oh yeah, each of us carries around about five pounds of bacteria in our bodies at any given time. How’s that for a symbiotic relationship?

3. Learn to act instead of react.

All I can think about every time I hear the words “swine flu” is Jon Stewart’s facial reaction to the media onslaught of “the sky is falling” after he spent a day skating around Manhattan in the warm sun, thinking everything was finally getting better (priceless).

This Daily Show clip also notes at the time, swine flu had killed 149 people in Mexico. This made it rank last on the list of things that can kill you in Mexico (this is that thing they call, what? Perspective…)

Point is, we can take precautions and preventative measures around many things in life, but living a life of action really does feel so much better than living from reaction. Otherwise you might have that sour puss stuck on your face permanently.

4. Embrace mindfulness in the application of your activities and be aware of how your actions may be perceived by others.

Ahh, it’s all going to be ok/Photo: dotbenjamin

The thing that I always hate the most about these types of outbreaks (or terror attacks) is the reaction to racially and culturally segregate.

I understand that governments and health organizations want to contain the virus, but to quarantine every Mexican visiting another country on the planet? Is this necessary?

It reminds me of how after 9/11, every Muslim (and really, anyone who looked remotely Middle Eastern) was detained at airports, subway stations, etc. Even worse, how many were literally detained, thrown in jail without access to lawyers, and sent back to their country of origin, all because the color of their skin.

And during the early part of the 20th century, the Chinese who came into America via the San Francisco Bay were quarantined for months and sometimes years at what was basically a prison on Angel Island.

Are we being mindful of our (over)reactions when crisis arises? Are we thinking about how our actions may be perceived by those who are being affected by these actions?

Life is a series of ups and downs, and none of us know when it will be our time to meet our maker. So enjoy the time you’ve got, but be sure to live it with awareness.

How else can we approach crisis with a more sane and grounded attitude? Share your thoughts below.

Worried about diabetes? Having digestive disturbances? Diagnosed with a Musculoskeletal Disorder? Baba Ramdev has got the answer for literally whatever ails you: yoga.

All in all, Rajshri.com provides 48 videos on Youtube of Swami Ramdev’s Yoga, who I’ve decided to rename, “Crazy Yoga Guy.”

Along with the ailments previously mentioned, he covers asthma, heart disease, skin issues, and epilepsy.

He also has videos for lifestyle concerns like “physical elegance and well-being,” special circumstances like yoga during and after pregnancy, and even yoga specifically designed for each day of the week.

Here’s his video on how to deal effectively with obesity (don’t let his Om’ing at the beginning scare you):

He includes nutritional advice, like eating more greens (I can get on board with that). And he emphasizes different forms of pranayama breathwork, giving simple instructions on how to properly inhale and exhale.

I wish they hadn’t gone for the voice-over, considering he is quite a chatty bloke, but the video gives good information, and best of all, you don’t have to pay $25 for a guided CD.

Feature photo: khetriwal

What do you think of Swami Ramdev’s miracle techniques? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Photo: foxypar4

Just as I was finishing up my latest health newsletter, which included a story on the “Food Safety” bill HR 875, is-it-or-isn’t-it suspiciously tied to the Monsanto corporation, I came across an article on Alternet.org 1,500 Indian Farmers Commit Mass Suicide: Why We Are Complicit in these Deaths.

The headline says it all, but of course we need a deeper explanation. Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, told the Press Association:

Farmers’ suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death.

The article also quotes the UK’s Daily Mail, enlightening us further:

…The death of this respected farmer (Shankara Mandaukar) has been blamed on something far more modern and sinister: genetically modified crops. Shankara, like millions of other Indian farmers, had been promised previously unheard of harvests and income if he switched from farming with traditional seeds to planting GM seeds instead.

Oh yes, the promise of feeding the poor of every country via genetically-modified (GM) seeds. This approach to dealing with worldwide hunger and poverty is touted by the United Nations, NAFTA, and the US government.

And as the Daily Mail article later notes, “pro-GM experts claim that it is rural poverty, alcoholism, drought and ‘agrarian distress’ that is the real reason for the horrific toll.”

While poverty and drought have likely contributed somewhat to poor harvests, leading the farmers to stress about their family and land, the mass suicides might have more to do with the bank loans sometimes totaling $3,000 US that these farmers have to take out in order to buy Monsanto’s (the leader in GM) seeds.

The way Monsanto approaches these farmers reminds me of 19th century snake oil salesman:

The salesmen tell farmers of the amazing yields other Vidarbha growers have enjoyed while using their products, plastering villages with posters detailing “True Stories of Farmers Who Have Sown Bt Cotton.” Old-fashioned cotton seeds pale in comparison to Monsanto’s patented wonder seeds, say the salesmen, as much as an average old steer is humbled by a fine Jersey cow.

Farmers have traditionally used seeds year after year and rotated their crops in order to get the most benefit from the land. Monsanto’s seeds, on the other hand, have to be paid for every year in order to “re-license” the seeds, sinking them deeper into debt.

And oh, yeah, most of these seeds are “Terminator” seeds, which means they don’t actually produce viable seeds of their own.

Farmers throughout the world are dealing with these issues. What can we do as travelers to help?

• Buy local, unsprayed, non-GM food as much as possible when you are traveling (beware of even things labeled organic–sometimes it’s a better choice to buy local, because the organic food has been shipped thousands of miles)
• Be aware of both your own water usage and that of the hostels, hotels, and restaurants you frequent
• Educate others that you meet about GM’s role in the deaths of farmers
• Check out Grocery Store Wars: May The Farm Be With You for a funny take on the battle of organic vs. conventional foods.

What are some other ways that we can help the plight of farmers throughout the world? Share your thoughts below.

Tayrona Park, Colombia / Photo: Ian MacKenzie / Feature photo: Caranaval King

“Anyone need help with a headstand?” our yoga teacher called out to the class.

“Yes please!” I replied. After practicing yoga for four entire days, I thought a headstand couldn’t be that difficult.

He came over to help me balance. I kicked my legs up and yes, sure, with his hands on my ankles, I could stand on my head. But as soon as he let go I flopped over, the full weight of my near six-foot frame crashed to the mat. OK, so it was a bit difficult.

That was in May 2008, on Koh Samui, Thailand during my first-ever yoga retreat.

It was also the beginning of a months-long world journey with my partner. While she had practiced for years, and many of my friends swore by yoga, I had never embraced it. The early 70s flaky veneer was still sticking to me.

At the retreat, I felt silly doing ashvini-mudras (you want me to contract what?) and couldn’t focus on single-nostril breathing. But as the week went on, the postures made me feel stronger and healthier.

I looked forward to the 7am meditation and yoga in the studio by the sea. I liked, sometimes even really loved, the evening classes where we learned more about yoga’s origins, and yes, talked about India and The Beatles.

By the end of the week I was determined to continue the practice.

Keeping The Flow

The day we arrived back in Bangkok after the retreat, we bought yoga mats at the local department store. Shoved into our overstuffed bags, they endured eight months of travel over four continents.

In every kind of climate, at any elevation, on any surface, I could rely on my mat. We practiced at almost every stop on our journey.

This required dedication and a certain shamelessness. We rolled out our mats in the tiniest spaces. On a narrow balcony in Siam Reap, Cambodia, I had to be sure the low whirring ceiling fan didn’t turn my sun salutations into hospital hellos.

Staff at a hotel in central Thailand watched us practice, and with eyebrows raised commented “Wow, velly stlong!”

In a friend’s chilly yard in Nelson, British Columbia, we dodged dog poo and tried not to notice her tired and tearful two-year-old.

My arms, historically useful only for putting in sleeves, gained definition. My waist became firmer and twistier. My knee, long stiffened from surgery, could bend more than it had since my 20s. My back, prone to morning pain, was longer and stronger.

The simple act of drawing and exhaling breath fed an emerging spiritual centre.

Dreams And Downward Dogs

Photo Christine Mcnab

We practiced yoga in the most incredible places, where we could draw strength from the earth’s magnificent and sometimes frantic landscapes.

I did warrior pose on the pebbly shores of northern Canadian mountain lakes. I tried back bends in Phnom Penh, while tuk tuks puttered by. I reached for the sky in the late afternoon sun by the sea on Salt Spring Island.

I held downward dog on the deck of our riverside bungalow in northern Laos, the muddy red river Ou stretched out before us.

When we had to wait for road crews to clear on the Alaska Highway, I instinctively began sun salutations on the hot tarmac. While truckers looked on at me from behind their shades, I thought of all the bears we had seen that day on the roadside, deepened my breathing and pressed on.

I finished a series of standing poses just before the orange-vested flagmen waved us through.

Yoga was a solace to many of us in the days following the death of a dear relative. Family had an impromptu session together on a blue plastic tarp in view of Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper. We didn’t say a word, but instead bonded through the breath we silently dedicated to the wonderful woman we had lost.

Teachers In Every City

No matter where I was in the world, the yoga mat, my body, and the practice became home. When we needed guidance along the way we stopped into random studios for classes.

One of the best teachers I’ve encountered ran a beautiful studio in Edmonton, a city best known for its massive shopping mall.

In New York, a lovely man named Jeremy taught us how to find stillness in a space overlooking the madness of Broadway. Jeremy also helped me with my headstand. After months of practice I could do one on my own, but only if no one was looking. In class I had a fear of falling on and crushing one of my lithe mat neighbours.

But Jeremy, with the lightest of touches, steadied my headstand, talking me through the posture. I listened to him, breathing, and held it on my own. I was grinning wide, convinced my headstand would last forever.

“Now come down gently,” Jeremy said, after several grueling seconds. I crashed onto my mat with a loud thump. There were giggles. I didn’t mind. I relaxed into child’s pose, breathing.

If you’re planning to travel, I recommend doing yoga along the way. If you don’t already practice, consider a course before you go. Bring a light mat and use it whenever you feel inspired.

You’ll find a place to call home wherever you are.

Community Connection

Need some yoga tips? Check out Simple Beach Yoga For Backpackers. And read an interview with another world yoga practitioner.

What are your tips/experiences for yoga on the road? Share your thoughts in the comments!

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/04/16/yoga-travel-around-the-world-in-eighty-poses/feed/ 3 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/05/22/5-lesser-known-ways-to-stay-fit-when-traveling/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/05/22/5-lesser-known-ways-to-stay-fit-when-traveling/#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:52 +0000 Turner Wright http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=567 How can you stay in shape on the road when you won’t have regular access to a gym, bicycle, pool, even a jogging trail?

Photo by kaibara87

Once, after returning on a transpacific flight from a Christmas vacation, I planned to stay in Tokyo for two days.

I arrived on December 30th and stayed out all night for New Year’s, checked out of the hotel after stumbling back in the morning, and then continued to be awake all day until an express 8-hour midnight train to Kyoto to look at some temples.

Unfortunately, I was so exhausted after that train ride that I slept for the duration of my stay in a youth hostel near the train station, slurping ramen and watching DVDs in my few waking hours.

The moral of the story? Don’t travel too hard.

This is advisable for any number of reasons, including the danger of getting drained and unable to function at an optimum physical level.

By forcing myself through all-nights and an unreasonable travel schedule, I not only ensured I would be unable to complete my itinerary, I also drained myself of the ability to do anything spontaneous along the way.

But how to stay in shape on the road when you won’t have regular access to a gym, bicycle, pool, even a jogging trail? Here are 5 tips for keeping fit on the road.

1. Run

Although there may not be a trail, there’s always some place to run if you know where to look. Large lakes are your best bet for a paved, level path, but feel free to speed through the countryside at 5 mpm (minutes per mile, you rookies) and startle those just leaving the house.

A useful website (better than Google maps, I think) can help you chart as-the-crow-flies distances across the globe: Gmaps Pedometer.

Incidentally, if you don’t have room to pack a pair of running shoes and live near open fields, barefoot running is better for your bones and form. Just watch out for sharp objects.

2. Play Ultimate Frisbee

For some reason, ultimate clubs seem to be a global standard for expats. Naturally, there are other choices available to you, but none quite as widespread (probably because it’s a simple team sport requiring the least massive equipment).

Reach out to your local expat community to inquire about meeting times.

3. Find Fitness Centers

Photo by Vanz

Gyms can be expensive no matter where you are, and chances are you don’t want to be tied to a six-or twelve-month membership.

See if your area has a YMCA. If you’re in a small town, try to negotiate a decent per diem rate; better yet, make friends with the owner.

Otherwise, it’s a better idea to save your money and effort: instead of bench presses, have someone sit on your back while you do pushups; bring a small hand weight with you for arm workouts; take advantage of your environment by rock climbing, kayaking, or doing martial arts…you get the idea.

4. Sample Local Flavor

Cubicle life might be stable and comfortable, but now that you’ve chosen to travel, to break the mold, so should it be with how you decide to keep fit every day. Open your body to new possibilities.

Tai Chi in the parks of Peking. Caber tossing in Scotland. Climbing the steps of Aztec temples and Egyptian pyramids (if you care to bribe the authorities).

No one is saying you can’t return to a regular 90 minutes on the weight, 30 minutes of aquajogging, and 17.5 minutes of stretching – just seize what is available to you on the road.

5. Stay Away From McDonalds

Just before I arrived in Japan, I weighed 200 lbs (in a good way… and yeah, a little fat too) and went to the gym regularly. Within a few months, I dropped down to 180 lbs and developed more lean muscle.

Why? The Japanese diet is one of the healthiest in the world. If you’re passing through Narita Airport at some point during your Asian travels, take a moment to just look around. Notice anything unusual?

There are hardly any obese people in Japan. This is in sharp contrast in many American airports. I believe the healthy Japanese diet is due to two differences in cuisine: smaller portion size and less butter and grease.

With fewer familiar western-style dishes in Japan, I experimented with a variety of healthier foods and came to love the local cuisine.

Bottom line

Keep track of your pace while on the road. For anyone who lives an active lifestyle, traveling for long periods of time isn’t always ideal.

Once you’ve had a taste of what it means to be in shape and reach your physical peak – strength, high metabolism, stamina, speed, agility – you start to wonder how you could have lived any other way.

What are your ideas for staying in shape while traveling? Share your thoughts in the comments!

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/05/22/5-lesser-known-ways-to-stay-fit-when-traveling/feed/ 12 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/27/how-to-handle-medical-emergencies-on-the-road/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/27/how-to-handle-medical-emergencies-on-the-road/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:00:35 +0000 Turner Wright http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/27/how-to-handle-medical-emergencies-on-the-road/ For every high-risk, adrenaline-seeking lifestyle, there are ten thousand high-risk injuries that might happen.

Photo by Mike Warren

You’re in an out-of-the-way corner of Japan, enjoying a mid-morning ride on a cheaply purchased mountain bike, viewing a landscape that only so many places can offer.

A smoking volcano to the left, and a revolving sushi restaurant on the right, not yet open for the lunch crowd.

Suddenly, the front wheel of the bike jams.

Unprepared for such massive deceleration, your body flys over the handlebars, all four limbs flailing in an attempt to adjust to this new gravity-free world.

Not quickly enough, you realize, as your right hand sickeningly crunches into the ground.

Silence.

Your eyes open slowly. Still sprawled on the asphalt, you’re more than confident you can simply stand up, gather your thoughts, and laugh this off as simply another close call.

That is, however, until your right hand refuses to obey any commands, and you instinctively look at the shattered remains of a limb that was once so reliable, so whole.

For every high-risk, adrenaline-seeking lifestyle, there are ten thousand high-risk injuries that might happen.

The human body is fragile. I repeat: the human body is fragile.

The human body is fragile. I repeat: the human body is fragile; it can be broken, bruised, cut, burned, twisted, maimed, strained, overworked, and sickened.

With risk comes adventure, and all adventures that we have on the road, whether they include ascending a vertical ice wall on Everest, or simply lugging groceries back to your beach hut in Thailand, carry the possibility of medical disaster.

If you’re hurt enough to require medical attention in a foreign country, here are 3 points to keep in mind:

1. Learn The Word For Hospital

Hopefully you’ve studied and memorized the necessary words in the native language for ‘hospital,’ ‘help’, and ‘pain’.

What most people don’t do, however, is pick up the skills to describe the kind of pain you’re feeling (dull, sharp, continuous, off-and-on) and from where (head, toe, heart, 3 cm under the left thigh).

Perhaps unearthing a medical dictionary in your country of travel isn’t high on the list of priority items (it’s easier to just play it safe); but you’ll thank yourself if an emergency arises.

2. Can You Pay The Bill?

Consider your financial situation and surroundings before deciding on treatment.

Are you in the middle of the Burmese jungle and will you have to travel for an extended period to reach the nearest hospital? Do you have traveler’s insurance? Maybe you should fly home for treatment, unless it’s life threatening.

Do you trust doctors who won’t necessarily be able to understand your wishes, or you them? It’s all about weighing the risk factors and thinking about the resources available to you.

Work through the pain (yes, even searing pain) and try to keep a clear head.

3. Be Patient

Beware: it will be tempting to shirk your recovery and hit the road if the pain is bearable.

Think about extending your stay. If you’ve got an injury that requires regular visits to the doctor and/or physical therapy, and you’re already a resident expat, you might want to put down roots for the time being.

Beware: it will be tempting to shirk your recovery and hit the road if the pain is bearable. The promise of waking up who-knows-where tomorrow is tempting, but the fact remains you require rest, time for recovery, and follow-up medical care.

Aggravating an injury by quickly returning to an active travel lifestyle will only make things worse.

There will come a time when you will return to the road; keep that running through your head every step of the way, and remember that getting injured and treated in a foreign environment is an adventure in itself.

Talk to the nurses about the kinds of patients they see; make small talk with your physical therapist while he’s torturing your joints. But, never allow yourself to become too complacent.

The wanderlust fire is still burning, just dimmed for the moment.

Have you been seriously injured on the road? How did you deal with it?

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/27/how-to-handle-medical-emergencies-on-the-road/feed/ 11 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/14/how-to-choose-your-perfect-yoga-retreat/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/14/how-to-choose-your-perfect-yoga-retreat/#comments Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:00:33 +0000 Cameron Karsten http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/14/how-to-choose-your-perfect-yoga-retreat/ Only by choosing the right retreat will you achieve the relaxation necessary to let go and discover the true depths of your yogic journey.

Photo courtesy of Cam Karsten

Yoga is the art of release. It is the study of one’s concentration upon the diverse layers of the body, mind and spirit.

This ancient tradition of breath, movement and meditation, developed within the Hindu culture of the Indian subcontinent, becomes the practitioner’s sacred ritual.

Finding the right yoga retreat is just as important a part of one’s practice as a particular inhalation of breath, an exhalation into a specific posture, or the proper stillness of silent observation.

Only by choosing the right retreat will you achieve the relaxation necessary to let go and discover the true depths of your yogic journey.

The Destination Is Also The Journey

There are thousands of yoga retreats to choose from. They come in all different shapes, sizes, destinations and packages.

Some retreats offer 24/7 yoga, strict meal guidelines, and absolute silence. Others begin the day with a series of opening postures (or asanas in Sanskrit), and then immerse participants in the local culture of the region, with plenty of restorative downtime before a final series of relaxation poses.

I’m in the tropics, half naked (okay… completely naked) on warm sands, listening to the sound of the ocean’s waves cresting upon a coral reef.

So, how do you find the right retreat for you?

First, close your eyes…

Now, take a long inhalation through the nose. Hold. Now release all breath out of the mouth. Settle into your seat and relax.

Imagine yourself doing yoga. Imagine the setting. Where are you?

Here’s where I am. I’m on a beach. I’m not in the Himalayas watching a fast approaching lightning storm upside down while shaking in Sirsha-asana (head-stand pose).

No. I’m in the tropics, half naked (okay… completely naked) on warm sands, listening to the sound of the ocean’s waves cresting upon a coral reef. Breezy palm fronds rustle overhead and their shadows offer refreshing shelters.

I am far from the office, the phone calls, the expectations others’ harbor of me. These distractions are long gone and far out of mind. I am relaxed, warm, at peace and loving life.

Your perfect yoga setting might be different from mine – or not. No matter, it’s your yoga practice (as the conscious instructor reiterates); therefore it’s your yoga retreat.

Take Me To Your Leader

Photo courtesy of Cam Karsten

OK. Now the next important element of the practice is picking your instructor.

Who is it that will lead you through the doorways of your “guesthouse” as the Sufi mystic Jelaluddin Rumi referred to when speaking of the body? Whose guidance will you trust and surrender to?

At best, if a professional institution certifies the teacher you have no reason to doubt their practice and capabilities. However, each person’s style of teaching is unique and each system of yoga is different.

Search their name on the Internet, and read their website. If they’re local, try one of their regular classes. Acquire feedback and read their students’ testimonials. Where have they led retreats before?

Most importantly, find an instructor whose style of practice and system of yoga aligns with your needs. But how do you do that? There can’t be that many traditions of yoga…

Oh yes there are. Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Flow Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga – the list goes on.

The most fitting yoga retreat for you is one where the type of yoga fits your personal style and experience.

For example, let’s say you’re looking to work yourself. You want to physically sweat, strain, push and endure your entire body-muscles, joints, ligaments, bones and all. Find a retreat that offers a vigorous Ashtanga practice.

Or say you’re seeking peace and tranquility-long restorative postures. You should look for a retreat that focuses on a form of Yin Yoga. The choices are as many as the thoughts within the mind.

Your Life, Your Retreat

In essence, yoga is learning how to accept and love oneself whole-heartedly and unconditionally.

With a destination and style of yoga pinned down, then it’s up to you to find out what is being offered beyond your guesthouse’s doorstep.

Check the local studios for flyers. Browse through conscientious periodicals and publications that focus on spirituality and self-improvement.

Search the Internet for retreats in specific destinations or in a certain tradition of practice.

Ask your friends. Ask the universe. Ask yourself.

A yoga retreat is a sacred offering to your body, your temple. It is time removed from the daily frivolities of “making-a-living.” It is time to honor and embrace who you are; in order to develop the mind, body and soul and move closer to a state of relaxation and peace.

In essence, yoga is learning how to accept and love oneself whole-heartedly and unconditionally.

Practice your yoga practice. Observe your breath and welcome all sensations of the body. Let the mind go and visualize your perfect yoga retreat – then go out and find it.

Additional Resources:

• Yoga Nidra, Vinyasa, & Flow Yoga by Laura DeFreitas
• 2008 Yoga Retreat & Festival Season in Bali
• The Yoga Journal

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/14/how-to-choose-your-perfect-yoga-retreat/feed/ 8 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/12/5-simple-ways-to-conquer-your-fear-of-flying/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/12/5-simple-ways-to-conquer-your-fear-of-flying/#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:00:19 +0000 Christopher Cook http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/12/5-simple-ways-to-conquer-your-fear-of-flying/

Has flying kept you from exploring the world? Here’s some easy ways to help you get over your fear.

For years I found excuses not to travel out of the country. It cost too much. I had to finish my education. I simply couldn’t go when the weather was cold.

The truth of the matter, however, was that I was afraid to fly.

This went on until my desire to explore the world overpowered my innate fear of rising above the clouds in a steel soda straw. So I had a few martinis and hopped on a flight out of the United States.

I realized I had nothing to fear after all. Since that first triumph, I’ve become an avid overseas traveler. Still, every time I fly I find myself nervous. I’ve picked up a few tricks to alleviate my fear of flying.

Here are five tips that will help those who suffer from similar anxiety.

1. Know What To Expect

Familiarize yourself with the sights and sounds of flying. Understand the bumps and movements of an airplane.

Without knowing what to expect at the airport and on the flight itself, your mind tends to wander.

Familiarize yourself with the sights and sounds of flying. Understand the bumps and movements of an airplane.

Getting an idea of what flying is actually like beforehand will help you form a realistic notion of what you’re experiencing during take-off or when the plane hits turbulence.

Talk to friends who have flown. Ask them to describe the process from start to finish. Question them about turbulence. Do they have a “bad turbulence” story? Chances are that they do. Then, realize they are still here to tell you the story.

Flyingwithoutfear.com is a wonderful site that is loaded with free content. You can listen to the sounds of every aspect of flying – from engine noise at take off, to final boarding calls in the airport.

There are videos that describe exactly what you will see and help you understand what to expect. You can even find a support forum to discuss your concerns with other travelers.

2. Understand Why Flying Is Actually Safe

We have all heard the saying: “You’re more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than on the plane”.

This is certainly true. Statistics show you are in fact 500-1000 times more likely to meet your end on the highway. But let’s face it; this does not really help calm your nerves. You are still not in control of the plane!

But consider: how many drivers are actually in control of what other drivers are doing on the road around them…none! I’m fairly confident that 40,000 + Americans are not dying each year in a car wreck because they have control over the situation.

Then consider that since 1970 there have been only 58 fatal events between 16 different U.S. and Canada airlines. That is an estimated total of approximately 36.6 fatal events (at least one person died) per 16 million flights.

Granted, crunching these numbers might not make you feel comfortable flying. It should however give you hope that your chances of getting to your destination on a plane are pretty darn good.

3. Sit On The Wing And Breathe The Fresh Air

If the idea of turbulence is your nemesis, grab a seat on the wing of the plane.

Getting yourself onto the plane is only half the battle. You still have to deal with your nerves acting up while you are in your seat.

The cool air from the valve above you is a great way to chill out and relax. Open the nozzle full blast and direct it onto your face. The rush of air will not only help calm your heavy breathing, but will also keep your underarms a bit dryer. (You want to minimize the amount of sweat you will have to wear for the next few hours).

If the idea of turbulence is your nemesis, grab a seat on the wing of the plane. While the jury is still out on this one, there is a general consensus that sitting over the wing of the plane will provide the most stability.

It’s possible the turbulence you will feel in the back of the plane isn’t going to be significantly worse than in the middle.

Still, if you think of the plane like a teeter-totter or seesaw with the wings as the pivot in the middle, it makes sense that you would feel less bumpiness sitting in the center. It certainly works for me.

4. Just Pretend You’re On A Bus

It sounds too simple to work, but it does. Closing your eyes and imagining that you are just taking a bus ride can really help.

When it comes down to it, being on a plane doesn’t feel that much different from being on a Greyhound bus (once you’re in the air).

Turbulence often resembles a bumpy road. And the possibility of your neighbor being too big for their seat and nodding off onto your shoulder no matter is real, whether you’re on the highway or 35,000 feet over Alaska.

5. Sedatives Are Just A Doctor’s Appointment Away

When there is simply no way to get around your fears, and thoughts of canceling your flight flash in your head, make an appointment to see your doctor.

Explain the situation and ask for a prescription of sedatives such as Xanax (brand name) or Alprazolam. There is nothing to be ashamed of. These little pills come in .25m .5, and 1 mg doses. You and your doctor will decide what dosage is best for you.

As a 5′8″ male who weighs about 160 pounds I can say the 1mg pretty well knocks me out for a good portion of a 7 hour flight. I prefer the .5mg pill.

With one or two of these pills you may not be able to alleviate all your apprehensions, but you certainly won’t feel quite as tense. Just be sure to wait until you get to the airport to pop the pill, or have someone else drive you there.

Likewise, don’t fall asleep in the waiting area and miss your flight!

If a prescription is not an option for you, remember that most major airlines are now taking credit cards for alcohol purchases during a flight and many foreign carriers still offer complimentary booze.

One or two drinks can calm your nerves, but don’t drink too much, because alcohol hits your body much harder in flight than on the ground.

Giving into your fear of flying can cause you to miss out on the fantastic chance of traveling the world.

The confidence and sense of accomplishment you gain by visiting a distant land is only more gratifying when you arrive by conquering your fears.

Do you have tips for flying? Share in the comments!

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/12/5-simple-ways-to-conquer-your-fear-of-flying/feed/ 16 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/25/5-dreams-you-could-experience-while-traveling-and-what-they-mean/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/25/5-dreams-you-could-experience-while-traveling-and-what-they-mean/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:00:53 +0000 Tim Patterson http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/25/5-dreams-you-may-experience-while-traveling-and-what-they-mean/

Your dreams on the road can offer insight into yourself and your journey. Tim Patterson shares his own experiences.

I press my tongue against a tooth in the back of my mouth. It wiggles.

“That’s weird,” I think, feeling a little anxious. After all, I’m 25 years old. My baby teeth are all gone and I’m way too young to start thinking about dentures.

My heart is pounding, but my teeth are firmly in place. It was only a dream.

I reach into my mouth, grab the loose molar between two fingers and give it a slight, tentative tug.

Oh shit – it’s barely attached to my gum. Even worse, the tooth next to it is also loose. What on earth is going wrong with me?!

Suddenly, all of my teeth start falling out! The coppery taste of blood covers my tongue! In a panic I…wake up.

My heart is pounding, but my teeth are firmly in place. It was only a dream.

The Dream Of Travel

Travel can sometimes feel like a dream. When you’re jet-lagged and wandering the misty streets of a strange city at dawn, it can be hard to tell whether you’re actually awake. A good hard pinch is often the only way to know for sure.

A great deal has been written about the dreamlike state of travel. But what about real dreams? Do travelers dream differently when they’re on the road?

I think the answer is yes. Dreams are a way for our minds to process information, and the onslaught of new sensations we encounter while traveling means that our dreams become correspondingly more vivid and intense.

Here are five archetypal dreams that travelers may experience:

1. Loss Of Control

The dream I describe above about one’s teeth falling out is a classic “loss of control” dream. Without teeth we are as helpless as infants, powerless and dependent upon others.

Traveling in a foreign country can also make us feel helpless. Without speaking the language or understanding the culture, we are unable to communicate. The horrifying tooth dream is a reflection of this feeling of powerlessness.

Another “loss of control” dream that I’ve experienced while traveling is driving a car and suddenly realizing that the pedals are out of reach. (Anyone who has survived a moto-taxi ride in Phnom Penh can sympathize).

2. Home Sweet Home

You wake up in your own bed, go downstairs, make coffee and read the local paper at the kitchen table. Your parents are already up, eating their breakfast, and your dog comes over for a pat on the head.

Everything is blissful and happy…until you wake up and find yourself back in the ratty hostel in Uzbekistan. Crap. Home is a long, long way away.

Dreaming idealized visions of home is not uncommon when traveling, especially if you’re already feeling a bit homesick. This sort of dream is a symptom of culture shock, which afflicts all travelers from time to time.

Although waking up in a strange place after dreaming vividly of home can be a miserable feeling, it’s important to realize that homesickness is a natural part of travel.

Plus, although you’ll no doubt have countless mornings at home to look forward to, you probably won’t ever come back to Uzbekistan, so get outside and enjoy the day!

3. Speaking In Tongues

If you speak in a foreign language while dreaming, it’s a sure sign that you’re beginning to feel at home in your new environment and culture.

If you speak in a foreign language while dreaming, it’s a sure sign that you’re beginning to feel at home in your new environment and culture.

Dreams are perhaps the most intimate, personal and unguarded moments of our day to day lives, and if a foreign language enters into your dreams it means that a new place has penetrated to the depths of your sub-conscious.

This is good news for ex-pats and longterm travelers, because getting in tune with the local culture and speaking the local language is key to getting over culture shock and experiencing a genuine sense of place.

For travelers with limited time, however, dreaming in a foreign language might be a sign that it’s time to move on to the next destination!

4. I’m Flying!

You jump into the air, come back to earth and jump again – the ground is as springy as a trampoline. One more jump and suddenly you feel a resistance under your arms. Pushing off, you rise into the air. You’re flying, and the only thing you can think is why didn’t I learn how to do this earlier!

The flying dream is one of the most intensely pleasurable dreams a traveler can hope to experience. It signifies total freedom, self confidence and the opening of new horizons.

These are exactly the sensations that travelers hit the road to find, so if you’re lucky enough to enjoy a flying dream it’s a clear sign that your travels are sending you on the right path.

5. The Sex Dream

I’ll resist the temptation to go into descriptive detail about sex dreams. Suffice to say that travelers are not immune to the occasional embrace with tangled sheets and an unfortunate pillow.

For those unlucky enough to travel without their romantic partner by their side, travel can mean suffering through a significant dry-spell. In this case, a sex dream is a clear sign that it’s time to get home, before dreams grow into a temptation to stray in reality.

For single travelers, a sex dream is also a sign – to drop the pillow and get out and meet people already! Although some cultures may frown on pre-marital flings, a hook-up with a fellow traveler is always a potential option.

What dreams have you experienced while traveling? Leave a description below and BNT’s resident fortune teller and psycho-analyst Tim Patterson will give you an interpretation.

BNT contributing editor Tim Patterson travels with a sleeping bag and pup tent strapped to the back of his folding bicycle. His articles and travel guides have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, Get Lost Magazine, Tales Of Asia and Traverse Magazine. Check out his Matador profile.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/25/5-dreams-you-could-experience-while-traveling-and-what-they-mean/feed/ 12 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/13/13-ways-to-avoid-jet-lag/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/13/13-ways-to-avoid-jet-lag/#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:00:05 +0000 Kavit Haria http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/13/13-ways-to-avoid-jet-lag/ I travel often, and in many of those trips, I have crossed three or more time zones and suffered from jet lag.

When I finally manage to fall asleep, it’s actually morning and time to get up again. If you also travel frequently, I imagine you know the feeling too.

Jet lag is actually a physiological condition known scientifically as desynchronosis and dysrhythmia that causes disruption to your body’s clock.

As a health enthusiast, I look for ways to reduce jet lag on long flights – and have successfully managed to do so. Now, I can travel and earn extra time at my next destination because I have next to no jet lag. It’s a fantastic feeling.

Here are 13 ways you can reduce jet lag on your next long haul flight.

1. Rest well.

Jet lag is actually a physiological condition that causes disruption to your body’s clock.

Try to keep a consistent sleep pattern in the days before your journey so that your body clock is not disrupted and has a pattern to work with.

2. Get a healthy balanced diet.

Eat well before you travel. Eliminate alcohol and caffeine always. An appropriate balanced diet will keep your body in good health, your cells in working order and your rest peaceful and productive.

3. Drink lots and lots of water.

The idea is to keep really hydrated, more than you would when on the ground. Keep things simple by just having two glasses of water every hour. It’s a good antidote to the dry air in the environment.

I suggest keeping your own water bottle so you don’t have to keep asking for a drink. When it’s empty, then you can ask the flight attendant to refill it.

4. Get comfy.

The best way to reduce jet lag on long flights is simply to get comfy in whatever way you can. Take your shoes off, push your seat back and turn on the AC as you require.

5. Blindfolds or sunglasses.

I love blindfolds if it’s a long haul flight and I need to get acclimatized to the local time of my destination. If I can’t get to sleep, I’ll still use the blindfold and just close my eyes and rest. Some people prefer sunglasses. It does the same thing really – whatever you like.

6. Ear plugs.

The idea here is to get as close to your natural sleeping environment as possible. Sleeping well for me means blocking out all sounds and that’s what ear plugs are designed to do.

7. Exercise.

Most important when you’re in the air is to keep exercised. Sitting for the whole period is not good for your circulation so get up as often as possible (but not excessively). Here are some simple exercises you can do:

• (a) Shoulder shrugs – lift your arms and roll them in a wide circular movement both forward and backwards.
• (b) Knee raises – bend your knees to hip height, hold for a few seconds, release and do the same for the other knee.
• (c) Upper back stretch – lock your fingers, stretch them out front bowing your back with palms facing inwards.
• (d) Ankle swirl – move your ankles around in small circles from time to time.

8. Melatonin.

I have never taken melatonin tablets – which involve working with your body’s hormones to get your body clock changed – because research shows that if not taken at the appropriate time melatonin could actually worsen jet lag. There is a lot of controversy on the use of melatonin and other sleep aids.

9. Take a shower.

If you have a stopover in between your flights on a long journey, you might want to take a shower to wake up your body, get the circulation flowing and freshen up. Usually, I just wash my face, hair and brush my teeth rather than taking a full body shower.

10. Avoid alcohol.

Research has shown that the impact of alcohol on the body is 2-3 times more potent when you’re flying.

Growing up flying, I’ve seen a lot of adults drink alcohol on the airplane. Research has shown that the impact of alcohol on the body is 2-3 times more potent when you’re flying. So one glass of whiskey in-flight has the impact of 3 glasses on the ground. It’s best to avoid alcohol altogether when you enter the airplane.

11. Try hypnosis.

I’m a believer in the power of hypnosis – programming your subconscious mind to achieve results you want. Get yourself a hypnosis script that’s pre-recorded so you can listen to it before, during and after your journey. I have used the one from Hypnosis Downloads.

12. Watch your back.

Sitting down for long periods always results in some kind of back pain so move around, sit in different positions if possible and try to stay flexible. For those with chronic back pain or stiff backs, I recommend checking out air-activated, self-adhesive 12-hour heat pads from Bodi Heat which provide continuous, low level warmth that relieves pain.

13. Don’t nap on landing.

When you get to your destination, stay up until at least 11pm local time, no matter what time you land. This is the most difficult way to beat jet lag, but also the best and fastest way to get your sleeping pattern in order. If you succumb to the temptation to take that 4pm nap, no one will see you for two days – no kidding!

There you have it, my 13 ways to reduce jet lag on long haul flights.

I’d love to hear your ideas too as fellow travelers so do share by leaving a comment below!

Kavit Haria travels regularly and writes about health and wellness at Wellness Junction. Also a musician and geneticist, Kavit has lived in both Nigeria and London each for at least a decade. He travels mega-light and wonders how DNA made him what he is today.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/13/13-ways-to-avoid-jet-lag/feed/ 4 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/07/what-every-backpacker-should-know-about-self-catering/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/07/what-every-backpacker-should-know-about-self-catering/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:00:57 +0000 Eva Holland http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/07/what-every-backpacker-should-know-about-self-catering/ Self-catering is an essential element in any backpacker’s budget strategy.

You can control how often you move from city to city and where you stay en route, and of course you can restrict the cost and number of your daytime activities as needed.

But you have to eat, and that’s not going to change no matter how much cash is left in your account.

The first time I went traveling, in Australia, I stuck to my budget religiously – which was great. But in doing so, I subsisted almost entirely on Styrofoam cups of noodles and the occasional can of soup. Not so great.

Since then, I’ve vowed to find ways to eat well while still saving money. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way:

1. Book The Right Hostel

The better the kitchen, the more likely you are to actually cook a decent meal.

Plenty of hostels these days claim to have a “kitchen for guest use” – but sometimes that means a fully-functioning kitchen, and other times it means a hot plate on a folding table.

Poke around on the hostel’s website to see if you can find a specific list of facilities within the kitchen, or if possible, ask an employee over the phone. Fridge, stove and sink are a minimum, and microwaves and kettles are gravy. (Not to mention pots and pans to cook things in…)

The better the kitchen, the more likely you are to actually cook a decent meal.

2. Know Where To Shop

Don’t just wander into the nearest corner store and stock up on instant packaged meals. Ask around to find out where the nearest large supermarket is, or (even better) the local fresh produce market.

As well as providing variety and better prices, these places can be attractions in themselves – one of the highlights of my stay in Budapest was trying to navigate a huge grocery store where no one spoke English, and all the products were unfamiliar, labeled in Hungarian.

(Hint: If you’re looking for mayo in Budapest, it’s in the toothpaste tube with the cartoon egg on the package!)

For variety, you can also seek out the local ‘Chinese grocery’ – these are found everywhere, and range from full-on Asian specialty food shops to corner stores that happen to be run by Asian immigrants, who almost inevitably also sell products from their home country.

In Europe my standard fare was pasta and tomato sauce, beefed up with peppers, zucchini or eggplant, and cheese. So after a while it was great to stumble on an Asian food store in a back alley in Florence and treat myself to a Thai-style yellow curry!

3. Buy Items That Multi-Task

Even if you’re traveling with a friend, it can be tough to use up entire bags of rice or pasta, or whole blocks of cheese, before you move on to your next stop. Planning out your meals, using overlapping ingredients, can really help.

My typical grocery list includes bread (toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, maybe a slice with dinner), lettuce (sandwiches for lunch, a bit of salad with dinner), cheese (again, lunch and dinner), and then pasta, sauce and veggies.

The key here is to rotate through different sets of ingredients, so even if you’re eating one food for every meal in Madrid, you’re at least eating something different for every meal in Barcelona.

4. Share with others

Pooling money and ideas usually results in a more interesting meal, and makes cooking more fun, too.

Self-catering is one of many aspects of travel that can become easier if you’re with a buddy: costs are split, food gets used up sooner, and it’s not always your turn to do the dishes.

But even for a solo traveler, it’s easy enough to find someone to share a meal with – it’s usually as simple as walking into the hostel kitchen or common area a little before dinner time and asking.

Pooling money and ideas usually results in a more interesting meal, and makes cooking more fun, too.

5. Always Have a Back-up Plan

The times I’ve spent the most money on the least-enjoyable meals have inevitably been when something goes wrong in transit. The train breaks down, the flight gets cancelled, and, trapped somewhere with an empty stomach and few options, I find myself spending a small fortune on a damp sandwich and a cup of flat pop.

To save yourself from wasting money on entirely undesirable meals, always have a small, lightweight emergency food supply. Mine generally involves granola bars and dried fruit, and sometimes I carry small packets of powdered miso soup, too, so protein is only a kettle away.

6. Reap the Benefits

Make sure you don’t get so caught up in grocery budgeting that you forget about trying the local specialties entirely.

On your last night in a city, or after a particularly long day, put some of the money you’ve saved from all your self-catering towards a really nice meal. Ask fellow travelers where they’ve enjoyed eating, stop people on the street, hit up your hostel staff for advice – obviously, the place you pick doesn’t have to be expensive to provide a mind-blowingly memorable meal.

But thanks to all your careful self-catering, if there is a higher-end place that’s calling out to you, you can go ahead and treat yourself! You’ve earned it.

What tips do you have for self-catering in hostels? Share in the comments!

Eva Holland is a historical researcher and freelance writer based in Ottawa, Canada. She is a blogger for World Hum and for Rolf Potts’ Vagablogging, and her travel writing has appeared in The Ottawa Citizen, The Edmonton Journal, and Matador Travel.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/02/07/what-every-backpacker-should-know-about-self-catering/feed/ 8 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/28/7-secrets-for-eating-like-a-local/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/28/7-secrets-for-eating-like-a-local/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:00:01 +0000 Ross Lee Tabak http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/28/7-secrets-for-eating-like-a-local/ Cuisine is intricately woven into the tapestry of life the world over.

Food is just as much a part of culture as language. Eating local is a big commitment for travelers, but it can serve to make any journey more memorable and unique.

Sadly, traveling can sometimes be an excuse to eat quick and easy food, to walk between those ubiquitous golden arches for just one little cheeseburger. At home, most of us would prefer a delicious, well prepared Chinese or Thai dish to a value meal monstrosity, so why do so many travelers stuff their faces with imitation Western comfort food?

Many of us, in life and especially while traveling, see eating as a chore no different from filling up the gas tank. When traveling, we’re often tired and frustrated, so just about any old crap will do to put some weight in our stomachs.

Additionally, we’re often looking for some semblance of home to soften the bombardment of culture shock, and so we opt for something bland, familiar and safe.

I’m reminded of the time my friend and I were wandering around Hanoi, and two foreigners asked us if we knew where to get “normal food, not this Vietnamese stuff.”

Well, brave new travelers can do better. Avoiding local food is just as egregious as ignoring any other aspect of the culture in which you’re ostensibly trying to immerse yourself.

Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

Eating poorly won’t lead to long-term health problems, but it can make you feel low-energy and miserable.

Staying healthy on the road is important. Dehydration gets most of the spotlight when talking about preventable health problems while traveling, but it’s very easy to load up on carbohydrates and fats while ignoring things like vitamins, protein and even salt.

If you’re only traveling for a short time, eating poorly won’t lead to long-term health problems, but it can make you feel low-energy and miserable.

Eating a wide variety of local cuisine is the best way to make sure that your body gets the nutrients it needs to function at an optimum level.

Eat Where The Locals Eat

Many guesthouses and backpacker restaurants, especially in Southeast Asia, serve local food right alongside omelettes and pizza, and for many travelers, that’s where the exposure ends.

But while the local dishes in backpacker restaurants may be somewhat authentic, they’re often altered to cater to western tastes. The people who actually live in those towns aren’t eating at tourist establishments, so you’re better off hunting down the street-cart or hole-in-the-wall where food is prepared to the local taste.

Follow The Crowd

The same general rule applies everywhere in the world: If there’s a crowd, there’s a reason.

Every town and neighborhood has its famous restaurants, but more than likely they aren’t written about in any English guidebook or magazine. The only way to find them is to cruise the streets around mealtime and ask for recommendations from locals.

Learn The Lingo

Learning a language on the road can be a rather involved proposition, but learning to read a menu only requires memorizing a few words.

Figuring out how to say basic ingredients like ‘pork’, ‘beef’, ‘chicken’ and ‘vegetables’, along with various methods of delivery like ‘barbecued’ and ‘soup’, can allow the hungry traveler to decipher at least a few entries on every menu.

A little menu-lingo can also help when shooting in the dark – if you’re looking for something new but you know you’re in the mood for chicken, you can often just ask for it and prepare to be surprised.

Go Grocery Shopping

Nearly everything you can order in a restaurant can also be found in a grocery store or market. While you might not have access to a decked out kitchen or boast the technical skills to whip up an edible soufflé, that doesn’t mean there aren’t cheap self-catering options available.

In places like Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the prevalence of kitchens in hostels is a huge boon. While this usually ends in chicken soup or canned ravioli, it can also be a great opportunity to try the local beer or wine without splurging at a bar. In France, staples like great bread and cheese are cheap, ubiquitous and require no cooking.

In the West, we’re generally used to a plastic wrapper with a flavor packet full of salt, but in Asia instant noodles are serious business.

In Asia, a traveler is far less likely to have access to anything more than an electric tea kettle, but there are still opportunities for self-catering. Fruit is a great choice – not only is it likely to have been grown locally and taste much, much better than its western counterpart, but tropical countries tend to produce unfamiliar and delicious fruits. Prepare for a taste sensation!

In addition to fruits – and this is going to sound strange, I know – check out the instant noodle selection. In the West we’re generally used to a plastic wrapper with a flavor packet full of salt, but in Asia instant noodles are serious business. It’s not out of the ordinary for them to come with up to five flavor packets, containing such fantastic things as dehydrated vegetables, freeze-dried shrimp and chili oil to taste.

Don’t Be Afraid To Eat Alone

Markets and grocery stores are cheap, easy and authentic, but relying on them too heavily can be a mistake, because so much of local cooking depends on the preparation. Since we can’t always have the privilege of being invited into a kind local’s home, restaurants are sometimes the only viable alternative.

Many people (myself included) feel embarrassed walking into a restaurant by ourselves and eating a proper meal alone. But even when traveling in a group eating solo in a restaurant can be a necessity, as you may be the only one who is genuinely interested in trying some new sort of food.

Getting over the fear of standing out while eating alone is difficult, but the easiest way to avoid feeling awkward is to bring something to do while waiting for your meal. It’s a great time to read a book, plan your day or fill up that journal you’ve been neglecting for a week.

Try Everything…Once

This is without a doubt the most difficult hurdle when delving into foreign cuisines.

The world is a buffet, and those who do not travel eat only one dish.

Concepts like “vegan” and even “vegetarian” have yet to catch on in most non-western countries, and even in some more conservative places in the West, so in order to truly sample local cuisine travelers may have to suspend a few of their ideas and preferences about diet.

Oftentimes, the issue that arises is not so much obvious chunks of meat as things like broth and flavoring.

“Vegetarian” soup in many places simply means no meat – not necessarily what it may mean at your local diner. Sometimes, only red meat is considered non-vegetarian, so poultry and fish are fair game.

There are arguments going every which way on this issue, but ultimately whether or not to suspend one’s dietary preferences is a very personal decision that every traveler must make for themselves.

So go, eat and be merry! Humorist Steve Almost calls good food “one of life’s most consistently attainable pleasures,” and I tend to agree.

Your trip will undoubtedly be improved by eating adventurously and often. The world is a buffet, and those who do not travel eat only one dish.

Ross Tabak is a student in Washington, DC and is continuously looking for excuses to return to Asia. When not studying, he enjoys playing guitar, riding motorcycles and making sandwiches with more than one kind of meat. After graduation, he plans to flee to the far-reaches of the globe and support himself as either a writer or traveling organ grinder.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/28/7-secrets-for-eating-like-a-local/feed/ 8 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/18/tripping-out-on-the-road-drugs-alcohol-and-travel/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/18/tripping-out-on-the-road-drugs-alcohol-and-travel/#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:00:30 +0000 BNT Editors http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/18/tripping-out-on-the-road-drugs-alcohol-and-travel/ Although alcohol and drug abuse can lead to serious problems while traveling, just like back home, most travelers can indulge responsibly.

Travel is a drug.

Travel hooks you with a mainline shot of adrenaline on that first mile of highway and takes you on a rollercoaster of mental and spiritual stimulation that reaches everything from dazzling Himalayan highs to Cambodian outhouse lows.

Finally it leaves you standing with luggage at a bus-stop and feeling strange – perhaps inspired, perhaps grateful, perhaps just suffering from a serious jet-lag hangover.

It’s no wonder so many travelers like to drink and get high. Many of us are young, liberated from authority, in search of exactly the feelings of exhilaration and supposed insight that drugs, alcohol and travel can all provide.

Should our parents worry about us? Should brave new travelers pledge abstinence before jetting off to India?

Nah.

Although alcohol and drug abuse can lead to serious problems while traveling, just like they can back home, in my experience most travelers indulge responsibly.

And while travelers have an important obligation to respect local customs, most – though far from all – countries are more tolerant of drugs and alcohol than the United States.

This isn’t to say you should throw caution to the wind and travel the world as if you were on permanent Spring Break. If you plan to indulge, here are some important points to keep in mind:

Safety First

Safe travel depends on good judgment and clear-headed awareness of your environment and your self.

Safe travel depends on good judgment and clear-headed awareness of your environment and your self. Alcohol and drugs can alter your perceptions and influence your judgment, making you paranoid, rash or just plain vulnerable.

Always pay close attention to your surroundings. Know your limits. Know the local laws and cultural norms.

For example, drinking beer in a city park is fine in Japan, but would get you busted for an open-container violation in Massachusetts. Likewise, marijuana use is widely tolerated in places like Spain and California, but you would be very foolish to risk lighting up in Taiwan, where laws are much more strict and pot isn’t part of the culture.

Finally, remember that your travel insurance policy probably has a clause about alcohol and drugs in the fine-print – if you do something stupid and get hurt while under the influence, they might not cover the bill.

Respect, Mon

As a traveler, you are a guest in a foreign culture. Like it or not, you are also an ambassador of your home country. This is a tremendous responsibility.

Getting tipsy with the locals can break down barriers and contribute to genuine friendship and cross-cultural empathy. Drinking alcohol is a ritual of hospitality in many parts of the world, and there really is something to the transformative power of peace, love, understanding and passing joints around a campfire.

When I worked in Japan, I soon learned that it was impolite to NOT get fall-down drunk at office parties.

However, there is a huge difference between getting fall-down drunk within the boundaries of a specific cultural ritual, and getting fall-down drunk and roaming the streets as a pack of boorish foreigners.

Pay attention to cultural norms of ritual and reciprocation. Be sincere, be considerate and have a good time.

Focus On The Journey, Not The Beer

There really is something to the transformative power of peace, love, understanding and passing joints around a campfire.

Why are you traveling? To see the world and experience new ideas and new sensations? Well then why are you getting drunk every night at the youth hostel?

There are few things more pathetic than someone who travels around the world, but never leaves the cozy alcoholic bubble of the guesthouse bar.

Travel is a privilege, a rare and valuable opportunity to see the world – and yourself – from a new perspective. To squander such a gift is just plain sad, so always remember that although it might be fun to hang out and crack a few beers with your fellow backpackers, the world outside the bar is far more interesting.

Why not go out to a local bar, buy a beer for a stranger and start a conversation?

A Word About Moderation

At first glance, it would seem that moderation is the key to safe and respectful imbibing. True enough, limiting yourself to one or two drinks is generally a good idea in just about any situation.

But you know what? Once in a while it’s healthy to throw moderation out the window. Sometimes it’s good to take risks, to live large – to make mistakes and learn from the scars.

Get drunk. Get high. Go wild and howl at the moon. Leave the bar at daybreak with new friends and climb up a hill to smoke a joint and watch the sunrise over the ocean. Open yourself to all the passion and possibility in the world.

Just remember to be safe, be respectful, and never forget that it’s about the journey, not the parties you have along the way.

BNT contributing editor Tim Patterson travels with a sleeping bag and pup tent strapped to the back of his folding bicycle. His articles and travel guides have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, Get Lost Magazine, Tales Of Asia and Traverse Magazine. Check out his personal site Rucksack Wanderer.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/01/18/tripping-out-on-the-road-drugs-alcohol-and-travel/feed/ 18 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/11/09/5-exercises-to-de-stress-on-long-flights/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/11/09/5-exercises-to-de-stress-on-long-flights/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:00:01 +0000 Andrew Brown http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/11/09/5-exercises-to-de-stress-on-long-flights/ It’s been three hours since you last moved. Your various body parts have ganged up and are about to pay you back for the abuse your latest bout of travel has heaped upon them.

It’s time to quash that rebellion before it begins.

The aches, tiredness and general achy feelings that most of us experience on longer flights is often as much to do with blood flow as it is with jet-lag.

Here are 5 exercises you can do to improve your blood-flow and have a much better chance of making it to your hotel room without cramping up, bursting into tears or punching anyone.

1. Go for a walk

Even on the new jetliners, space is offered at a premium. A normal walk isn’t going to be able to help you much.

We can renovate our walking and get our blood flowing by deliberately lifting our knees high with each step (be gentle, kicking other passengers is a great way to meet airline security).

I wouldn’t recommend walking ten miles like this, but in the cramped conditions it will force extra blood flow through your posterior and give your whole body a wake up. Try to lift your knees to waist height with each step.

If you’re self conscious wait until everyone else has their sleep masks on and do a couple of laps of economy. Your fellow travelers will still think you’re weird, but they’ll pretend they’re sleeping.

2. The full body roll

The seatbelt lights on. You know you have to stay in your seat, but after hours in the air, cramps are setting in and you’re in pain. You feel like you need to so something, but without upsetting your air hostess.

Just rolling your shoulders might help, but again I think we can do better. (If there is eleven hours to go on our flight, we have to.)

This exercise starts as a shoulders roll but continue the motion down your body as if you were trying to touch your stomach, then your hips on the seat in front of you. Once you have finished this and collected a worried look from those around you, reverse the motion.

Five to ten sets back and forth will help get extra blood and nutrients to your tired upper body’s muscles and joints.

3. Bobble head

We’ve walked, we’ve rolled. Things are feeling better, but a major area of our body still desperately needs our help.

Our necks and shoulders collect most of our tension during long periods of sitting and this goes double if you type or otherwise occupy your hands during the flight.

First of all, gently rotate your neck to reintroduce blood flow. Imagine a pen has been attached point down to your chin. Pretend to draw tiny circles on your food tray with your imaginary pen.

Gradually increase the size of each circle until you reach twenty reps and you are at your comfortable range of motion. Now reverse direction, starting with the small circles again and working your way up.

I generally do this just once in either direction, but since you aren’t moving beyond a comfortable range of motion it’s safe to perform several sets each way.

4. Spinal decompression

After hours in your seat, your spine feels like it’s been fused together into one stiff painful rod. This exercise is designed to help you gently relax and lengthen your spine and back muscles.

While still in your seat bring your knees up and hug them to your chest. If this is impossible then grip underneath your knees with your calf muscles resting on your forearms.

Take a deep breath, hold for a second and then breathe out. As you breathe out gently rock your self back and forth in your seat.

Then explain to the passenger next you what you’re doing. Trust me, they want to know.

Five full breathes in and out with accompanying gentle rocking will help alleviate back pain and also makes a good wake up and mobility exercise if you have managed to catch an in flight nap.

5. Spinal tension release

If, after you have tried the decompression exercise, your back is still feeling stiff or sore, then something more drastic may be required.

You will notice that this exercise is the only pure stretch that I have given you, and as such I would rather that you tried everything else in this article first to warm up before doing the tension release.

Bring one leg off the floor (I always start on the right) and rest it on the top of the opposite knee (it should look like you have half folded your legs). You should feel slight tension in your hamstrings as they are stretched.

Take your left hand across your body and use it to gently twist your upper body away from the leg that’s on the floor. Imagine you’re trying to look at something interesting two rows back from you and on the ceiling.

If you carry a lot of tension in your back, as I do, there may be a series of clicking sounds from your back. These aren’t anything to worry about as long as you aren’t feeling any pain.

Once you have done the right hand turn, repeat on your left. I always recommend doing the release on both sides, as if just one side is done you can end causing yourself more pain. Not less.

The most important piece of advice

All of these exercises are intended to be done gently. You’re in cramped space with other people, so sudden movements will be counter productive.

If you have any injuries to the areas I’ve mentioned extra blood flow is probably still a good thing, but run it by your Dr before you go popping any stitches.

There are many other exercises you can do to help you overcome the stress and strain of air travel. The principles I have presented in this article can easily be applied to any other exercises you can think up.

Have fun, experiment a little and see what works. After all, if you’ve done these five exercises, your fellow passengers have now accepted your weirdness and will avoid you at baggage claim.

Who cares what they think.

Andrew Brown is a freelance writer and fitness enthusiast working out of Christchurch New Zealand. You can check out more of his writing at Fighter’s Review or at his blog.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/11/09/5-exercises-to-de-stress-on-long-flights/feed/ 4 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/10/19/fuel-for-the-ride-what-to-drink-on-long-flights/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/10/19/fuel-for-the-ride-what-to-drink-on-long-flights/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:00:22 +0000 Andrew Brown http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/10/19/fuel-for-the-ride-what-to-drink-on-long-flights/ It’s only three hours into your eight-hour flight and the little kid sitting behind you has howled non-stop since take off.

Your head is throbbing and you’re ready to smother the brat with a pillow.

A drink would really hit the spot. Maybe two.

Problem is, most drinks available on planes leave you thirsty, tired and a frequent visitor to the tiny aircraft bathrooms.

Except for water, virtually every drink the flight attendants offer, alcoholic or not, will contain a truckload of sugar. The sugar hit from these drinks will send your insulin levels soaring.

As soon as your body brings its insulin back under control, your energy levels fall away, leaving you feeling even worse than when you started sipping.

Normally I would be on the “Drink Lots of Water!” bandwagon, but most of us want something a little more robust to help us reach the end of the journey.

If you’re keen for a beverage more inspiring than spring water, try some of these:

1. Bloody Mary

1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
Tabasco (to taste)
1 celery stick for garnish

Unless you’re lucky enough to be in business class you’re unlikely to get a cocktail made on the spot. Instead, see if the flight attendant will give you the ingredients to mix your own.

Avoid the pre-mix packets like the plague; they contain high fructose corn syrup that is even worse for you than the sugar in other drinks.

Salt And Fiber, Hold The Sugar

So why a Bloody Mary? Mostly it’s the tomato juice.

Tomato juice, assuming that it’s of reasonable quality, doesn’t spike your blood sugar in the same way as soda or orange juice. This will give you a smoother dose of energy.

It also contains salt, which will save you from endless trips to the tiny bathroom. Tomato juice also has a decent serving of fiber, which will help keep you satiated until you can get a proper meal.

The Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces give your palette a bit of interest, and the spiciness of the Tabasco will help kick start your metabolism after sitting still for so long.

2. Virgin Mary

All the wholesome goodness of the Bloody Mary with none of the downsides, the Virgin Mary is literally the same drink without the vodka.

I find this version of the Bloody Mary a little bland, so I recommend extra Tabasco sauce to help make the drink more interesting.

Remember – the real benefit from these drinks comes from the tomato juice (which also contains a cancer fighting phyto-chemical called lycopene) so make sure you’re not skimping on the red stuff.

3. Ginger Ale

Feeling ill? Ginger ale could be your savior. One of the best drinks for turbulence affected flights, the ginger will soothe your stomach and prevent nausea.

There is a downside though; most commercial brands of ginger ale have high levels of sugar, which leads to the dreaded insulin spike and energy crash.

Try a diet ginger ale, or ginger beer if you’re given the option. If you can’t get either of these, follow your ginger ale with a large drink of water to help dilute the sugar rush.

4. Brandy and Ginger

This drink makes a good post turbulence nightcap. Usually made with elderflower cordial, which can be hard to come by (especially at 36,000 feet), you can use lemon juice instead to give the drink an extra twist:

1 shot of brandy
1 shot of elderflower cordial (or squeeze of lemon)
fill with ginger ale

The brandy will give you a little warmth in your throat while the ginger ale works its magic, soothing your stomach. Unfortunately, this is another high-sugar drink so try to limit yourself to one or two for the duration of the trip.

5. H2O is still the King!

No matter what you are drinking, you should still be drinking water like you won’t get any after you land.

The air conditioning on all aircraft will dehydrate you much faster than usual. This goes double if you are having alcoholic or caffeinated drinks, as these will dehydrate you even more.

This is why getting drunk on a plane is a real risk. Your abused, dehydrated body can’t take the same punishment it can handle on the ground.

So next time the drink cart trundles by, ask for a Bloody Mary and a bottle of water. That way both you and the screaming child have a chance of making it to the baggage claim alive.

Andrew Brown is a freelance writer and fitness enthusiast working out of Christchurch New Zealand. You can check out more of his writing at Fighter’s Review or at his blog.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/10/19/fuel-for-the-ride-what-to-drink-on-long-flights/feed/ 4 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/28/how-to-do-an-in-flight-fitness-workout/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/28/how-to-do-an-in-flight-fitness-workout/#comments Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:00:38 +0000 Ian MacKenzie http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/28/how-to-do-an-in-flight-fitness-workout/

Another great find over on VideoJug.com, this film showcases a few in-flight exercises that will have you stretched and creeping out your seat neighbours in no time.

Any of your own stretches you would add to the mix?

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/28/how-to-do-an-in-flight-fitness-workout/feed/ 0 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/18/simple-beach-yoga-for-backpackers/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/18/simple-beach-yoga-for-backpackers/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:00:38 +0000 Ian MacKenzie http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/18/simple-beach-yoga-for-backpackers/

Meet Jose Bennett / Photo: Ian MacKenzie

Need some simple, easy yoga poses to do when you’re traveling? Check out this handy guide below.

You’ve just arrived in a new town, beach, or city after a grueling number of hours on a bus or airplane. You dump your bags at your hostel, still sweaty with the heat and exertion.

What’s the first thing you do? Check the internet. Okay what’s the second thing you do?

Head to the beach, park, or just about anywhere with the room to stretch out your aching muscles and ease your turbulent worries.

Recently, while in Nosara, Costa Rica on my honeymoon, my wife and I stayed at the amazing Harmony Hotel, which also happened to have The Healing Centre next door – a place of relaxation, yoga, and massages.

There we met yoga instructor Josie Bennett, who was kind enough to come up with this short stretching routine that you can learn and practice just about anywhere. Enjoy!

Simple Beach Yoga with Jose Bennett

(Note: click the “print” icon at the top of this article to print this out and take it with you on your trip!)

1. Deep Breath

First take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders and give a big sigh. Try to relax your whole body.

2.Torso Twist

Place your feet about hip distance apart, with a slight bend in your knees. Keep your hips square. Begin moving your upper body side to side with your arms stretched out. Make sure your head moves in synch with your torso.

3. Shoulder Roll

Roll your shoulders slowly forward, keeping your arms straight. After a few repetitions, roll your shoulders back. Then move each one at a time, alternating each shoulder, forward and back.

4. Neck Stretch

Drop your arms and roll your head to your right shoulder, then back to your left. Let your head hang heavy as you roll. As you stretch, inhale and send your breath to the opposite space beside your head.

5. Rag Doll

Reach far back, bending at the waist, then exhale, bending forward like a rag doll. Let your limbs hang loosely.

6. Squat

Drop your hips down to the ground, keep your spine straight. Broaden the space across your chest and clasp your hands together, pushing your elbows against your legs.

7. Left Leg Back

Lift your hips off the ground and plant your hands on the ground. Shoot your left leg straight back, and keep your right leg bent at the knee under your chest. Push your hips into the ground to stretch.

8. Right Knee Straight

Bend over your front leg, keeping your right hip in line with your right knee. Flex your toes and fold over your leg as much as it’s comfortable.

9. Repeat 7 and 8 with the opposite leg.

10. Parsvokonasana

Step out to the side. Turn your right foot so it faces forward, with your back foot at a 45 degree angle. Bend your right knee in line with your right ankle. Place your right elbow on your right knee. Make sure your back leg is straight and active. Reach your left arm overhead. If you want, you can make circles with your stretched arm. Aftwards, repeat on your opposite leg.

11. Forward Fold

Lift knee caps, and straighten your legs. Inhale, then fold forward at the hips, hands to the ground. Take a few deep breaths. Reach your hand up, twising at the torso, keeping your chest open. After, repeat on your opposite side.

12.Tree Pose

Stand tall, bend one leg and place your foot anywhere on the other leg. Avoid placing it directly on your knee. Keep your shoulders back, clasping your hands. You can hold this pose as long as you feel comfortable, but try for at least 10 seconds without falling. Repeat with the opposite leg.

13. Cross-legged Sit

Sit down and cross your legs, keeping your shoulders back and your spine straight straight. Reach the top of your head towards the sky. Keep your hands on your knees. Close your eyes if you like, or softly gaze in front of you.

Be aware of the sounds around you – the waves, the animals, the people, the breeze. Give thanks for being where you are, and the time and the body to practice these techniques.

Check out the Beach Yoga Flickr Photoset for full photos and instruction.

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/06/18/simple-beach-yoga-for-backpackers/feed/ 7 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/05/07/urine-therapy-discovering-your-bodys-golden-elixir/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/05/07/urine-therapy-discovering-your-bodys-golden-elixir/#comments Mon, 07 May 2007 14:26:42 +0000 Cameron Karsten http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/05/07/urine-therapy-discovering-your-bodys-golden-elixir/

Ancient healing tradition or pure old-fashioned quackery? You decide.

His name was Pablo Falcon, a Native American healer living in New Mexico. He was on a show called Human Urine-Elixir for Good Health? airing on the National Geographic Channel, showcasing an ancient healing tradition: the practice of drinking one’s own urine.

Yes, he drank his own urine; a cup a day, usually in the morning, catching the first stream in mid discharge.

He drank it straight, like a shot of whiskey, but sometimes sipped it like a hot toddy on a cold moonless night. It was Pablo Falcon’s preventative medicine-urine therapy, or uropathy.

I was young. That’s disgusting, I thought. Years later, I re-discovered Pablo’s delinquency, but until then I remained ignorant of my body’s golden elixir as though it was an enigma, hidden from the alchemy of health within a toxic world.

To others it’s tradition, but among a modernizing world tradition is perceived as primitive.

At The Mercy Of Sickness

Out in the world, I forgot about Pablo. I forgot about the ways of the warrior, the ways of the body, and its own powerful remedies.

I forgot about these things because I was falling apart. I was in India, and my body was aching, my head spinning, my nose divulging a sinewy greenness, my intestines constricting, my sphincter bleeding.

But I did not forget about Gandhi.

I was participating in the 75th anniversary of Mohandas K. Gandhi’s Salt March, and here I was falling apart, literally bleeding out of multiple orifices.

And what could I do? Whine? Complain? Go to a hospital because I wasn’t feeling well? The Peace Walk wasn’t about me, or about any of the other walkers from nine different nations. The Peace Walk was for those of India, and a universal Peace for Mother Earth and Her inhabitants.

A young Japanese living in Nepal came up to me. He was Morita and he saw through to my pain. The man I hardly knew handed me a plastic cup as we took lunch. “Take this,” he said in a hush. Around us others slept. “Go pee, and drink as much of it as you can.”

I was stunned. I had forgotten Pablo Falcon. I had forgotten my own body and its power. At that time, I was only cursing it. “What?”

“You want to get better?” Morita asked.
I nodded.

“Then pee and drink.”

The First World Conference

In 1996, a group of urine therapists put on the First World Conference of Urine Therapy.

Held in India, the conference on the art of drinking urine brought together doctors, scientists, practitioners and believers into one room to exalt the benefits, seek out the contradictions, and bring awareness, drive and inspiration to a deepened scientific study of this clandestine cure.

They read testimonials of miraculous recoveries. They reviewed the studies of urine and its components. They compared their own experiences, treatments and applications. They found no contradictions.

Found in the ancient Vedic culture of Hinduism, urine therapy holds another name, Shivambu Kalpa Vidhi, or The Waters of Shiva. In the five thousand year-old Damar Tantra text, the writings recall Shiva as he unleashes his secrets of a healthy mind, body and soul to his wife, Parvati.

The text, or sutra, is one of the oldest known documents on healing, one that directly encompasses one’s own body-the ailment and the cure as one. It claims no association with external remedies, but solely describes the power and wisdom of the body under healthy eating habits.

It was Mahatma Gandhi who spoke:

The human body is the best portrayal of the universe in miniature. Whatever does not exist in the human body cannot be found in the universe, and whatever exists in the universe can be found in the human body.

Not only does the Vedic culture find complete truth within one’s own being, but ancient medical scriptures of the Egyptians, Chinese, Aztecs and Christians hint at this secret. In Proverbs 5:15 of the Old Testament, it is He who lets it be known: Drink water from thy own cistern, and the streams of thy own well.

The Workings Of The Body

What comes to mind is shit and piss, two ways of excreting toxins from the body.

The former-yes.
The latter-no.

When it comes to the process of making urine, there is one large misunderstood nomenclature: Urine is dirty. It picks up all your body’s dirty liquids and whizzes them into a smelly bowl. It’s crap. But what you forgot about is this baroque process.

We eat. We drink. We ingest and we digest. Solid matter is sent into the stomach, churned, macerated and spit out from the intestinal tracks after absorbing the good, the bad and the ugly. With liquids, most, if not all, are absorbed into the bloodstream.

From there they flow around, swimming like Chinese fighting fish. Through the limbs, the core, from the spine into the skull, within the tongue and around-the substances of our blood are everywhere before entering its first cleansing phase. This would be the liver.

With health, all things operate accordingly; on time, in rhythm. As the blood enters the liver it becomes the stone within the refinery. The liver is the detoxifier of our blood, removing poisonous products, secreting them or storing waste in the gall bladder, which ends up as bile.

From here, the blood flows to the kidneys. Coen van der Kroon, in his urine therapy guide Golden Fountain, describes how “they remove all superfluous vital substances from the blood, and filter out a surplus of water.”

These leftovers are the diamonds emerging from the refinement. They are the matter that form urine-simply the leftovers from the body’s water and nutrients. And a healthy diet is key.

A Cure For Life’s Ills?

Despite varying ranges of lifestyles, urine at best is an elixir; it is the water of life.

In J.W. Armstrong’s The Water of Life, homeopath and naturopath Ellis Barker quotes that “our body distills the most wonderful medicines and provides the most perfect serums and antibodies.” In fact, the list of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and hormones runs long.

One of these powerful byproducts is urea; an organic compound of carbamide containing carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen.

With this knowledge, pharmaceuticals have discreetly capitalized on urine’s power, incorporating urine in anti-cancer prescriptions as well as blood-clot dissolvers, ointments, hand creams, lotions and soaps.

Your very own urine is known to have a significant effect on the following diseases:

Adrenal failure, AIDS/HIV, allergies, cancer, candida, colds & flu symptoms, colitis, dandruff, diabetes, diarrhea, ear & eye troubles, eczema, gangrene, gout, heart disease, hepatitis, herpes, hyperactivity, jaundice, lupus, mononucleosis, multiple sclerosis, pancreatic insufficiency, psoriasis, rashes, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, warts and more.

Research remains limited, and the guesses as to why are as many as urine’s benefits. If humankind began sipping, fasting, massaging, gargling, douching, eye and ear-dropping, sniffing, injecting, compressing, rubbing, bathing, shampooing and giving oneself an enema all with one’s own urine, doctors would become unneccesary.

The pharmaceutical industry would collapse. Chemicals would be cleansed from peoples’ bodies. Man & woman would be healthy, strong and immune. And the billions of dollars going toward the chemical-dependent world could be spent on more worthwhile causes – like education.

A holy temple. An elixir. The cause and effect in one. The ailment and medicament together.

Your body’s urine is anything but wasteful. It is the gift, sanctified through the internal processes and given to you once more for complete health, detoxification and rejuvenation.

To learn more, visit:

• The Miracles Of Urine Therapy
• Urine Therapy
• Healing With Urine Therapy
• Earth Clinic – Urine Therapy

Cameron Karsten writes a weekly spiritual travel column for Brave New Traveler. He left his formal classroom studies to indulge in dreams of travel at 19 years old, and has been wandering ever since. Visit his personal website.

What do you think? Curious? Disgusted? Share your thoughts in the comments!

]]> http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/05/07/urine-therapy-discovering-your-bodys-golden-elixir/feed/ 31 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/02/09/consciously-consumed/ http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/02/09/consciously-consumed/#comments Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:19:15 +0000 Cameron Karsten http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/02/09/consciously-consumed/

Paris is a meat-feasting city — not to say the rest of the world is any different. The French love their food, especially flesh, but slowly, rising in different quartiers across the city like a revival of the arts, the “biologique” producers are opening their doors.

It consumes me, this art of conscientious living, and it is fueled by one image: Mother Earth

I must admit, my stomach joins the choir, moaning as I catch scents through the wafting doorways. But I’m on my way to my own market, a representation of the home I know while traveling, for as a vegetarian on the road, my needs can often be demanding.

Beyond more restaurants, past the ethnic shops of couscous and kebabs, I take another road, where on the corner of a side street I step inside and enter my destination.

La Vie Claire and its homely shop, tucked with the whole goods of any village baker. Small petite tiles decorate the floor as if laid by the shop owner himself, leading to clustered stacks of wooden shelves.

Along the walls are the arrangements of the morning’s whole grain breads, undressed fruits and vegetables off their seasonal nods, and a chilled cabinet humming with the freshness of organic cheeses, yogurts, blocks of raw tofu and even soymilk.

I inhale as I weave around the baskets guarding the door, greeting the owner with an exchange of “Bon jour!” I taste the flavors of Earth upon my palette. As I meander, smelling, feeling the homely ambiance and the energies of sustenance in the air, I am reminded of consciousness.

It consumes me, this art of conscientious living, and it is fueled by one image: Mother Earth, green and blue in her luster; spinning round with her diversity.

Being A Human, Right?

I emphasize home for one reason. We each have our own on different levels-the things were most familiar with. I call my family and friends home, as well as this specific lifestyle of conscious consuming. And the one home we can all relate to is that spherical image of the Earth.

To be aware and conscious of our existence is when we allow life itself to thrive to its fullest, most beneficial potential. Any home supplies us with the support of life. As our Mother Earth, this planet provides us with all of it-a place of habitation, gravity, light and darkness, as well as the necessities of air and food.

After all, food is one of these primary sources of life. As is the act of breathing, food is the other-they’re one and the same. Without these two sustaining forces, we would no longer inhabit our physical home. Our very planet provides this, along with the beauty of nature that induces the influence of inspiration, joy and freedom.

However, while living within these laws of physicality upon this planet, we are all conscious of our experience as a human being-or so we hope.

The Art of Eating, Living & Being

Living is an art form, and to create any form of art, we must be aware and focus our attention into the act of creation. To be aware and conscious of our existence is when we allow life itself to thrive to its fullest, most beneficial potential.

Being conscious of our feelings, thoughts, speech and actions, of the movements around us, and of what we eat creates an appreciation for the present moment. And consciousness in our food and breath (the two sources of life), likewise, create a whole new dimension of being.

When we draw our thoughts and awareness to our food, we create a relationship with it and the body in which it enters. This is a deep sense of Self, a deeper sense of awareness.

To eat consciously simply entails being aware of what we eat-what it is and where it came from.

Specifically, food eaten consciously provides us with more energy and strength, as does conscious breathing. For example, take the practice of meditation. Meditation heightens our awareness and gives us more energy, and as one could say, it focuses our life.

So by eating consciously, we receive the same transformations in our life as we would while practicing meditation, while creating art, while focusing our whole selves upon the things that bring us joy and happiness.

To eat consciously simply entails being aware of what we eat-what it is and where it came from. All food-fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and meats-have life-force. The more life-force, the more awareness. With more awareness one won’t have to eat as much, bypassing the issues with health that many face today.

What retains the life-force within food, within all sustenance, is the originality of it, its natural state.

The Clear & The Natural Life

Food comes from the Earth-the largest source of physical life-force. Therefore, natural foods (organic, bio, homegrown, farmer’s market fresh) contain the most life-force.

They are not sprayed with chemicals. They are not genetically modified. They are not frozen and shipped across land and sea. Instead, they are cultivated, planted, grown, picked, harvested and sold within the very air you breathe, the water you drink and the Earth’s soil you tread upon.

Thus, not only do we benefit from receiving the maximum life-force within food that provides the energy to carry out our purpose on this planet, but also our local growers are supported. And further, the soil they cultivate and the animals they raise are cared for because we’re giving back the love and nourishment our Mother Earth continuously provides.

Transport across country and sea are reduced. Less oil is extracted. Fossil fuels become a decreased demand. The blood of the Earth remains within her core as we collectively begin to cure the wound of addiction, as we collectively begin to care for ourselves.

And yes, we’re caring for the planet. Health and those qualities of abundance, joy and strength are cultivated throughout life.

All these factors are a part of life, a life of many different elements. Put together, these elements are home, making it all possible. Mother Earth is our home and we live upon it. We feed from it. We’re sustained by it. Therefore, we have a responsibility to care for it.

Now I’m Consciously Consumed

By eating consciously, buy visiting and shopping at the local farmer’s market or biologique/organic grocers, one retains the maximum life-force provided within food. And as a source of this life-force, life’s best potentials are released from within as we each strive for the abundance, joy and strength available to all.

With a backpack light on the shoulders carrying a jar of miel biologique, a trio of apples and a block of raw tofu, I return to the boulevard from which I first came. I find the cafés, brasseries and restaurants still full, their windows more foggy then before.

A breeze picks up, stirring the city’s debris in a lost arrangement of un-timed minuets. Stepping through the whirlwinds of man, I move over the waste of his domesticated pets, and I take out an apple. I wrap my jaws around its crisp skin and progress through the Paris I’ve come to know.

Wherever the road leads, I find the home-away-from-home. Whether Paris, Athens, Dharamsala, Bangkok, Monteverde or Bainbridge Island, home is a place where I continuously learn to care for myself and the planet Earth in which I travel upon.

Cameron Karsten writes a weekly spiritual travel column for Brave New Traveler. Each week he explores the emerging art and practices of spiritual travel. To read his previous columns, see the “also in this series” links below.

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