Balancing Mind and Body on the Road – 5 Ways to Keep You Motivated
Spare time and physical exercise can be an implausible pairing when traveling for work.
Disruptors such as a unfamiliar hotel surroundings, sleep interruption, time zone changes and jetlag add weight to pressing deadlines, while family commitments don’t stay behind when you leave home.
But for those trips when you can eek out 30 minutes or an hour for self-care, here are 5 tips to keep you motivated and your home practice on track.
1. Unpack Your Cues
Your favorite running shoes by the door, an unrolled travel yoga mat next to the bed, or bedspread folded into a makeshift meditation pillow can help you get in the mindset of practice. One Tribe member admitted sleeping IN her morning workout clothes to remove their biggest barrier to exercise; (that is, just plain not wanting to get out of bed. Do what you’ve got to do to remove the obstacles.
2. High Energy? Chase That Fix
If there is a well of energy that needs to move, then go get it. Taking in a new cityscape or countryside over a brisk morning walk or vigorous run can help clear out the cobwebs. So push that FitBit, sign up for that extra-challenging Spin or TRX class, run the extra hill on the hotel’s suggested route. Sweat is a great way to help cleanse toxins from the body so get your heart rate up and push your limits.
3. Low Energy? Slow it Down
Waking up exhausted with creaky joints or sore muscles in a new location, time zone or country is no fun, so give your body time to catch up with your mind. Slow your run to a jog, set the rowing machine for a shorter duration, pick up the yoga props you may not normally use, all with the aim to help support your body to remember how to move without pain, and in a more fluid manner.
4. Ask a Local
New cities present a fantastic opportunity for discovery in practice. Find a friendly face at check-in and inquire about local insights on whatever practice that floats your boat. Hotel concierge, Air B&B hosts and local café staff are often a great source for local intel on running tracks, yoga studios, or massage therapists available to help your wellness.
5. Listen to Your Body
Bodies change with travel. The contraction of muscles from small airplane seats, sitting for hours in contracted positions, loading and unloading heavy suitcases, wine boxes and laptop bags adds extra strain. If upon waking your body just says, “NO”, then roll over and set the snooze. If you really need another 30 minutes of sleep, take it.
Most of all, make the commitment to keep an aspect of your familiar routine. The emails, phone calls and “urgent” responses can all wait while you work on your chosen practice, so you can get your body moving and your mind calm for clear thinking.
American author, educator and Body-Mind Centering Founder Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen in her book “Sensing: Feeling and Action” speaks to the importance of checking in with our body and mind: “The mind is like the wind and the body like the sand: if you want to know how the wind is blowing, you can look at the sand.”
Your body is literally what carries you through life, so use the limited spare time and space you have to bring your body and mind into balance. Then you can power through your day like the rock star wine professional you are.
Namaste
Beck
Meet The Tribe:
Our community is only as strong as the company we keep, and here we meet some of the folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Kate Goodman, Owner, Winemaker & Cleaner Goodman Wines
Chief Winemaker Penley Estate | Director Yarra Valley Artisan Winemakers (Aus)
Years in the Industry:
I’ve been making wine for 26 years, It’s been a great ride, starting as a cellar hand in McLaren Vale South Australia, followed by a stint in the Clare Valley, then a seven-year winemaking role in Western Victoria. In 2001 I moved to the Yarra Valley to join a new small winery operation, before starting Goodman Wines in 2012 and going solo in 2014.
My Biggest Challenge to Wellness:
TIME! Not taking on too much and giving myself space and time to just be and making time to be a present mum to my 8 year-old son Levi. Juggling a couple of businesses, work travel and school hours can make for a busy week.
In 2017 I was diagnosed with breast cancer – touch yourself ladies! Since that diagnosis, I am more conscious than ever of what I eat and how I live, however there is still plenty of room for improvement.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
A generally healthy diet, lots of home cooked food and a couple of alcohol free days a week. I don’t eat highly processed food, keep a limit on my coffee intake and drink plenty of water. I aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep and have recently started a Qigong practice. With the exception of harvest, weekends are for the family, and having digital ‘time out’ seems to create a feeling of space.
You can connect with Kate online at Goodman Wines or follow her on Instagram and Twitter
What We’re Reading:
There's no shortage of wine stories and media inundating our IN Boxes. Here's what has piqued our interest this week.
This Certification Is the Next Step in More Sustainable Winemaking – Shana Clarke for Vice.com
“SIP focuses on three pillars of sustainability: People, Planet, and Prosperity, and focuses on making sure that wineries build systems that consider the environment, their workers, and the future.”
Belinda Chang Blazes a New Trail – SevenFiftyDaily – Betsy Andrews for SevenFifty Daily
“How the mentor, manager, and marketer has set a new standard for wine events.”
Let’s Meet Up!
As work life has it, we are traveling over the next few months and would love to see you. Check out details on the Let's Meet Up! Page.
A Balanced Glass in McLaren Vale, Discussion and Lunch Nov. 13 (Rebecca)
Speaker at Australian Women in Wine Symposium in Sydney, Nov. 16 (Rebecca)
Co-presenter at Wine2Wine in Verona, Italy, Nov 26 to 27 (Rebecca)
Guest Lecturer at INSEEC in Bordeaux, Jan. 21 – 26 (Cathy)
Attendee at ProWein in Düsseldorf, March 17 to 19 (Cathy)
Attendee at MUST: Fermenting Ideas in Cascais, Portugal, June 26 to 28 (Cathy)
Drop a line to rebecca@abalancedglass.com or cathy@enolytics.com if you are interested in getting together for practice, a chat or a great glass together.
