Chinese medicine while traveling

I find that traveling is always more enjoyable when I’m able to be flexible rather than rigid.

Plans are nice, but aspects of plans usually need to change, and it’s nice to have space in life for unplanned moments too.

When I’m traveling, I try my best to incorporate what I’ve learned from Chinese medicine as often as I can, while embracing the reality that my flows and habits will be not be just as they are at home.

Today I’ll share some ways that I scaffold my travels with Chinese medicine:

Herbal teas. When flying, I bring an insulated travel mug and packaged tea in my backpack so that I can get hot water (usually free!) at an airport coffee shop and enjoy herbs on the go. I usually reach for the peppermint or chamomile + ginger tea blends from Traditional Medicinals (not an affiliate link), and I steep at least 2 tea bags at a time. This is such a comfort for me and helps keep any digestive woes at bay.

Rice for breakfast. At home, we eat congee or other porridge for breakfast, but this isn’t always possible to prepare when traveling. Rice is a lot more common to find via takeout or quick to prepare at someone’s house and can be paired simply with a protein. It can be tempting to have toast, pastries, or bagels for breakfast while traveling, but these foods can be very sticky and challenging for digestion, especially if we already have an accumulation of heat or depletion of fluids in our bodies (common while traveling). Rice is lighter and easier for our spleen + stomach.

Qigong. Sleep schedules and emotions can be all over the place when traveling. A few minutes of qigong can make a huge difference, even if you don’t have time for a full set of forms. There are many qigong movements that you can do in your normal, everyday street clothes without needing a ton of space. These movements facilitate the free flow of qi and require us to take deep, full breaths. Qigong supports our physical and emotional flexibility. You might like to start here with five-element qigong.

Herbal formulas. There are a few herbal formulas I always bring while traveling. In the cooler months, I keep a bottle of Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) in granule form with me to start drinking at the first sign of cold invasion, which can include mild chills, headaches, and neck and upper back pain. This is called the taiyang stage of illness, when a pathogen is on the most external layer, and Gui Zhi Tang helps us to push that pathogen off of the exterior so that it cannot get deeper and more serious. I also bring a bottle of Bao He Wan teapills. This formula, also called Preserve Harmony Pill, resolves indigestion, food stagnation, reflux, and abdominal distention.

What kinds of health challenges do you encounter while traveling? Do you have questions about how to incorporate Chinese medicine as you are moving from place to place?

As always, you can reply directly to this email if you have questions or thoughts to share. 🧡

Warmly,

Artemisia

Clinical Herbalist | Chinese Medicine

innervillagehealth.com

@innervillagehealth