The Costco Connection

EVEN IF YOU aren’t on a wellness-focused retreat, there are ways you still can incorporate health into your vacation.

Costco member and yoga teacher Christine Chen seeks out health and wellness as a necessary component of every single one of her travels. In Chen’s recently released book, Happy-Go-Yoga (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015; not available at Costco), she devotes two chapters to travel health through yoga.

Chen recommends taking a “smartphone siesta” to alleviate stress. While seated, place your phone behind your head, then a pillow on top of the phone. Relax your shoulders, lean back and close your eyes. Inhale through your nose and when exhaling make an mmm sound. Repeat the breathing sequence 10 times. (You don’t really need the phone, but the idea is to take a break from it.)

If you’re driving in an unfamiliar city and need some peace of mind, Chen recommends Car Kali. While stopped in traf;c or at a stoplight, press your foot firmly on the brake, cross your arms and grab the wheel. Now inhale a big power breath, stick your tongue out, exhale and make an ugly face and a ;erce, monster-like noise. Don’t worry: You’ll never see those drivers next to you again.

Meals are an important aspect of wellness and healthful travel. Author John Ayo devotes a whole chapter in his book to what foods make the most sense for wellness. Here are a few tips to follow on the road.

• Enjoy a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

• Limit local cuisine indulgences to a reasonable amount.

• Skip the bread basket.

• Avoid meat and potatoes together.

• Drink lots of ;ltered water.—HL

Healthful travel
anywhere Present sense

By Jim Starr

I THINK MOST people not only want to be better o;, they also want to be better, period. A lack of spiritual context may be undermining the e;orts of millions who try to improve themselves each year. ;ese people may bene;t from an outside-the-box option that does not occur to them—a spiritual one.

Like so many other men, I was doing my best within the con;nes of contemporary Western tradition: working for a living, paying bills, raising a family and looking forward to weekend barbecues with friends. A;er experiencing a curve-ball in my plans in the form of a devastating sports injury a;er college, almost four decades ago, I underwent a profound spiritual transformation, which led me to ;nd deeper signi;cance in my life.

If it could happen to me, it could certainly happen to you. In that vein, here are some suggestions for spiritual emergence.

Lose the notion that you’re “not the type.” I was an apprehensive, cynical and pragmatic guy who thought all the New Age stu; just wasn’t for me, but the emotional suffering triggered by my back injury ignited an improbable series of coincidences—such as my exposure to alternative health treatments and the teachings of a spiritual guru—that shook me out of my ordinary world.

Realize that misfortune can be a portal leading to spiritual actualization. Traumas o;en lead to change for the better. There have been several breakthrough moments made possible because of my injury.

;e back injury, and the desperation that ensued when traditional doctors seemed to have no answers for me, was the necessary chink in the armor that made it possible for me to even consider trying an o;-beat New Age therapy like Rol;ng. Once I tried it and saw that is was not only legitimate but magical, the ;oodgates opened up. My cynicism was exposed as a sham, and I began to build a life for myself based on this newfound so;ness.

I spent six weeks in an ashram, where
my heart began to open and where I ;nally
got to see that I, too, was a human being
with deep feelings. And I took on a spiri-
tual teacher, under whose guidance I no
longer fret about the meaning of my life.

Understand that transformation may upset social mores. Changing my lifestyle to one without meat or alcohol was di;cult, because my extensive network of friends bonded via barbecues and other social opportunities to drink beer.

But, in the end, I was looking for something more profound and meaningful in my life. ;e people who really care for you—family, close friends and new friends—will be there for you through your changes.

Embrace the notion of a “spiritual vacation.” An extended visit to an ashram, a spiritual hermitage or a monastery can be like a deep-tissue massage or a relaxing vacation, in that a pilgrimage stays with you. When I get back home to my normal routine and surroundings I’m always amazed at the di;erence the vacation has made.

Most of us are on a kind of autopilot, a track we’ve been on since our birth, but you don’t have to follow the track inde;-nitely into the future. More of us can wake up from this arbitrary path and live a truly amazing and beautiful life. C