Sound and Travel

Alanna in Sync with the Sounds of Times Square

Sometimes you just have to turn it off.  I had CNN blaring for an hour and a half last night; talking heads and replays of Michael Jackson’s riveting rehearsal at the Staples Center inundated my little apartment for perhaps more than I should have allowed. Then I heard only the quiet sounds of dusk in the mountains:  birds tweeting, the din of a trickling mountain ravine, the occasional distant muffled cries of folks enjoying the last moments of a glorious holiday weekend and finally as dark settled in, the fizzy crackling and whistling of a few leftover fireworks.

I love Michael Jackson’s music and am deeply saddened by his passing, but that quiet moment came as a welcome relief.  Noise—in all its forms—can be numbing.

I became more tuned in to this reality last week when I interviewed Alanna Kaivalya on Travel Fun.  Alanna, a yoga expert, readily admits a life-long obsession with sound and vibrations.  When I asked her how she maintains her serenity while traveling, she, of course, focused on the relationship one typically has with noise while away from home.  Alanna travels about fifty percent of the time, participating in various yoga workshops and programs around the world, so I figured she was a good person to ask about establishing a calm on the road.

Alanna Striking a Pose in Bali

“The airplane provides a challenging auditory experience,” Alanna stressed right off.  She finds the noise of jet engines deafening and the often intrusive in-flight announcements—combined with the comings and goings of other passengers—to be disruptive.  I couldn’t agree with her more.  For this in particular, she travels with noise-blocking earphones available at Shure.

“If you’re able to choose what you listen to, you can have that be the determinant of your attitude,”  Alanna says.  She put this belief into practice big-time on a recent trip to India where it was hard to get away from incessant traffic noise and other commotion from the streets.  Travel speakers remedied these annoyances greatly and when she tuned into her choice of music from her iPod, the rest seemed to just fade away.

On other occasions, Alanna taps into the natural ambient sound of her environs in an effort to feel more of a connection to the place she’s visiting.  On the Big Island of Hawaii, for example, she enjoys sleeping outside so that she can fully embrace the sound and vibration of the magical little frogs native to this destination.

“Be mindful of sounds,” Alanna emphasized.  “Take in what you like and block out the rest.”  I remembered this as I switched off the rhythmic beat of Michael Jackson’s last performance last night.  Balance in everything you do and take in is after all key in life both at home and away.

More Travel Tips from Alanna Kaivalya

-Try to do yoga while traveling.  “Studies show that yoga helps combat jet lag,” Alanna adds.

-Create some kind of routine in your place of lodging, something that makes you feel like you’re coming back home even when you’re not.

-Bring along favorite snacks to serve as some kind of touchpoint.  A special brand of chocolate is hers.

Alanna will be in Telluride this weekend to participate in the second annual Telluride Yoga Festival.  The festival is a great place to get in touch with your inner spirit for novices and advanced yogis alike.  There are also many levels of participation from attending guided meditations to yoga dance performances.

“The vibe in Telluride is really sweet and communal and it’s felt throughout the festival,” Alanna says.  “The quality of the teachers is excellent.  The festival provides a wonderful opportunity to learn from very masterful teachers.”