Visit Slowly, Sit Quietly, Reflect and See
I knew though that a set of words would not automatically direct my journey. I knew I had to embrace the sentiment of my travel objective and think about what a spiritual and courageous journey might look like and feel like. I started to work on a travel mantra.
I wanted to travel in a way that would renew my soul. I wanted to find a discover who I was and make a commitment to life. I wanted to find my confidence, my contribution to the world and take it all home.
I didn’t want my mind swinging into old habits every time a stressful situation presented itself. I wanted to interact with my journey not be beaten by it. I wanted to reflect on my life and my purpose but I did not want to be affected by negative thoughts or unresolved issues. I wanted to watch them as they flowed through my mind. I wanted the opportunity to look at them. Interpret them and decide how I would let them affect me. I wasn’t travelling to escape. I was travelling to heal.
Surya Das describes a Buddha as being ‘completely comfortable, at peace, and at ease in every situation and every circumstance with a sense of true inner freedom, independent of both outer circumstances and internal emotions’. Now doesn’t that sound like bliss. Ultimately this is what I was searching for.
I knew that travelling can be exhausting. Constantly on the move and trying to find things can be tiresome. I knew I would be challenged. Content and happy at times. Confused, sad and homesick at others. I needed to think how I was going to prevent stress and treat stress when it arrived inconveniently at times when a clear mind was what was needed.
I knew that travel can be exhilarating. Surprising and liberating. I knew that if I stopped for a minute or two I could inhale it all.
I turned my attention to how I would travel. To travel mindfully, I needed to include time to sit quietly – to stop. Observe. Rest. I needed to travel slowly to keep my anxiety in check, to do one thing at a time. I needed time to reflect, not only on what I saw before me, but on things that were passing through my mind. I want to see. I wanted to see everything that was around me – the textures, the buildings, the weather, the people, the life of the place I was standing in. All of this was important.
My travel mantra became: Visit slowly, sit quietly, reflect and see.
Approaching my journey like this felt right. It gave me direction and confidence that my trip was going to have purpose.
Part 1: Break Free – 3 months in Europe
Part 2: Mindful journey to confidence
Part 3: My Travel Mantra
Part 4: Planning your itinerary in a mindful way