I am in Scotland today with a little time in my schedule and I thought now would be a good time to post my revamped Conscious Travel Tips. Enjoy.
The above picture was taken at the magical Yorkshire Sculpture Park
One need not travel to sacred sites or holy lands to have meaningful, rich experiences. Every place on this planet is amazing, beautiful, and holy because it is part of the whole without which the Earth would not exist. I make a point to travel whenever I can.
See new places, revisit old haunts, or simply stay in motion as the journey itself becomes your destination, you should enjoy your time doing as you wish. I know that I want: connection, adventure, some alone time to feel the places that I am in, and playfulness. A holiday filled with soulfulness and joyful shenanigans is my goal every trip.
Nevertheless, traveling can be stressful. It requires the ability to improvise, adapt, and go with the flow. A good traveler is flexible, like a willow tree. A conscious traveler is present, rooted in the here and now, regardless of whether they are sitting at 40,000 feet or on the back of a bumpy tuk tuk.
Whenever I am getting ready for a trip there are a few key practices that I employ to ensure a seamless experience on the many levels.
Here are my tips on how to travel more consciously:
- Getting Ready – Before even booking the flights and hotels, take a moment to align with yourself and become calm, fluid, and open. Know that you are about to embark on a journey and your absolute focus and clarity at this point will set the tone for the trip. If you become aware of any niggly energies, attend to them before proceeding. For example, you might feel uncertain about the weather or the language. Work through the issues consciously and lovingly until tranquility returns and make your travel arrangements.
- Know the purpose – Whether it is a holiday with family or friends, or visiting a relative, I like to sit down and meditate before the journey. I love to tune in and find out what’s the purpose of the journey for me on a deeper level. On a superficial level it may be to go to the beach, spend time with family but on a soul level, it may be an opportunity to connect with a particular person in a more profound, meaningful way or be more loving to a partner or child. I adore this exercise because it helps to guide me and stay connected to my inner truths and purposes.
- Oh the places you’ll go – The planet is a living, breathing organism that we are part of. I love to appreciate each and every place that I visit by extending gifts of gratitude through my consciousness to them. I etch out a little time to be with the places that I visit. I imagine these places before humans populated them and tune into what the nature must have been like. I visualize the many changes that have occurred over the millenia in the very spot I am sitting in.
I ask in my mind’s eye: “What gift would you like from me to be perfect balance and harmony?” I listen and wait for it to tell me. Sometimes, it is an image that I see and other times I may perceive a quality or an energy or even a word. Once I get a sense of what it is that that place wants from me, I extend it to it with a gratitude and gladness. I feel the planet is our beloved friend and I love appreciating it through my consciousness.
- Being present with people – People can be tricky to navigate on holidays. There may be high expectations placed on everyone to have a great time and get along. Or, it could be that as you travel on planes, trains and bikes that you rub shoulders with strangers. For any, or all of these experiences, I adopt an anthropologist’s mindset: being curious and inquiring. I love to learn about people and what makes them tick; their stories and ambitions. I give them and myself the permission to be spacious and to take space, as needed. Using courtesy and kindness to navigate all communications.
- What to take on a trip? – My essential travel kit includes the following:
- Essential oils – peppermint, lemon, clove, tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, rose and oil of oregano. All these oils provide a compact first aid kit for anything from tummy aches to infections to clearing the air on long plane rides.
- Bentonite or charcoal – nothing like a nasty case of food poisoning or a tummy bug to cause havoc on vacation. Either of these two remedies will quicken recovery and get rid of the troublesome bacteria in the gut.
- Rose water spray – I spray this on my face to hydrate it and around me. I especially like to spray it on and above my head to clear the psychic energy.
- A cashmere shawl – I never travel without my shawl. Cashmere is worth the splurge because it is light and super cozy. A woolen one will do just fine! I have been saved by my shawl on frigid camping trips and on freezing flights. I have used it to cover my sleeping son and on walks in the evening.
- Humour – without this, a trip is just not as fun.
- On the day of travel – If I have done my due diligence as listed see above, I will meditate on the day of and visualize ease of travel and cultivate a calm, joyous state of mind. Then I let go. Normally, I get excited about a trip so once the meditation is done, the playful shenanigans begin!
How do you prepare for yor holidays and trips? Share your thoughts with us and please share this post with someone who may be traveling in the near future.
And if you’re looking to travel more in the realms of consciousness, I am always happy to guide you.