Sacred Travel

Travel is a beautiful way to discover both the world and ourselves. I have been blessed to travel to 45 countries so far in my lifetime. Through my experiences both living and traveling abroad, I’ve come to understand spirituality through a unique lens, that of exploration and discovery. Each country that I’ve visited holds a special vibration, a distinct energetic grid. Some of these energies have been healing, others more challenging, each place teaching me a different lesson in my soul’s journey.

One of my most memorable and life changing travel experiences was in India. People tend to either love or hate India. The energy is raw, intense, pulsating with the bright colors of fabrics, the warmth of Indian chai and turmeric spices, stimulating and awakening all of the senses. India has a distinct vibration that teaches you to surrender, to release control and just live in the moment. Northern India will ground you in the here and now through daily activities as mundane as crossing the chaotic streets. Often absent of traffic lights, you have no other choice but to place your faith in the Divine that the cars speeding towards you will somehow slow down and that you won’t be hit by either a scooter or a passing cow. India serves as a mirror, showing you what your soul needs to see, to face, in order to evolve. If you allow your ego to step aside, to release expectations and just follow where the energy is taking you in that moment, you will fall in love with the diversity of this country and its people. If not, you may find yourself sick at some point, wondering what possessed you to visit a place that can seem so frenzied and disorganized, while your heart drops each time that a small child reaches out his or her hand to ask you for change. Similar to humans, India is both fascinating and perplexing due to the many diverse layers that it holds.  

During my first trip to India I traveled alone. I intended to go to Dharamsala to do a second Reiki Master training, however the universe had other plans. My flight was cancelled (an unforgettable experience in itself with Air India), I found myself unexpectedly in Delhi for the night where I went for a walk, was led by an unassuming teenager to a “tourism” office, got scammed (and propositioned, never a dull moment) and ended up instead in Rishikesh, considered one of the holiest cities in India. I surrendered to the journey and just went with it, with no clear intention other than to connect with my intuition and try some yoga. And this was when the magic happened: I met a kindred spirit, experienced a karmic connection and found love, healed trauma, and experienced everything that my soul was yearning for in that moment. These events all manifested when I allowed myself to throw away any and all expectations (including any semblance of a plan or even knowing what was happening from day to day) and just let go. It was liberating and empowering, experiencing life from a space of pure joy, truly living in and appreciating the present moment. After my trainings in Astrology, I learned that my sun line goes through India, meaning that it is a place where I am meant to experience new beginnings. I was drawn to visit India at that time because this was exactly what my soul needed in its evolution.

Another country where I experienced a different yet equally powerful energy of transformation was in Thailand. Spend time on one of the islands such as Koh Samui and you will feel life slow down, as you immerse yourself in the healing vibrations of nature. Thailand supports you in the journey of self-introspection with a more mellow and gentle energy. You will realize how content one can be with just a coconut and the ocean, how we humans tend to overcomplicate our life with the constant desire created by the matrix of seeking “things” that we don’t actually need. The vibration of Thailand invites you to create space for presence, to be still in nature, connecting with the healing waves of the sea as you contemplate the orange and violet hues of the most gorgeous sunsets you may ever experience within your lifetime. In these moments, you come to realize what truly is and is not important to finding happiness. As a Buddhist country, filled with temples in every corner, Thailand holds a sacred reverence for life. You can pray with monks, connect with the sacred energy of hope and experience a sense of profound inner peace, of oneness with the Divine.

My initial journey to Thailand was on the anniversary of my father’s birthday, several months after his passing. In astrology my Chiron line, connected to the wound that we all must heal in this lifetime, runs through Thailand. It is therefore not surprising that my first trip there was to do my Reiki Master training (a form of Energy Healing). That visit, and each one since, has provided a welcoming and profound healing experience. Thailand is the place that my soul goes to be still and present, to connect with a deeper sacred energy, to remember that we all come from and return to a space of divine love.

I encourage you to think back upon the places you have traveled to, or perhaps those that are calling to you, and connect to the energy of each space. There is a message coded within that vibration, an invitation from the universe to remember in each place more of who you really are, to explore, to grow and expand. This is sacred travel.