With my birthdays looming larger with each passing year, I’m putting aside more time for the travels that a busy practice and lifestyle typically postpone. My visits to sometimes well known, sometimes exotic destinations have taught me about art, architecture and native cultures and cuisines. But more eye-opening than the wondrous views seen from high peaks and lofty observation platforms are the personal insights that have enriched my inner life. Two motifs born of my travels stand out.
Being lost in a foreign place can create panic as you search desperately to find a familiar landmark; or you can conclude, with curiosity replacing apprehension, you simply are where you are. Admittedly that’s a bit simplistic, but short of a life threatening situation, isn’t it more fun to look at the unknown as adventure that awaits rather than danger that lurks?
Baffled by the twists and turns of the narrow, cobblestone streets of the little Mexican town of Patzcuaro, my husband and I would have needed a silo full of bread crumbs to find our way back to the hotel where we were staying. “We’re lost,” I said. “We sure are,” he answered with a laugh. And so, witness to our anxieties but not at the mercy of them, we turned the corner… and found ourselves at the lively town square where a troop of lavishly costumed indigenous dancers were performing. What a great time we had! And as it turned out, the hotel was a short walk away.
Trip Advisor will not give you this advice, but the point is, when you are mindful of your feelings and can observe them rather than being caught up in them, your awareness is focused on what is rather than what the apprehensive mind is projecting, typically the worst case scenario. As the Buddha says, “As you think, so you are.”
A second theme emerging from my travels is a renewed understanding that I can take flight to the most awe inspiring of destinations without packing a bag! Instead of a ticket to fly me to Paris or New York I can sit quietly and use a mantra to take me to a realm beyond the reach of the most modern jet – the inner Self. And again, it can be frightening to go to a place that is unmapped and foreign to most (the ego is loath to give up control). But becoming lost in meditation and being absorbed into pure consciousness is a joyous journey.
In our frantic, modern world we take vacations from hectic work environments by traveling to beaches and hiking mountain trails and exploring the highlights of world class cities. The good news is that you can afford to go on a vacation every day without leaving home and without spending money. When you meditate, just like on vacation, you leave restlessness and worries behind. Enjoy the trip!
In-Sourcing Blog 