Over the past six months, I have had the opportunity to travel to many wonderful places. Last September I traveled to Spain to hike on the Camino de Santiago with six other people. This was a wonderful experience which proved to be exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Walking through the countryside of Spain gave me an up close and personal view of many things. First, it was a great way to see the country of my ancestors. Countries have personalities of their own in my opinion, and Spain proved to be welcoming and friendly.
Aside from the obvious pain to overcome from walking 13-16 miles per day, one of my greatest challenges was to remain neutral to the drama that can ensue when seven strong personalities travel together.
I was able to stay calm in the midst of some disagreements, and I know my study of yoga and daily practice of meditation helped instill a serenity in me which I have never accomplished before.
I’ve reflected on my journey in Spain recently because I have been studying Kundalini yoga. In Kundalini, it is suggested we have a daily spiritual practice called Sadhana. This practice includes meditation and a combination of exercises called a Kriya. With this discipline, we enjoy a state of Aradhana which is a blissful feeling of joy and connection with our universal self or a sense of being “at one” with the universe. Once this feeling of oneness is achieved, we have what is known as Prabhuphati. This state is one of neutrality. We come to a place of not being motivated by material things.
Without knowing as much as I know now about Kundalini, I realize my daily yoga practice on The Camino helped me to stay neutral in the throws of chaos. People could argue and get upset, while I remained neutral. For the most part, I felt an overwhelming gratitude for the fact that I was in Spain.
Next time, I will talk about my time in Germany and Holidays with my family which proved to be not-so-zen at times. Until then, let me know about your travels. Are you practicing yoga and is it helping? How? I would love to hear from you!
1 thought on “Finding Peace while traveling”
Very interesting to learn how yoga and meditation has helped you remain calm while dealing with different types of people! I’ll look forward to reading about your time in Germany and the Holidays.