Dive deep with soul activating travel

Read on to learn how:
P.S. (scroll all the way down for amazing and nourishing plant based food!)

I love travelling, the exploration of a new place and space. I love listening to murmurs of people speaking a language that isn’t my own, seeing new shapes and colours in nature that I don’t see in my own home city, looking at architecture I’m completely unfamiliar with, and experiencing the vibration of a city at sunrise, and the nuance of inhabiting a completely new space. It makes me feel so alive. I’ve decided to seriously share my wellness travel guides because travel is such an integral part of my life, and I’m so blessed and privileged to be able to do so.

The defining point to recording my experiences and being more conscious about travelling with soul activation in mind was after experiencing a Spiritual Water Cleansing (Melukat) in Bali. (See photo below)

(my incredible melukat experience on the left)

I never used to seek out spiritual experiences like this, but I felt such a call to go for it, especially after the pandemic. I had cultivated and developed my spiritual practices during the pandemic when I was stuck in the same place, but now that I was able to fly again, I wanted to expand my soul journey. Simultaneously, I was inspired by the Celtic idea of Imrama. The word Imrama means **a sacred journey of the soul**. A voyage on which we don't know where we are going, but our soul knows the way. There are many Celtic tales about setting sail, heading off into the unknown, seeking to discover who they really are, and getting in touch with their soul.

While nowadays we can plan out our trips with technology, there’s inevitably an element of the unknown. This guide seeks to provide comfort for women to embrace the unknown yet at the same time a sense of safety to explore.

There are so many gems that I’ve found along the way, and I want to share the abundance of these incredible experiences with like-minded and like-consciousness women like you! As a Projector in Human Design, I am aware of my energetic boundaries and like to really relax and take things slow. Instead of rushing through my travels, I like to pace myself and really be present with the place that I travel to. My guides are always a mix of leisure, enjoying the best of what the place or city has to offer, and of finding gems that offer space for soul connection. The pace I travel at is truly enjoyable. And while there is an itinerary, there are time blocks for exploration. I like to dine at places where I can enjoy the best of what the local cuisine has to offer, yet simultaneously carve out space for meals that nourishes my body. I always note down tips for myself if I were to return, and how I would go about it, this includes important notes on logistics. I’m so excited to share my tips here with you as well! There’s nothing worse than venturing somewhere, returning home and feeling as if your travel was a distant dream. Yet Soul Activating Travel is here to address that! When you consciously travel, you’re able to bring your experiences with you as you move forward in life.

I want to create a space for spiritual women who want to redefine how they travel, to have insight and foresight to optimise their experience.

What does Soul Activating Travel mean?

Soul Activating Travel means travelling with a spiritual conscience. I can still enjoy the iconic attractions that a place has to offer but also define at least one experience that creates an activation in my soul. A reckoning that leads to an awakening. At the very least, a journey that allows your soul to rest, explore, and just be.

What is the point of Soul Activating Travel?

Throughout my travels to 40 + countries and counting, there are simply some places I went to that I don’t remember a thing about. What disappoints me the most is having travelled, coming back home, and feeling like nothing happened. The truth is, I’d just been on a journey, and just like Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, a journey always changes you.

From that moment on, I vowed to be more conscious in my travels. This isn’t to say I can’t enjoy my vacations, but I always take a moment to be with my soul.

How do I travel and receive soul activation?

Choose 1 place that you can deeply be present with or feel any energetic awakenings. You don’t have to plan it out meticulously, because sometimes it might happen while wandering. This can be whatever you’re incredibly drawn to - whether it’s a museum where you want to see a specific piece of art, a canyon where you want to admire the viewpoint or just a space where you can enjoy the sky-scape

My personal examples include swimming in a sacred river in Puerto Rico, visiting the Uffizi in Florence to see The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, scuba diving or snorkelling through magnificent waters in the Great Barrier Reef, or watching the sun fade into the horizon in Santorini. Additionally, specifically planned spiritual experiences such as a Water Cleansing Ritual in Bali. All of these experiences left an imprint in me that is deeper than memory. It’s a soul activation.

If you hadn’t carved out space for soul activation, that’s alright! The most important part is to reflect on your travels and reckon with any experience imprinted on you. An experience that allows you to remember your ancient truths, and allows you to return home feeling renewed.

It doesn’t have to be a specific pilgrimage to a holy site (but if it is, kudos to you too!), it can be anywhere really. For me, I find these opportunities for activation and awakening in nature or a place that resonated.

Benefits of Soul Activating Travel:

Through physical journeying, I learn to enjoy the process more, and apply this ethos to my work and creativity
I don’t have to take a vacation from the vacation
I live life more thoroughly instead of watching life pass me by
I enjoy my daily life more because I integrate these soul activations into my life versus always chasing the next vacation

Tips on Authentic Soul Activation:

Invest in experiences led by locals

I’ve visited Australia many times with my family, yet it was really easy to indulge in hedonistic activities such as water parks, and dining, yet so much of the Australian cultural landscape has to be attributed to aboriginal culture. It wasn’t until my 5th time in Sydney that I joined an Aboriginal Tour, and learned so many things I wouldn’t otherwise. Our aboriginal guide shared her culture, and it was only right to see her land through her eyes. Especially as a woman of culture myself, it feels really painful to be taught my own culture by people who don’t share the same skin as I do. This isn’t to say others can’t appreciate it, but with the history of colonialism, cultural repatriation is necessary. Be intentional about what you are learning, and from who you are learning.

Practice Awareness + Presence

When I travelled with my family when I was younger, my mom would always sign us up on these low-cost travel tours. While I am incredibly thankful for the experience of being able to visit more places on one trip, it was difficult to cultivate awareness and presence. We were always on the move, and the itinerary for every moment would already be carved out. We would spend every night in a different hotel, and different city. Of course, the tour isn’t solely to blame, but rather when I was younger I hadn’t learned how to meditate and practice being more aware and present. So now, when I travel, I take a “no zero days” approach to meditation. What does this mean? This means that regardless of where we are going and what we are doing, I make time for presence. Even if I have to wake up at 4 AM for a flight, I make sure to wake up even earlier to meditate. Or if time really feels tight, then I’ll meditate while I am on the car, bus, or plane. Even if it’s 2 minutes to just recite my mantra and bring awareness to my breath, it makes all the difference.

Creating Mindful Moments

In addition to meditating, I intentionally find more pockets of mindfulness during my travels. Instead of zooming from place to place, I make more time without my phone and technology. When we’re more mindful we really become one with life instead of feeling like it’s passing us by. I still make time to take photos of my experiences, but I consciously put my phone away and make sure I enjoy the place through my physical lens instead of the camera lens. Especially during travel, it’s a wonderful time for mindful eating and walking. Instead of living life on autopilot, travel allows us to practice more mindfulness. And when we do we’re able to bring that level of mindfulness back into our daily routines and lives.

Follow for Food!

Follow along for Soul Activating Travel locations, tips, and incredible food! A huge part of the mindful and soul-activating journey involves finding the most amazing food! I try my best to be plant-based in reverence of the yogic concept of non-violence, Ahimsa, yet I am ultimately flexitarian. One thing that is definite is my lactose intolerance, so rest assured I’ll be sharing all the lactose/dairy-free places! I can’t wait to share all my amazing finds with you! (All the food in the images below are dairy free & Plant based! Cue: salivation)