5 Ways to Make Summer Travel a Spiritual Practice

“If you choose to wear rose-colored glasses, travel’s magic, mystery, and miracles might appear more often and synchronistically!"
-Lore Raymond

By Lore Raymond

This summer, why not make travel your new spiritual practice? It will cause you, the spiritual sojourner, to embrace change through rose-colored glasses with every now moment to experience as new, adventurous, and exciting! If you resist Travel’s Life Lessons by wearing dark-tinted glasses, the experience can become tiresome, challenging, and nightmarish!

Synchronistic surprises might not show up. The choice depends on what pair of spiritual glasses you choose to wear every day: rose-colored or tinted.

Rewind: While staying at the Oberoi Cecil in Shimla, India, my travel friend chose to sit in what appeared to be the “best side” at our historic hotel’s breakfast table; her place held a sweeping view of the dining room built in 1884. This was a sight probably savored by its famous hotel guest Rudyard Kipling, author of the Jungle Book. I could imagine him buttering his toast and sipping on Earl Grey tea in this now restored, grand British colonial room.

A bit miffed --and wearing my not so spiritual, dark-tinted glasses-- I arrived late to sit down across from her, facing the window.

She immediately gasped, “Ohhh, my God!”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Dancing across my white shirt were rainbows reflected from the 12 foot high stained glass windows.

Tears gushed.

“Why are you crying?” she asked.

I reminded her that the day before was the one-year anniversary of my dad’s death. Rainbows were his signs that he was present and all was well.

I continued gushing while appreciating my friend’s seating choice --or certainly I’d never worn the rainbows on me-- messages from my dad.

If you choose to wear rose-colored glasses, travel’s magic, mystery, and miracles might appear more often and synchronistically! Consider these five ways to make summer travel your new spiritual practice:

1) Follow a Morning Routine. Whatever you do at home, repeat while traveling. The familiar routine anchors you for the unknown adventures ahead. Get plenty of sleep, and upon waking, sip some warm lemon water (or coffee) from your travel thermos filled at dinner the night before by a kind waiter. Sniffing my favorite scent of lavender takes me home. What is your favorite scent?

Grounding is the essence of a traveler’s spiritual practice.

2) Write Two Gratitude Lists. I pack a mini-writer’s altar in a fabric clutch to hold my pen, lavender oil, candle, matches, and sacred images. This is tucked into a larger Ziploc bag with my journal and mini-flashlight. So wherever I am, I just grab this bag to settle into a cozy, lobby chair or poolside lounge chair to write in the pre-sunrise hours or whenever. It’s heart expanding to review the previous day and write a gratitude list.

Then, visualize the day ahead and write what I call an AAA List: Always Advance Appreciation. By setting the positive intentions for the day, you are sure to attract only happy energies! If you can’t or don’t write, then at breakfast with yourself or loved ones ask these three questions: What did you appreciate about yesterday? What would you appreciate seeing happening today? What role will you play to insure this happy day?

Gratitude is the unwrapped gift of a traveler’s spiritual practice.

3) Give Gifts Galore. At every hotel or vacation site, consider leaving a generous tip along with clothing and toiletries for your maid or hotel staff. What you think of as inexpensive items are often very expensive, especially in third-world countries. Pack what I call “donation cargo” and leave with a charity for that country or state. Involve your friends and family.

We did this on the Vision Quests that I led to Bali and Peru. For example, VisionQuester Charlotte from Florida, secured the unclaimed, lost and found clothing from her elementary school. When we delivered our donation cargo to a Balinese orphanage, they were especially thrilled with her 35 donated hoodies. Divine timing! The next day the orphanage staff was driving to northern Bali where it’s cold to help another seven orphanages.

Generosity is the expression of a traveler’s spiritual practice.

4) Explore More. Ask hotel and vacation staff where they practice their faith or feel spiritual. You’d be surprised at their answers. Because I’ve asked, I’ve been invited to an evening chanting ceremony at an ashram in Bali and, an afternoon revival in Alabama with a fried chicken feast afterward.

Openness is the heart of a traveler’s spiritual practice.

5) Create a Complaint & Compare-Free Zone. Make a sacred contract with yourself (and fellow travelers) to pinky-swear that complaining and comparing serves no-thing. They aren’t allowed to be a part of the travel itinerary. Non-negotiable.

Wouldn’t you agree, there’s nothing that erodes the joy of traveling more than complaining or comparing? Negative thoughts and words are like a corrosive cancer eroding the joy you’ve longed to experience. Every time you or someone complains or compares, agree to pay $5.00 to a fund that you’ll gift to someone in need at the end of your travels.
Acceptance is the spirit of a traveler’s spiritual practice.

So, wherever you’re headed this summer, alone or with family and friends, why not make your travel a spiritual practice? Consider: following a morning routine; writing two gratitude lists; giving gifts galore; exploring more and; creating a complaint and compare-free zone.

Then notice how your summer travel has that something extra special…Spirit!

Lorraine Monique “Lore” Raymond founded Women as Visionaries, Women as Visionaries with Lore Raymond, and the Divine Dialogue Writing System. She serves as a heart-centered visionary, spiritual tour guide, and transformational author. Five books are set for publication in 2016. Leading Vision Quests is another passion. Lore calls St. Petersburg, FL her heart-home space. Explore more at www.LoreRaymond.com

This article was originally published in the May 2016 edition of Elements For A Healthier Life Magazine.