Grounding Rituals for Travel or Moving
The act of traveling or moving somewhere new is so, so exciting and refreshing, but for someone who loves to feel at home and grounded, it can feel unnerving for me. The past few years, I’ve been lucky to travel across the US, from Montana to NYC, and to experience other countries like Mexico, Spain, and Portugal. Now I find myself in a completely new time zone and hemisphere after moving to New Zealand for some time. Some trips have been relaxing and enjoyable, while others have been chaotic but wildly fun. I’ve found that if I incorporate a few rituals into my days, I feel grounded and at home no matter where I am. These rituals have followed me to Queenstown where they’ve only intensified so that all I have to do to find my foundation is look inward and reconnect with myself.
I listed out the rituals that have worked for me in case you find yourself feeling ungrounded in your travels, or maybe even in your own home. Enjoy. (:
Meditation. Yup I’m sure you’ve heard of this one time and time again, but there’s a reason why. If you don’t already have a regular meditation practice maybe take advantage of the new scenery to add it in. Meditation looks and feels different for everyone, so I encourage you to find the method that suits you. I prefer the traditional way — I find a quiet seat, I put my headphones in, and I listen to my favorite guides mediation, Jeff Warren’s “Daily Trip” on the Calm app. I try to do this within 30 minutes of waking and before I speak to anyone, read anything, or journal, sometimes before even rising out of bed. For you, meditation might look like going on a walk or run, sitting in a park, yoga, or staring out the window as you focus on your breath. It can be as simple or as extra as you make it.
Movement. Now I’m not saying I seek out a gym and work myself silly when I’m exploring a new part of the world. When I say movement, I mean incorporating some type of movement somewhere in my day. That might be a light yoga flow in the sun with my mom and sister, a walk to breakfast or dinner, light stretching, or, depending on where I am, a hike to see the beautiful views, swimming in the ocean or pool, or a day of skiing. My favorite moment when I was in Spain was when I took a leisurely stroll through the small town we were in and just took in the old buildings, singing birds, and musings of the people around me. Moving my body brings me back into myself and grounds me where I am so that I can fully appreciate this new place.
Journaling. I think journaling when you travel as not only a grounding ritual, but kind of like a history recording. I love to look back on journal entries from my time studying abroad in Italy. There are so many little moments that aren’t captured in pictures or in my memory, but they’re written down on a page. Another reason why I encourage journaling while traveling or moving, is because when we’re displaced from our home, emotions can run high, internal battles come to the surface, and we uncover new layers of ourselves as we uncover new places. Journaling is the ultimate form of self-reflection (for me at least) because its just you and the page, no one else. You can write out every thought, worry, fear, dream, and experience and then take a moment to reflect. Why am I feeling this way? What can I learn from this? How truly amazing was this moment?
Self-care. This one might sound obvious, because traveling can often entail self-care. Maybe you’re reading on the beach somewhere or enjoying a delicious local dessert. Some vacations though can feel tiring as you jump from city to city, from a restaurant to a museum. This is especially true when you find yourself moving — there’s not usually even time in the day to care for yourself. But I’ve found that if I dedicate even just five minutes of indulgent time, for myself and usually by myself, I become more grounded and calm. This can look like many things, but for me it’s usually a facial massage when I’m putting on my skincare, a lymphatic drainage massage on my legs or legs up the wall after a flight, reading by the pool or in the car, finding a local yoga studio and popping in for a class, getting a manicure, or maybe heading home earlier than everyone else to have a moment alone. Maybe try to stick with acts of self-care that actually benefit you, not just sitting on your phone or consuming copious amounts of alcohol. (;
Enjoy your travels or move, stay grounded, and find your zen. (: