Travel & Adventure

Elements: Room & Sky

At the bottom of a mountainous landscape, about to embark on a strenuous journey up to the top, you find yourself in need of a moment for reflection – a pause to refocus your attention on the present moment and your current surroundings, and to find your center. Glancing up at the strong, wise and sacred rock formations that have organically formed over the last 100 million years, you spot your villa, nestled between the highest peaks. You gently close your eyes, with an internal knowing that some force, even the mountains themselves, are navigating you along your path. Observing the way your breath moves you, you consciously take a deep inhale through your nose and feel it pass through your lungs, into your solar plexus. The pure oxygen released from the surrounding foliage illuminates your cells with warm light energy and you feel empowered once again to rise, with the knowledge that you are supported by the surrounding terrestrial wisdom.

Our technology-dependent, whirlwind lifestyles have created a culture of being so far removed from each other, from our natural guidance systems and from the inner knowing that we are never alone, that we allow it to distract us from the raw, uninhibited beauty that envelops us. It is only once we return to our breath and to nature that we allow for essential moments of reflection – a time to slow down and reconnect with ourselves; the loving, life-sustaining oxygen continuously supplied to us by our mother earth; and in turn to each other.

This return to our breath and the act of deep breathing in wildly natural landscapes cannot be compared to meditation in the city. There is a reason why turning off a wifi connection enables better sleep, concentration and focus – there is no longer an interference disrupting the intuitive frequency of our brainwaves.

Climbing a mountain is humbling. It shows you how much time it takes for an unshakeable landmass to form and how patience is essential when learning, growing and creating. Compared to the age of the earth, humans have only existed for an instant. We have a lot to learn from the wisdom of nature. The act of rising to an improved vantage point or elevated state through adversary, struggle or hits to the ego, is only possible once we’ve taken the time to internalize what we would like to improve upon and acknowledge that we are inspired by something greater than ourselves.

Various cultures around the world maintain the importance of mountain worship and sacredness, as they demonstrate a power that is to be awed and revered. It’s been said that the energy felt when surrounded by mountains is parental. It provides a sense of protection and teaches the importance of balance, wholeness, completion and structure.

The act of climbing teaches us that the perseverance required to sustain through life’s stressors is about leaning into the loss of control and the dissolution of our ego. Taking chances and making steps, even missteps, nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave. And once we come into a state of acceptance, no longer needing to suppress any discomfort that arises from imperfection, we can simply experience each moment with loving wisdom. The strength and clarity that comes from this acceptance allows for a sense of security and stability in the knowledge that you are always complete and whole just by being. This wisdom is constantly being reflected in the strength that our natural environment has maintained. And it is here that we can find guidance, if we only breathe, open our senses and listen. The truth is, we are constantly being supported by a legion of seen and unseen forces, whether that be our ancestors; the earth, which continuously supports our thriving here; or the air we breathe.

“It is once we are at the top, having reached the rewarding view from the clouds and looking down upon the civilizations we’ve built, that we can accept just how small, humble and infantile the human race is. It is here that we are truly granted the time for reflection on how we would like to improve from our journey so far, elevate our consciousness and truly ascend. It is here we realize that life should not be reduced to an obsessive need to arrive or attain but to enjoy the journey as we experience it. And the point of it being, whether to collect and internalize the lessons we would like to impart to our generations to come or for our personal growth and improvement. We must find time for these moments of reflection, because it is only here that we can heal ourselves and in turn heal the world.”