Sacred Transitions in Nepal - The Inner Journey

Co facilitating a two week traveling retreat in Nepal created a rare kind of mirror. Again and again, the outer landscape seemed to echo the inner one. Mountains, rivers, temples, villages, silence, movement, conversation, uncertainty, beauty. Everything became part of the process.

The participants, together with Simon Goland, my wonderful facilitation partner, and myself, moved between the external experience and our own personal inner processes with grace, openness and vitality.

We began by becoming acquainted with our own transition journeys.

Where are we now?Where have we been?Where are we heading?

Slowly, we began to explore what it means to be “in transition.”

Is it a phase? Is it concrete? Maybe it’s a mindset?

We explored transitions of many kinds. Personal, familial, professional, geographical, spiritual and emotional. Each person was on their own unique journey, while the group created space for different needs, rhythms, depths and experiences to emerge.

The journey took us out of the comfort zones of our daily lives and into the mystery of what was unfolding, here and now, for each person.

Our days became a gentle mixture of exploring Nepal and navigating our inner landscapes.

With the support of various methods including writing, art, meditation, silence, conversation, walking, dancing, breathing, yoga and qi-gong, fountains of emotions bubbled through the quiet- laughing, crying, grief, joy, feeling overwhelmed as well as releasing ancient loads, witnessing and being present to what was emerging.

The mountains and open spaces created a natural invitation to listen inwardly and to allow what had been whispering quietly inside to emerge and be heard.

There was something about the rhythm of movement itself that seemed to soften us.

As the noise of ordinary life became more distant, we began to see more clearly, sense more deeply and attune more accurately to ourselves.

As we each experienced our individual transition, I sensed the human experience as both deeply shared and entirely unique.

In Nepal, I felt how life is constantly emerging, changing form, dissolving and reappearing in new ways. This sense was everywhere, woven into the culture, the rituals, the countless Hindu deities, the Buddhist teachings, the cycles of nature and the daily life around us.

A gentle clarity began to emerge.

There were endings that needed to be honored.There were beginnings that were not yet fully formed, as if still in the mist before the early sunrise.There were beliefs and ideas that had served their purpose and were ready to be re-evaluated.There were new ways of knowing that began to appear.

For me, different parts of my life came closer together. Dreams, wishes, grief, questions and new answers began to sit side by side.

With a clear mind, patterns became more visible, houghts, feelings and sensations began to carry more meaning. Finally, my inner voice(s) became louder and clearer, solving some long unanswered questions while also introducing some new ones to contemplate.

What made this retreat so meaningful was not only Nepal- though Nepal was breathtaking- but the group. The beautiful souls who created the space together.

For two weeks, Sacred Transitions became a kind of temporary world; a sacred space of honesty, presence, deep listening and acceptance. In this world, the outer journey and the inner journey could meet. In this world, people could be witnessed in their questions, their courage, their tenderness and their becoming.

Both the experience and the outcome were deeply meaningful.

There is a saying in Nepal that anyone who visits Nepal becomes a better version of themselves. I do not know if becoming “better” is exactly the word I would choose- maybe more connected or more awake or honest, more attuned or ready to meet life as it is. I can’t wait to go back again.