Climbing the highest mountain in my country: Triglav

In a far far away land, in a country called Slovenia, there are emerald rivers and beautiful forests. There is a tiny part of see shore where I originate from, and there are the mountain chains, including the Alps. The highest mountain of them all is a 2864 m high giant named Triglav (almost 9400 ft). We have its symbol also on our national flag. Not long ago I climbed on top of Triglav. The mountain felt like a very good personal trainer. I have learned so much and this are some lessons that I integrated from the experience.

Every trip is a representation of your life.

This was just a mini-version of my big journey, rediscovering what is meaningful to me, and what I have to be careful for. All the strengths and issues, and the situations I found myself in, were a part of how I was functioning at that moment. It was a journey inside myself that counted the most, a path of self-discovery and testing my own limits.
Everything is in your head.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” ― Henry Ford

We are creating with our thoughts, so we must pay attention to what we are thinking. What is really in our head. What Are we telling ourselves to be, what do we believe in? It’s also important to know that whatever happens, it always helps you to grow and develop. I had the honor and the pleasure to be present and observe all what was happening to me while walking, the good and the bad, so I now know how can I be more mindful in my everyday life.
What is more important, the goal or the path?

I think both is equally important, as without a goal, we probably wouldn’t have so much motivation to start the path, but the path represents 99.999% of the journey, so of course the majority of revelations you are going to experience are before and after your goal has been achieved. My goal was to reach the top of the mountain, but I am a more experienced person because of the path I have walked to get there.

Having good company.

Having a good friend with you, can make the experience twice as fun and informative. If your friend values the same things as you do, you are going to help each other out, even unknowingly. It will enhance your experience. I would also always choose quality over quantity, expression over stubbornness, and listening over controlling. Also know that likeminded people attract each other, almost like magnets. Even if you are alone, you will attract someone similar to you no matter where you go, even on a top of a mountain. I want to thank my dear friend Kaja, for gifting me and taking me on a wonderful journey like that. This was one of the most meaningful birthday gifts so far <3.
Stay positive.

Be flexible and always turn the situation so it can be helpful to you, not the other way around. Being positive also means that you feel safe, as fear will take your precious positivity away from you. And there is a statistical probability that you will succeed earlier, if you rock your positivity.
Patience.

When you think something should be already over, or it is taking too long to complete itself, you are being impatient. Try to redirect your thoughts on to something more creative and productive.
A spiritual experience.

Always when you have to conquer so much, you will have a spiritual experience with it. You are having a spiritual experience always when you are interacting with the non-physical. And when you are walking for hours and hours, on a very severe slope, and you are too tired to talk with your friend beside you, you automatically start talking to the non-physical (let it be your own consciousness, the sky, the universe, God or the mountain itself). Whoever you are talking to, you are forming a spiritual bond that is not defined by physicality. But that does not mean you can not have an exchange of energy with it.
The difference between deciding what you want and making a wish.

There is a difference between making a decision and making a wish. The second is the expression, or the manifestation of the first one. Your decision is not enough to get results. We have to start expressing the decision, let it be with a straightforward action or with communicating the wish to somebody else. The aim is to make a wish to redirect your perception, and thus the outcome of the situation.

Make a wish and manifest your desires.

Try to express your desires in any shape or form. I had the beautiful opportunity to watch the mountain sky at night in front of the cottage. And I saw 4 shooting stars in barely 5 minutes. This was a beautiful opportunity to actually consciously lead my intentions, and redirect my life in the way that I felt and desired. Always wish for something meaningful, a feeling rather than a possession.
Respect your body.

I am still learning how to use my energy properly. How much do I spend it and how much do I retract. You will probably think that it wasn’t wise what I have done… And it actually wasn’t wise or smart at all… I went on a 2 day high intensity trip with only a maximum 3 hours of sleep. Because I was tired and exhausted after the first day of walking, I haven’t really eat as much as I should. The night on the top of the mountain was too exciting for me to even sleep properly, so I again slept only for 4 hours. My backpack was full of un-useful stuff, that was making it super heavy, in comparison with what other hikers were caring with them. Also while returning back I felt pain in my knees, because they were not used to this kind of exercise at all. I’ve learned a very important lesson: to respect my body and its limits. Sometimes I overdo things, and it can throw me out of balance. Luckily I eat a healthy vegan diet, but I have to fuel my body with other things too, to keep it happy and satisfied. Balancing my time to sleep and exercise, and hydration are also very important. Maybe is not super important to me, but it sure is super important to my body, so I have to respect that.

When things don’t go your way.

What if you suppose everything will go smoothly, but then you get stuck or you get hurt in a way? Try to not freak out. I do believe whatever is happening to you at the moment is always meaningful. I choose to find meaning and reason in everything. (In other words: Everything happens for a reason). You will reach your destination only, when you will discover all the things inside of you, that are not in alignment with the state of being you are striving for. Accept the circumstance that occurs and use it in your favor. That would be a very effective way to use your time.
Reaching the top!

Reaching the top filled me with love and gratitude. I was happy to have come so far. I was breathing the diluted air in the crown of our highest mountain. Having the ability to do all this is incredible. And knowing myself, nothing could be more exciting for me then seeing animals at the end of the journey. A flock of alpine choughs (Pyrrhocorax graculus) have totally astonished me. Their impressive skills to fly and move themselves in beautiful three-dimensional shapes is something I will never forget. I don’t want to sound cheesy, but being grateful is the best way to bring more magic and sychronicity into your life. It does fuel people with motivation to live an engaging life. Nevertheless I rediscovered something I already knew before: Overcoming the challenges gives you some of the greatest joys of all.

Peace Movement In Thailand

One day I was unknowingly browsing through the internet and my eyes suddenly stopped on these words; Peace Revolution Fellowship – Meditation Retreat in Thailand. I remember my heart just stopping for a moment, as something inside of me knew, that this has just majorly changed the course of my life.

I clicked on the link and began to read. I was amazed. The level of positivity I could feel while reading their program was overwhelming. I already knew a lot about meditation, I also did meditate from time to time. But I have never been consistent with it. My meditations before were usually very short and spontaneous, always different and inspired by unusual events. And there is nothing wrong with that. But I wanted to go deeper into this practice, as I knew there is a lot more to it.

There was a meditation program that you had to take at home, in order to apply for the meditation retreat. I gave my best while following the program, and at the end I was accepted.

So, in October of 2015 I went to my first 15-day trip to Thailand. I remember reading the instructions provided by Peace Revolution, which were full of information about the trip. There was one advice that said it is best to come without expectations. So I did. I took the advise so literally, that I didn’t even know the name of the island we were later living on.

I remember waiting for my flight in Venice and checking my to do list. I usually have my list just filled with activities, some of which I keep postponing for weeks. So I don’t even remember a time beside this one, when I really took everything aside and went on a adventure without any external pressure on my mind. I remember being so happy, when I checked out my last task in my task manger, that I made a screenshot of it. I also knew that on the retreat site I wasn’t aloud to use my phone or iPad, so I was pretty sure that what was awaiting me, was going to be an experience of freedom. And just that alone felt so liberating.

I knew I was going to meet some people there, but I haven’t put much thought into it. As soon as I met the group I already felt like we are going to match perfectly together. And so it was. Meeting the group in Bangkok felt almost like coming home. I immediately felt welcomed and all the interactions were just kind and exciting.

The next day we took a bus and a boat to Mooktawan sanctuary on the island Koh Yao Noi. When we arrived we were greeted with fresh coconut and smiley people. Each one of us got a roommate and a little wooden house. We were surrounded by the tropical nature. As a student of biology I was extremely fascinated by the enormous quantity of animal and plant life around me. It was my first time being in a tropical area, and seeing so many butterflies, lizards, centipedes, beetles, birds, bats, spiders, cockroaches, snakes and even monkeys – it was just heaven for me.

The next day we started to meditate. We normally had 4 meditation sessions a day, each of which was 2 hours long and consisted of a lesson followed by the meditation itself, both of them guided by a Buddhist monk. The lovely monks that were staying with us and guiding us on our inner journeys were immensely wise and caring. They opened my eyes to a totally different aspect of religion, so much more noninvasive and openminded from what I knew before. I especially loved their simplicity. We people tend to give meaning to every circumstance that happens to us. And there is nothing wrong with that either, as I do believe everything that happens really does hold a message for us. But the monks always blew my mind with the most simple answer you could think of. If at the and of the meditation you asked them for instance: “I saw a butterfly in my meditation, what does it mean?” He simply replied: “It doesn’t really matter, the important thing is that you enjoyed your meditation.”

So there we were, an international, amazing, creative, passionate group of people meditating together and discovering how it feels like to just sit down with yourself and observe your own body and mind. Each one of us has its own unique frequency that makes us unique. Through meditation we can connect to our core, and when we start really enjoying it, we start to embrace ourselves more, we start to love and appreciate our energy, and we become more of who we really are (and not just who we learned to be). So you can imagine the positive effects were overwhelming. I was feeling relaxed and empowered at the same time, I felt like my heart was singing and my mind was fresh like a wind breeze. As the whole group felt these effects, the connections between us happened to be very sincere and real. While having a peaceful state of mind there was no room in my head for irritation, fear, anger or anxiety.

There were some moments on the island, when I felt so comfortable with myself, my surroundings and my experience… that I really felt like I wasn’t solidly on Earth anymore. Like I have transcended into a different reality full of love and light.

The most amazing thing is that even though the retreat ended in 2 weeks, I earned some skills that I can now use for all my life. And also I have met people that I will hold close to my heart, for all my life.

The meditation training totally changed my meditation practice. Meditating for 30 minutes seemed just to long, before having this experience. But since than, time just flys by when I meditate, and 1 hour sessions are not a rare gem anymore.

Before the trip I was wondering if I am gonna come back different in any way. Fanny thing is that I did not go to Thailand to find myself. But on the airplane back home I noticed that this experience has changed my life. I sank deeper into myself and discover talents and desires that I wasn’t so aware of.

And you know what??? The whole retreat was free of cost, and you can have it too. You can check out Peace Revolution site and enroll into the application process. They are an amazing organization that empowers people to embody peace. Their trips to Thailand are happening at least twice per year and really everybody is welcome. That is actually also the point. The more of us who will have such a liberating experience like this – the better, more loving, caring and peaceful the world is going to get.

 

Take the chance to discover a new world full of excitement and possibilities.

Much love and light ✨😊