Why following your intuition can help you choose a travel destination
26 October 2024
Learning lessons from travelling to Sri Lanka
I remember back in 2020 I travelled to Sri Lanka.
My intuition told me to travel there. Yet, back then I had no idea it was my intuition. It was just a strong attraction or pull. Like sometimes some countries call us. We feel a strong pull without really describing what exactly it is. It was during the pandemic that people advised me not to go there. On top of that, Sri Lanka experienced some political upheaval. But my intuition, something from within, pulled me there. So I trusted myself, back then I wouldn’t often trust myself, but it was one of those moments I didn’t care what other people told me.
When I arrived in Sri Lanka, I felt like home. Not that I would move there, but something was like home. Like arriving somewhere familiar. Where you could relax straight away. Where your nervous system calms down. Where you are in awe.
On my way from the airport to the destination was a 2-hour drive. I was in awe by the nature – so many palms, bananas – driving along the ocean left me speechless. I could quickly relax. I could reflect on life. I felt so good. Sri Lanka has a great energy – at least I noticed that if a place calls you then because something matches within you.
In Sri Lanka, I didn‘t observe or experience any political upheaval as described in the news – which made me realise that the news can dramatize and exaggerate and even put things that are simply not accurate – and the scarier thing is how many people buy into the news without knowing the truth. I experienced so much friendliness and kindness. The Sri Lankan I met were one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. And I heard from others they found Sri Lankis aggressive – and that was my second realisation. You cannot generalise! And surely not generalise for a whole nation. Let’s be honest, there are rude individuals in every country and yet there are as many nice people in every single country. IT made me realise it depends how you encounter people too. It depends on your own energy and how you treat other people.
Then one evening, I took a TukTuk which is like a motorbike and bicycle in one – somehow their equivalent to a car, cars are less frequent, at least at that time. I met a TukTuk driver who wanted to charge me more than the other drivers. And I started to bargain and he insisted on the price and I couldn’t see anyone else and it was getting dark. I got a little furious. Then when I got back to my room, I thought like Sri Lanka is officially considered a 3rd world country. People live in little houses, houses that wouldn’t even be accepted in many European countries. They see tourists be in hotels paying more for a night than there weekly or monthly wage. And I really started questioning my own behaviour. Do I really need to bargain? Do I want to be that person who bargains for 50 cents?
It made me question my own behaviour. And I observed that many others were like me. I decided to be generous. And that’s what people in Sri Lanka taught me. Being helpful. Being kind. Smile. The Sri Lankans I met smiled a lot because I smiled at them! And that’s another thing. When you smile, the world smiles back! Your energy, attitude and respect towards people even of different cultural background matter. It’s what people reflect back to you.
I travelled to another area later. And one night it happened. There was a power cut shortage ordered by the government. People didn’t have any power for the whole night basically from 7pm – no WIFI, no lights in the rooms– and that was the night one of the worst thunderstorms hit Sri Lanka – I was in my dark hotel room by the sea being completely scared.
I could feel the lightning hit the ocean – or that’s at least what it felt like – as if the ocean was shaking - a feeling I’ve never felt before. It didn’t stop. It made me realise what a precious life we live. Many people desperately want to manifest money and abundance, and I totally get it, I was no different. But in those moments you realise how abundant we are – having light, WIFI, a high standard of living… So, that made me realise that abundance or the lack of it only exists in our head/mind!
And the beliefs we hold in our mind make us experience the lack.
Something else almost made me tear up. As the lights went off and it was getting dark, there were many tourists who didn’t know about that event and felt lost without WIFI and had no clue how to get home. It was many locals who were there in their poor wood cottages with a candle guiding tourists to their home places, telling the way in such a kind and helpful way. Ironically, a lot of hotels (not mine, as I was staying locally) had power aggregates, they were the only ones who had lights and WIFI. And I had so much respect for those Sri Lankan people guiding people home. Instead of venting about tourists having light, they showed so much compassion.
It taught me a lot about humanity. You can have all the money in the world, but at the end of your life you leave without. It’s not how much you have, it’s who you are and how you treat people.
I once read a quote “People will forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel” And that’s so true for me. I will never forget my stay in Sri Lanka.
And while I believe each travel experience is unique, I wouldn’t generalise for a whole nation, my experience was superb.
I had another TukTuk driver who told me his dream would be Europe, especially Germany. He told me we would have lots of money. And I told him. “No you live in a dream place here” I think it sparked confusion between both of us wanting to swap countries in that moment. When I came back to Europe, I was so surprised at how fast-paced everything was, how stressed everyone looked. Sri Lankan people had so much less and actually more to worry about than us, and didn’t nearly look and feel so stressed than many people in the streets of many European cities do. So always remember, stress, lack and suffering happen in the mind.
In fact, it doesn’t matter where you are. Some people think they first need to travel somewhere to find themselves, and while some countries may have a special energy, you can be happy and joyful everywhere. Joy is an inside state of being. It cannot be achieved through material goods. This doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to have material goods, of course we do, yet it’s a reminder to appreciate the things we have and what’s truly important, especially in times of great misunderstandings and political insecurities. To come together as one nation. To have compassion for others. To show others love and offer some help if we can help.
After I returned back, I knew why I was guided to go to Sri Lanka. I learned so many learning lessons I couldn’t have learned in any book. And it made me aware it’s not what you read in the news or in books, it’s the experience that counts.
And it made me realise another thing. How important it is to follow our heart when we travel. Often, we may also travel to a place because it’s “the place to be” or a blogger talks about that or because of the price. I understand that too, however, sometimes it’s not about those shallow reasons, it’s rather where your heart leads you to. I’m so glad I listened to my heart and travelled to that country. It made me feel so rich on the inside, I felt like a better version of myself. So sometimes the countries you feel a magnetic pull towards have a gift for you. And even if it’s no material gift and simply a good time, nice encounters with people or major life realisations. Who knows what countries have to offer. Sometimes following our intuition can lead us to new opportunities.
So it’s so much more valuable than all those visualisations and dreams we hold in the mind. Sometimes it’s really important to become “desireless” and allow the ideas and inspiration from your intuition to flow. Just when that sudden idea popped up “Sri Lanka” when I pondered where I could travel. To my mind, it didn’t make that much sense, but I realised my heart knew why.
What does this have to do with manifestation you may say? A lot if you ask me.
It reminds us to spend our moments consciously. To follow our intuition. To be kind. To be open-minded. To encounter as beings as part of you. The more you move into a state of being like that, the more miracles and opportunities will unfold. I could have gone to XY because someone else found it nice but I wouldn't have made the same experiences.
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Where’s home? Ever asked yourself that question? So did I. More than once. Recently I returned from a two-month stay in Southeast Asia. While it initially took me some time to adjust to the new environment, you kind of get used to the new culture, different ways of being, and their daily life. When I came back to what I refer to as my hometown, as in my "birthplace" where I grew up, it felt random. Yes, there was a sense of home of course. It felt familiar. And yet, you realize you’re not the old version of yourself. That can feel stressing. And there are two major possibilities that often happen. You either fall into the old traps or you feel like you need to move again or at least change something. You feel you can’t continue your life the way you did before you left it. This is mainly because you’re not the same version of yourself, you often feel the need of adjusting on the outside. What I realized in particular was how old clothes or even furniture no longer aligned. But it didn’t feel like a happy moment. Letting go of old versions of yourself feels like dying. You leave some old part of you behind. And while that moment can be disturbing or even challenging, you see how it has to happen. It’s part of life. You need to make room for the new. The only constant is change. I personally find this is an ongoing process. Not a one-time event. We undergo continuous changes, and with certain changes, the past cannot accompany us. In fact it binds us. It keeps us trapped in a way. Therefore, I have discovered that the only effective approach is to embrace the sadness. Allow the grief. Grieving old versions of ourselves can be a real thing. I remember when I was a young kid and I grieved that I outgrew my favorite trousers. It felt heartbreaking. And after you allow that sadness and give honor to your path and all your past selves that led you to where you are today, you come to a point where you find gratitude and a new lightness. Even if the path is not yet clear. Even if you have no idea where to head next, you know most likely you can’t continue the same way you always have. It just no longer feels aligned. I feel it doesn’t only happen in our individual lives but collectively too. Cultures and towns are changing, which requires adjustment. There’s a different time and different opportunities, but the old is gone. You can feel it in the air as if the ancestors' spirits echo. So after living or spending time abroad, you suddenly ask yourself, "Where's home?” When you move abroad, you're a foreigner in that new country. But after a longer stay abroad, you now even feel like a stranger in your home country. As much as many of us like travelling and spending time abroad, there can come a time you feel like settling down. But for people traveling and exploring the world, this can be frightening. Not because of staying in one particular place, but rather, to be confronted with the question: where is my home now ? I believe there’s not a right or wrong way when it comes to settling down or thinking about it. There’s only the way that works for you. And as with all in life, you sometimes have to try what works for you in particular. That can be different for each single one of us. What I’ve found for myself is this. Home is in the heart When you feel good with yourself, no matter where you go, you carry that warmth. You know how to be comfy even if your body temporarily feels uncomfy in the new environment. In the moment I wonder, "Where's my home?" without having a direct answer. I center within myself. I ground myself even deeper. Feeling the energy of a place Secondly, what I feel makes you come closer to the answer to that question is to perceive the energy of a place. Places carry energy too. That’s why some places feel light and others feel heavy. Some feel inspirational; others feel dull. So the atmosphere of an apartment can have a great impact on how you feel. Engage with the surrounding Thirdly, home is what you make out of it. It’s the people that make a place special. If you engage in life, initiate something, or open yourself up, your home takes on a new meaning. Stay where it feels good right now, it doesn't have to be forever Fourthly, it’s good to embrace a place as your home without feeling this has to be your forever place. This takes out the pressure. There can be such pressure of making the right or wrong decisions. Sometimes we’re pulled towards places, and they’re exactly where we need to be or what can teach us valuable lessons. Let your heart choose where it takes you next In times of social media and AI, there’s an increasing amount of loneliness arising. People mingle less. They meet less. There’s less art. While AI can have a lot of benefits for making our lives easier, it’s important not to lose our connection to ourselves. Not to lose the creativity. This is what shapes us. It’s not Alexa answering questions; it’s asking our heart the question: what feels good next? The more heart-aligned we are, the more we feel drawn to places, activities, and people that can give us a sense of belonging. Remind yourself you're a temporary visitor Yet, "Where's home?” sometimes remains almost a mystical question. Because on a deeper level, we’re here on Planet Earth temporarily. It’s not our true home. Some souls originate from other star systems or, in the end, from the ether. The nonphysical. That’s why on some days when I feel confused and ask myself, "Where's home?” I remind myself it’s deep in my heart. I’m reminded that I’m a temporary visitor, and instead of being sad or going into over-doubt, I try to remind myself to make the most out of the moment as long as I’m here. Planet Earth is my temporary home now. There’s something beautiful dissolving underneath. The attachment to a specific culture, identity, or place. You realize you’re neither this nor that. On a larger scale this helps you detach a little more from the strong human role and connect a little more to the soul that isn’t bound to a specific place or identity. Allow yourself to experience different versions of yourself Lastly, I remind myself of why I’m here. To experience different versions and identities of myself. I came here for the experience. And so I don’t have to stay the same all my life. It’s ok to let go of past versions. Even if sometimes it feels easier, sometimes it feels more hurtful. I always imagine how trees go through the same dying process each autumn. They drop their leaves. It made me become aware of how nature is so used to the dying process and letting go of the old. Only we humans sometimes hold on to so many things: old memories, old identities, old structures. Imagine nature would resist change the way a lot of humans do; we wouldn’t even have food. Focus on being more, not just doing more Being home reminds me to focus on being more instead of doing more. What people used to call “fear of missing out," referring to a phenomenon to engage in the latest trend, now has slowly turned into an emerging concept of “the joy of missing out." The question of being home reminds us it’s not always about exciting highs and moments that fill you with immense adrenaline; it can be a calm evening at home filled with nice music and candles knowing you're exactly at the right time at the right place. So if you’re currently also going through a period where you ask yourself, "Where's home?” Allow yourself to access deeper layers of yourself. While the grieving and dying process can be hurtful, most likely this process brings you to new realizations or a shift in the way you do, think, and perceive things. Every time I feel off in a place, I make myself become aware that it’s a perfect moment to anchor deeper. To connect a little deeper to my soul instead of my human identity. One day, this whole life fades in the blink of an eye, and all there is is the memory. So let’s fill it with rich experiences and memories and appreciate that each year has its memories. Did you ever experience déjà vu in another country? Like you felt you had been there before? That’s not random. There can be past life connections. I share more about how traveling made me remember my past lives in various countries. And that can contribute to the fact that you may feel so inspirational in some countries and so dull in other towns. Stay tuned.
Today I want to give you a deeper perspective on the deeper meaning behind diseases and how you can rewire your subconscious mind to kind of heal the root cause of diseases. What's happening these days is that a lot of people, when they are faced with a disease or they get a diagnosis, get into fear and panic. And this is a normal reaction. And what is happening on planet Earth is that a lot of people are treating the symptoms. And they're just looking at one main question: How can I get rid of the disease? And they treat the symptoms, which is not a bad thing, obviously. But a lot of people miss the deeper meaning, what it actually caused. They miss the valuable question: What caused the disease? If you kind of miss the deeper meaning, there are many different things that can happen. There’s a higher likelihood that the disease will return a couple of years later or that you may develop another disease because it can shift to another organ or body part if it is not eliminated subconsciously. Sometimes, you face the consequences of a surgery that left you unhappy, and you're dealing with the consequences if it went wrong or resulted in a lower quality of life. Many people are unhappy with their surgery or treatment. That's why I want to share what I have learned during my journey with diseases, especially for those like me who are seeking deeper answers. A disease is not bad luck. It's basically your body talking to you. Your body is signaling that something is at dis-ease, not at ease. And today I want to show you that from an energetic perspective. We have to understand that everything in this universe works in energy. This is not esoteric, it's physics. Understanding this concept can help you a lot when dealing with diseases. So from my personal understanding, diseases only exist in a certain level of consciousness, on a certain energy vibration. Let's say your reality is a bit like a radio sender or a TV sender. You know, when you switch on the TV, you watch a special movie, or you're presented a reality. It doesn't mean that this is the only reality, the only movie, but you are tuned into the frequency right now. If you don't like what you're seeing, you need to switch the sender to have another experience, let’s say, watch a different movie. Like let's say you want to watch a comedy, which means you want to have more fun in life or you want to experience health. That's why the true healing is not treating the symptoms but the root cause. It’s linked to energy. You need to look at what caused it. And it's usually old patterns. It's something like trauma. It's low energy. It's some inner stuff you haven't processed. And that keeps you in that reality, in that vibration where diseases are possible. If you switch your energy to a higher vibration, let's say you rewire your subconscious mind and you kind of neutralize the trauma and the emotions from within, and you move into a state of joy and following your heart and reconnecting with yourself, well, guess what? Your body or your cells, which are the transmitters for consciousness, adjust to your new vibration, and they can actually kind of recover more quickly. And this is what happens when you sometimes see people who heal overnight, and it seems like a miracle. But in truth, they might have such a deep energetic shift, like something like an identity shift, or where they release something, that suddenly when they release this old pain and trauma, the body kind of recovers so quickly that the symptoms fade. And this phenomenon is the kind of thing I would not even say it's magic; it’s the result of shifting energies within you. Sometimes when you shed old trauma or emotions, it can feel very dark. It's not that you feel good. It can feel like you're moving through hell internally. But that is the true healing or how you can actually really treat the root cause. Because if you treat the root cause, then you might even get the surgery to have that thing removed. It doesn't matter, or at least it doesn't mean you can't get surgery. But if you know the root cause, at least it doesn't come back because it's kind of neutralized. The lesson is learned. Otherwise, if you only treat the symptoms without addressing the underlying energetic patterns that led to your experience, you may still have energetic resonance points, as everything operates on energy. So later, this trauma kind of haunts you like, you know, it's not gone. This is because the subconscious mind works a bit like a computer. If you have some old beliefs, it's just like some old files on a computer. You might not see them. You might forget about these old files. You might not think about the past or go like, "Oh, I have emotional trauma.” That's not how it works. It's not conscious, but it's running in the background, so to speak. And this can cause you to repeat the experience and the lessons. Sometimes you see people that after a couple of months, they have another disease, or let's say they first had problems with their legs, and then they treated the symptoms. And then later they have problems with the heart because the trauma or the deeper meaning was not healed. You know what I mean? That's why it's really important, or what I personally see as a big opportunity for humanity, to look a bit deeper and to go into energetic healing, which doesn't mean you can never make use of school medicine. Of course you can. But to really treat the root cause of the disease, look a bit deeper and become curious about what your body is trying to teach you. Because otherwise, if you just treat the symptoms and then you go back to your old reality, please be aware that your old reality where you are right now brought you to that disease. So obviously you cannot go back in there because you risk having another disease, you know? So you need to change. Remember that example that I mentioned with the radio or the TV? You need to kind of shift the sender. In other words, you need to shift your energy from within so that in the future it might not happen again. And when you do that, you can actually experience the true healing from within. That’s the kind of beauty about it. And also sometimes what's unknown to society, which is kind of kept secret, because obviously some entities have interests that are not in the best interest of society. There are some people on Planet Earth who make a lot of money from surgery, pills, and that kind of stuff. And you know what? Changing your energy from within is free. Like, you have to imagine that it's free. You can do this right here and right now. You can start right here and right now. And you basically, if you know some of the tools, you don't even need someone outside. You don't even need to spend thousands of Euros. You know what I mean? Like, this is why sometimes it's not known to the masses. I’m aware some people are doubting energy work. Some people might say that it's not working and it's all made up. However, it is important to note that science has confirmed that everything in this universe is made up of energy. So it's not even esoteric. It's physics. It's already proved by science. And secondly, people can't see electricity. You can't see electricity. So you can't basically see electricity, which gives you a picture on your TV, but you're not doubting it because you see the image on TV. And that's what I always say. You don't have to believe me or believe anyone. You just try it out. Try changing your energy and observe how your external circumstances actually change. Because that's the only way you can know. Like, a lot of people don't believe it, or some believe it and others don't. But believing is not knowing. How can you truly know if something works for you? You need to try it out and see the results for yourself. And as soon as you have like first successes, you realize, oh, this is kind of interesting. And that's why I always say don't believe in anything like that. Just try it out. If you're currently going through a disease, learn to change your energy from within and just see what happens. This is not a guarantee to heal your disease straight away, although nothing is impossible. When you change your energy from within, you feel and see things differently than when you're in complete fear or just treating the symptoms. And that's a message I wanted to share and just raise some awareness that there are in fact other possibilities.