Highlights of 2014

2014 was not only the year of the Horse but also the year of Love and, WOW! How many great, magical and life altering moments and journeys I got to experience! Here is my attempt to summarise my travels within and without from 2014. Enjoy and please share your stories in the comments below! 

1.     Around Costa Rica and across Worlds

Starting the year off in one of my favourite countries, and one of the two I currently call “home”, by purging and cleansing and working in various traditional shamanic ceremonies such as the Temazcal (sweat lodge) and the meeting with Ayauaska. Many great journeys within oneself and between worlds are made in traditional ritual and ceremony, personally one of my favorite ways of traveling. I also got the chance to travel around Costa Rica together with my best friend and show him the magic of the country before heading on to the next adventure: Yoga Teacher Training in the desert! The adventures, travels and challenges were overlapping each other these first months of 2014! Thank you all – new and old- friends and family that helped make these voyages MAGICAL!  

2.     Space of Love

As I got back to Sweden in the start of summer, I was guided to visit a Yoga Festival on an island outside the east coast. Little did I know how those 2 weeks would continue the flow and journeys that started in Costa Rica and, at the same time be a trigger point for what would come next. It truly is a Space of, for and with Love. I met long lost friends and lovers- new to this lifetime, served the fire, encountered Grandfathers from the North and traditions completely new to me, and I experienced Love in ways I never knew of. Love, Connections and Journeys within and without with guidance from the medicines of song, dance, yoga, ceremony and human beings with big hearts. Thank You ALL! 

3.     Summer Love Tour

I continued the summer by touring Sweden together with my best friend. We had no plans as how to transport ourselves or where to end up on our way to the North and my family house. We packed yoga gear, food, a tent and all the necessities for camping- yes, we carried more than ever before on our backs! – and we hit the road. There is a special beauty and inspiration in traveling only by intuition and bare feet. We found ourselves creating connections on a yoga camp in the forest of Småland, catching up with old friends, and finding Light in the church. I taught yoga in the park and we got on buses and trains not knowing where to end up. We helped a shaman constructing a Shamanic Museum, danced with the drums and walked bare foot around Dalarna in pouring rain. We visited the native people of the North and learnt more about ancient wisdom; we camped with reindeers and created songs. And somewhere on the road we fell in love.  

4.     Skattungbyn

All the meetings and connections that were made during the sunny summer months led me further and towards new adventures. One of them being the Yoga Festival in Dalarna in October where I got to, once again, experience the magic of the deep forest and wild rivers, connect through love and rhythm, and share the wisdom of my drum and the ancient roots. Guiding a Yin and Drum class for about 50 people was incredible beyond words. I am so very grateful. Thank You Thank You.

5.     Liverpool & Wales

What seems to have started in July, with our Summer Love Tour, came to somewhat of a peak in early December. Me and my best friend went to visit the fairytales of northern Wales and my dancing soul sister Anahí. We watched a psychedelic Christmas parade, had a chat with the Hatter, followed the White Rabbit and we got engaged on the hills of the Welsh coast where the seals have their playground. Indeed, 2014 was a year filled with Love and magic, guided by the great Horse. Thank you all for participating in the ride! 

I ended my highlights of 2013 by saying: “My intentions for 2014 are to continue deeper into my spiritual journey, wherever in the world it may take me.” Summarizing 2014 showed me that I really did dive deeper into my spiritual journeys and practices and in ways and places I never could have imagine. I am grateful for everything I experienced through feelings, vision(s), hearing, touch, taste and smell. And I am grateful for being guided by the magic flow of life, always taking me to new challenges and journeys - within and without. I set my intentions for 2015 to be even more profound; deepening my spiritual practices and, thus, share the wisdoms with the world(s) even more! 

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Staying Healthy On the Road III : Liverpool & Wales

Staying Healthy On the Road III

Before I left for the trip to UK I asked my Facebook crowd if they’d think that I would be able to follow my own Healthy On The Road advice, referring to the previous posts How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling, Practicing How to stay Healthy on the road I & II 

However, this time around I wasn’t flying across the Atlantic nor was I on the road for very long. Still, sticking to healthy choices and routines during shorter holidays, weekend trips and the like is just as challenging!

Let’s see how I did.

I washed my face with a tea bag! There are many reasons as to why our skin dries out, the most common being insufficient water intake. When traveling, the air in planes, airports, hotels etc. is very dehydrating and it is important to drink a lot of water. Another reason for dry skin is stress and anxiety and in How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling, I mention a few herbs to calm the body and mind. Chamomile is also one of the common herbs used all over the world for its relaxing and calming effects. So after having finished my relaxing chamomile tea in the air between Copenhagen and Manchester, I figured I’d use the rest of the tea bag to give my face some extra love! Since I usually feel the skin of my face and around my nails dry up on airplanes I carry a small bottle of oil in the carry-on, which I applied after the cooling tea. I felt not only better and more moist in the skin but more alert too!

Digest gluten with Mint Tea! Another of my favourite herbs that is easily found worldwide is mint (any kind). In the UK it seems standard to have at least one of the two in any place that serves coffee. Both mint and chamomile aid digestion, strengthen the stomach, and reduce gas and cramps in the belly. Therefore, I always bring with me one or the other, in case I have to make one of those exceptions regarding gluten or dairy so that after the meal I drink my tea to help the body getting rid of anything unwanted. That’s what I drink in this picture, just after having had a granola bar! After the tea I soaked up some sun before entering the museum underground....

Moving the booty! If not Yoga, at least walk around! Flying from Copenhagen to Manchester doesn't exactly involve long layovers. Still, I find it unnecessary to sit down and wait when I can stand or walk around and wait. We took several laps around the middle area of one terminal made up of sofas as we were waiting for gate information. Moving around helps maintain a good circulation throughout the day, reduces bloating and swollen feet and legs. The important thing is to stay on your feet (or head) so that the blood can flow freely. Personally when on an airplane, I feel like I’m putting on a strap around my waist that strains all the Prana, air and blood flow in my body. Not only is it the seat belt (which obviously is adjustable), but also the tiny legroom and seats, forcing me to hold a very unnatural position for a long time. Especially on shorter rides it’s not ideal to walk around the airplane. Hence, I do it before I board!

Give yourself a foot massage. Another great idea I got while waiting in the airport was to massage my feet! Seriously, you want to try this! Remove your shoes (just doing that makes wonder for the entire body!) and give your hardworking feet some gentle rubbing to get the blood moving. Especially press and pull the toes, press around the heels and draw your hands alongside the feet and around the wrists. Mm YUM, your feet will thank you! 

More tips and ideas? Post in the Comment below!

Stay tuned for the post about how we enjoyed Liverpool in many nurturing and healing ways!

Love and Light

Previous on Health and Travel:

How To Stay Healthy and Balanced while Traveling

Practicing How To stay Healthy on the road 

Practicing How To Stay Healthy on the road II

How To Travel Without Money in Sweden

Or How To Travel the World for Free

We got in to Luleå early in the morning, where we spent the day in nature together with yet a magic yogi friend. As the late afternoon came closer, we got on the local bus to Överkalix, where we were to spend the coming week in the mythical wilderness of the Northern forest.

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The saga-like Light shines its glitter over us where we stand in awe in the deep forest. Nowhere but in the North will you find endless forests, swamps and light like this.

From here our story takes a different route as we decided to buy a car and name it Björnen (The Bear)- bringing with us some of the medicine from the north! And even though traveling by car might be the cheapest way to get around (and most definitely the easiest!) Sweden and the North, it is part of another story. So, let’s summarize How To Travel Cheap in Sweden for ya:

Transportation:

Combine sightseeing and transportation Like we did with Inlandsbanan

Combine transportation and sleep There are few over-night travel options in Sweden, but in the North is where you can find them. Sleep poorly while transporting yourself and you save one night worth of lodging, like we did between Umeå and Luleå.

Use local buses Harder to find and time consuming but generally cheaper, offers a lot of fun through random countryside experiences and take you further than you might think. Even across county borders, like when we traveled Dalarna!

Hitchhike might be time-consuming and expensive in terms of buying shitty food and snacks in every gas station you end up at in between rides. However, when wanting to get around a certain area (i.e. shorter rides and without the heavy packing) I recommend giving it a go, like we did in Rättvik.

Drive freerider cars Especially good when you want to get from A to B quick and B is really far away, like the first part of our trip.

Food:

Travel with a portable kitchen, in that way you can cook your own food basically wherever you are and save in on a lot of money. Check out foodbymagie for tips and recipes on easy and cheap food to cook both indoors and outdoors!

Use Allemansrätten and the common fireplaces at resting areas near the roads and by the lakes. Just be mindful with the fire! Read more about how I used it and what it allows you to do here. 

Learn the local plants, mushrooms and berries and just like that you have free food all around you! I will write more about this topic, if you are interested? In the meantime, check out foodbymagie and coming events and workshops here.

Accommodation:

Forest Camping & City Camping Travel with a tent in Scandinavia and you always have a place to crash. Read more about Allemansrätten and how we camped in Umeå.

Staying with friends & Couchsurfing We actually didn’t camp all that much, staying with good friends and locals always offer great experiences!

Work exchange Psst, there are cool work exchanges too, not just for accommodation, like we did on Yoga Camp and at Läkegården.

Hidden Costs: You know what I’m talking about; toilets, Internet, and most definitely where to store the bags when you don’t have a hotel/car or the like!

Library hangout: Good place to charge your devices + use the Internet for free. I’ve used the library both in big cities like Malmö and small towns like Kalix, you might need a library card in some places tho!

Toilets: The church. Even if you can’t find public toilets, you will find a church- go check their opening hours! In addition, I like to hang out in the often times very beautiful old buildings.

Backpack storage: Can’t find any lockers? No worries, locate the tourist information and ask if they have any suggestions. Both in Mora and Umeå they let us store our backpacks and bags for free! 

Do you have any great tips about traveling without money you think I should add? Or a great idea you think I should try? Comment below!

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Next post: about the sacred waters and mountains of Arjeplog and how we ended up visiting a Samí family. 

Pura Vida!!

Summer Love Tour part III (How to Travel Cheap)

Backpacking Mora - Östersund - Umeå

Read Part I

Read Part II

Stop Drop and Yoga in Mora, Dalarna, Sweden

Mythic creatures in Mora, Sweden. 

The story continues with one day in the tiny winter village called Mora. This is where the famous ski cross-country competition Vasaloppet finishes (the world's longest competition being 90 km). We strolled around town for a few hours, waiting for our adventure to continue north in the afternoon when we got on a train called Inlandsbanan. This is the only train driving inland AND it offers a great sightseeing opportunity, thus we decided to travel all the way to Östersund. During the trip, we had a guide telling us anecdotes, we crossed a cataract from a 35 meters high bridge constructed in 1928, visited a deserted bear's nest and stopped for dinner in the middle of nowhere. Needless to say, it was beautiful, confusing and a lot of fun! 

The bear's nest along Inlandsbanan, Jämtland, Sweden. 

Sightseeing tip:
Catch Inlandsbanan to see and experience something different (in this part of the country one normally travels along the coast line) while you're transporting yourself. 

We spent two nights at a camp site (traditional Swedish "camping") in Östersund, since we had to wash our clothes and shower. Despite the price, it was a good choice considering the cold and rain we had during that time.

Camping tip:
Most Swedish camp sites require you to have a membership in the Swedish camp site society (part of Camping Key Alliance), even if you stay only for a night. Why? No one really knows, but this way they can charge you extra (read about the camping key here). Hence, if you plan ahead you could either try finding a place that isn't connected to SCR, or if you're planning on spending more nights get the membership in advance. Most campings offer access to their facilities (such as laundry and shower) for a small fee even if you don't stay there, which is good to keep in mind. 

Jamtli 1895 Östersund Sweden 

Jamtli 1942, Östersund Sweden 

Besides doing laundry, we visited the biggest attraction they have in Östersund: Jamtli, the park that tells the story of Jämtland county during late 1700, mid 1800, early 1900 and the 1975 hippie era. Besides being a culture and nature precervance park with old houses from the area, cows, goats and horses- each century farm has actors showing the life of their time. In addition, the park contains a thoroughly museum, a handicraft store, an impressive restaurant, shows and a town square from the late 1800s. We enjoyed ourselves to the fullest, playing around as the kids we are, all day and of course made a longer stop at 1975 where we felt at home ;) For any backpacker in Sweden with an interest in history, nature, culture, traditions, farming etc, I warmly recommend visiting Jamtli (you'll need more than one day tho!) 

1975, Jamtli. The text says "...they agree with many others from the Green Wave, regarding criticism towards commercialism and wanting to live in unison with nature..."

Flower Power and Peace Bus from 1975, Jamtli Sweden 

Playing around in the town square, Jamtli Sweden

The further north you go in Sweden (and the inland in particular), the more remote everything gets. This is our wildlife area, the Swedish Outback or Jungle if you want, which also means difficulties in traveling around, finding information and the like. For instance, just as in many places around Latin America or Asia most towns/villages have two or more stations for buses and trains but no info so you do best asking around. Hitch-hiking in these areas are therefore time consuming due to empty roads. We decided to grab a few different buses to reach Umeå and the coast, where we went straight into the forest....

Bonus tip: 
Few cities have lockers big enough for backpacks in the train/bus stations but if you're in town only for a day try asking at the Tourist Center (Turistinformation). They usually store the bag for you until closing time ( 6pm) for 2 bucks or the like. 

Is there anything you want me to write about? Comment below! :)

Love and Light

/OM

"The one who wanders must carry everything everywhere. The Sami people dont have many objects, but they are strong, light and well made."  Jamtli museum

Space of Love Yoga Festival Sweden

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Paradise. Space of Love Yoga Festival Böda, Öland, Sweden 2014

There might not be words beautiful enough to depict the symphony of colours that danced and swirled between us as we created a bond that grew stronger and reached wider as the week unfolded itself in the Space of Love festival on Öland.

I have met soul mates and long lost friends. I have served the Fire and its guides during ancient ceremonies. I have danced barefoot in the soft grass and I have let the ocean stroke my naked body with her cold touch. I have felt the sand melt away between my fingers as time turns into non-existence and I have loved, laughed and cried. Endlessly. These moments are a constant waterfall of rainbows- we want it always. And I want You to be part of it too! So I let the pictures and poems speak to your heart and hope that next year, you will bathe with us in the waterfall of rainbows.

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Thank you Nina and Boris for inviting us to your wedding- the most magical celebration of Love imaginable!

For the curious ones: I woke as the sun rose over the beach during Sadhana at 4am with my beautiful hermana Mina, warmed and opened my body with magical Sky and Sama Yoga. I flowed thru dance workshops, attended Celtic Sweat lodges, swam in the ocean, played in the sand and let music wash through me before closing my eyes in my pink raspberry tent at night..... 

A big thank you to all the amazing teachers, guides and organizers that held and hold this space; to the participants for without them and their open hearts there would be no festival; to the musicians that create the soundtracks of our hearts' movements; and thank you to my beloved heart-family Sofia, David, Ruben and Marcus for making me fall in love over and over again. I love you dearly.

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Böda Sand, Space of Love festival Öland 2014

Tell us about your festival memories in the comments below!

Pura Vida Siempre