Trekking and Meditation

Many tourists visit Nepal for the superb trekking. Often travelers come to Nepal for a more spiritual reason. However recently we have seen trips that combine both trekking and meditation. For a lot of tourists, just the travel alone is a many hours’ flight away. Often they are faced with tight schedules and limited vacation, but truly want to achieve a sense of deep relaxation. For these travelers a trek that combines the time and space to enjoy a more spiritual practice and immerse themselves in deep meditation practice is invaluable. Their experience is even more enhanced by doing this in the high Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. For centuries Nepal has been a sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists, and both eastern and western travelers alike have been taking pilgrimages to Nepal. The recent tourist who is interested in trekking and deepening their spiritual knowledge can book this tour. Here they will experience Buddhist meditation techniques from Tibet and Nepal, which we elegantly combine with well-directed trekking programs. Besides of which you will have the exposure to ancient culture and wisdom unique to this geography. The Tibetan term for meditation is gom, which signifies something similar to “to get used to...” For meditators the regular practice allows one to get comfortable with many things. Learning to see thoughts as distinct and transitory, and to clear away the attachments of regular life will allow one to get “used to” the quiet peace of non-thought.  We distinguish between ‘concentrative meditation’, which will provide the basic tools and ‘analytical meditation’, which examines or analyzes the contents of the mind in diverse ways. Both techniques will be taught and practiced in our program.

To experience the benefits of this program you don’t have to be a convinced Buddhist. In fact, the Dalai Lama wrote a book discussing the benefits of spirituality in our modern world without being deeply religious. People who are interested in the functions of one’s own mind of all traditions can benefit. Meditation is a tool requiring no faith in any particular entity. The entire meditation-program will be carefully crafted with your needs and goals in mind prior to departure. We will be sensitive to your past experiences, and current practices as we work to create your best experience. Because some meditations might require extending into the trek time, we will honor periods of silence either pre or post-meditation time. These programs combine both sacred sites for your meditation practice as well as in the natural setting of the trek itself. As agreed in advance, there are also special retreat-programs for experienced Buddhists possible. These programs can give you the necessary tools to allow you to practice “compassion in action” in the modern world. We hope the experiences you gain during this unique and unforgettable journey will be beneficial to find some balance and peace in your daily life.