Everest is the world's highest peak, a mountain of global significance. For many it symbolizes performance, endurance, perseverance - and it is the number one must-see destination on their bucket-list. Everest is also Chomolungma, a female Goddess in the local Sherpa belief.
The space she holds is a tremendously powerful sanctuary of global relevance and spiritual significance.
Unlike most of the treks to Everest whose number one aim is to reach Basecamp, this journey invites you to sense, feel and tap into the transformative energy of this space. It is a different kind of travel experience, a journey of reconnection. As you connect to the unique power of this space, you reconnect to the depths within your inner space. Our aim is for you to dive deep while climbing high. To find meaning, understanding and a direction at the place you stand in your life. To discover answers to life's relevant questions. As an entry point of how to live your life more fully and truly.
Be ready to experience moments of awe, understanding, and beautiful openings as you immerse yourself into the flow of the journey - a modern-day pilgrimage of reconnection.
Your individual journey of transformation at the same time supports collective transformation: By recognising the beauty and sacredness of this extraordinary mountain space, we reinstate appreciation of its great global significance as sanctuary of natural power and regenerative value.
it is an 18-day intimate group journey starting in colorful, vibrant Kathmandu, and then moving higher and higher into the clarity of transparent high altitudes. As you reach great heights, you will reach great depths within you. Perceive yourself from within, in a new non-judgemental way. Join us on this unique opportunity to reconnect with yourself, while you connect with the awe-inspiring magic of the high Himalayan spaces, its magnificent nature, its generous inhabitants and their ancient culture.
To take back home a 1 degree shift in perspective that will change your world.
You may perhaps never come as close to the sky as up here
At these high altitudes, the air is crystal-clear, transparent, almost translucent.
A natural invitation to zoom into the NOW & HERE. A focusing which brings insights and clarity into your life’s relevant questions.
As you climb higher and higher, life's complexity decreases, and simplicity takes over. The simple life of mountain retreat - sleep - eat - hike - rest - eat - sleep - reduces the diversity and sheer volume of your everyday life's choices. This brings a welcome silence your mind, reducing its chitchat to the essential. And gradually, as you climb higher, the lowlands drop away below you and the horizon opens up into this arena of mighty 8000m+ mountains. It is a space bearing the potential for deep transforming experience.
And because of the invaluable power of simplicity, we close our mobile phones for this period of time. It is a precious opportunity to take a break from the connectivity and virtual communication habits of modern life - while connecting more deeply - to yourself, the NOW & HERE of this space, the people and places around you, and perhaps to that SOMETHING which is greater than all.
Inspiration
Although modern Wi-Fi infrastructure is offered in Khumbu's guesthouses (at additional cost), I strongly encourage and invite all members of the group to switch off their mobile phones after we leave Namche (Day 5). Disconnect from external ties to arrive fully - commit to this challenge and receive truly awarding benefits!
The physical challenges on this journey will encourage you to grow beyond your boundaries
To challenge and transform your inner beliefs, your limiting status-quo. Experience yourself crossing that physical boundary. What lies there for you beyond that perceived comfort zone? Set one step above the other, focusing on your in- & out breath in rhythm with your feet. Mindfully walking, put your focus on the NOW, become fully present, mindful of your breath, your inner senses, the sounds, smells and images of your surroundings, of the elements, of this magnificent arena of mountain nature bearing witness to your presence.
The physical challenge of moving beyond your comfort zone invites you to explore your inner boundaries and to let go of whatever is moving your mind. Because up here, you simply do not have enough oxygen to waste on irrelevant thoughts. Once you acclimatize well, there is a great power and energy, which intensifies as you climb higher, bringing you to spaces of deep insight and personal transformation.
Inspiration
When going gets difficult, your mind feels tired, your body is protesting, needing a rest: This is the moment you have waited for. The opportunity to go deeper. This is a state of great transformational power.
Move your focus to your breath - the in- and out breath as you walk - and down to your feet - the solid connection with the earth below you. Feel the earth with the soles of your feet, sense its grounding solidity as your feet touch the surface, slowly roll off, cell by cell by cell. And then draw consciously from its earth energy as you push off to gain a next step of height. Connect the rhythm of your footsteps with the rhythm of your breath until you drop into synchronicity between your self and your surroundings. Tiredness gives way to a more deeper connection, your body becomes energised by a different source of energy, mother earth grounds you, strengthens you and supports you from beneath.
Quiet. A catalyst for transformation.
You will spend many quiet moments in mountain nature. Tapping into the power of its silence. To de-tone. To take a break from activity. To deepen the receptivity of your senses. To carefully observe how your body feels and gradually stretches out when it no longer needs to shield your system from the interruptions through outside noise.
From this calm comes inspiration, understanding, insight.
Times of silence are like islands of regeneration for your body-mind system. To reflect, go inward, sense closely, listen well. At times, the silence in these high spaces is overwhelming. And it is unique to these remote areas of our world. So choose consciously how you pass your free afternoons.
Inspiration
What IS silence? How does it FEEL? Be present, quiet your mind. Can you hear the sound and spaces between sounds? Go deep, deeper, into the details. If your mind thinks: I’ve seen this all! I know this all! then you are at the perfect entry point to go even deeper. The brain wants to be fed, so give it the information it needs. Then shift your attention to the senses, the heart zone. Do you feel the warm sense in heart, instead of the dense sense in forehead? Can you feel your heart beating, stirring, even perhaps speaking to you? What are the emotions or thoughts sparking up from this focussed state of perception? What do they speak to you of - related to those questions you carry?
What is it truly that draws you to this mountain?
Discover the mountains as a transformative source of energy to tap into, feel and listen. Perceive the transformational potential of spending time amongst these great majestic peaks, with their vast glaciers pouring down from them to form and fill the valleys.
Explore your life from the vantage point of high passes, while sitting in the midst of even higher peaks.
Come to realise that it is so much more than only about the destination. It is your interaction with this magnificent place of power that will stay imprinted in your memories and stay with you, to influence the way you lead your life when you get back to your home.
We will spend ample time sitting opposite this massive solitary rock to feel its presence and sense into its energy. To connect. To listen. To simply BE. To simply and deep down enjoy the fact that we have come so far to witness this space.
Sitting in conscious appreciation - and a heightened state of listening - at the foot of the world's highest mountains, we contribute to strike a balance between the consumerist overtourism tendencies and the transformational potential of travels seeking conscious connection.
Be ready to experience exceptional moments of awe, understanding, and beautiful openings as you immerse yourself fully into the flow of the journey.
Inspiration
What impulse, what message, what insight do you draw from this encounter? Do you feel its magic, mystic quality? Go deeper. With every in-breath, activate your six senses, with every out-breath, relax and expand your consciousness. Breathing in and out, in tune with nature's deeper breath, grounded by the solid rock you sit on.
Joyful living - Inspired by these warm-hearted people connected to the land
What fascinates me most about the Sherpa People is their life joy. The way they will sing while working, laugh while spending time together, a smile on their face as they pass you by.
Experience their generosity, their joyful way of life, and the way they are connected to their lands and its spirits. Allow yourself to be inspired for joy. Invite more joy & positivity into your life. It is a powerful medium for life-change.
Inspiration
Do something every day that sparks joy. There is always a choice to make: Do I look upon a situation from the positive angle inviting solutions and a way forward, or do I prefer to complain into a dead-end? In Nepal there would be a million reasons to complain - buses don't go in time, dirt on the track, perhaps a meal does not come as you had expected it to, but just as well there are a million reasons to feel inspired, energised, encouraged. We will practice actively looking for the positive, and concciously connecting to this life-changing attitude inside.
Daily rituals are a valuable way to gain a sense of stability, structure
Rituals provide a foundation on which we feel safe, safe enough to dare to fully let go and immerse ourselves in the experience.
Two daily rituals will accompany us throughout the journey:
Morning meditation: After starting the day with a delicious cup of tea or coffee, we will choose a place outside to sit and meditate, as the sun slowly rises, coloring the mountain tips around us in glorious pinks and oranges. The focus of this ritual is to awaken your senses, open your heart to what is there, clarify your intentions and set your attitude for the day. How do I feel this morning? What may be clouding my emotions from the sub-conscious experiences I have had in the night? What do I feel grateful for at this moment? By observing your outside environment - the sounds, scents, scenes - and your inside states - you clear your emotional state and become fully present in the place and moment you are in. In this way, you prepare yourself consciously and with dedication for the new day and all that it may hold for you.
This ritual will conclude with a brief round to check-in on how you feel and what may be important for us to know of you today as a group.
Evening reflection: Just as we opened ourselves consciously to the day in the morning, this ritual is dedicated to looking back on to the day and appreciating all it held for you. Your experiences, insights, break-throughs. Your challenges, your encounters, the special moments you will take with you of this day. We will hold this session in alternating formats, i.e. meditation, group sharing, journaling, guided by specific questions to support you in singling out the relevant content for your inner journey.
In between
At given times in particular locations, we will hold meditations, designed to support you in deepening your senses, to experience the moment NOW, in its most complete potential.
On afternoons and days of rest, I encourage you to find your own rituals to support you in experiencing, reflecting, integrating - whatever you need to best go forth on your journey.
1:1 guidance sessions with Monika can be requested for anytime you may be in need - we will find a most suitable moment.
Nepal, Everest Region
