When a backpack is your home, being able to settle wherever you are is important. Particularly if you’re traveling long term and change your location every couple of months.
To help ground myself, I have a pouch of sage I carry with me. I do a simple, comforting ritual to clear my new space and invite calm, good vibes, and familiarity into my life. This helps in trying to get a good nights rest as well. Getting rest can help you to walk a million miles while exploring. Also, being able to greet your work with interest can be deterred by being in a new, uneasy space.
Rituals that you create don’t have to be super in-depth or take up a lot of time. As long as you are intentional about what you want from your space, there’s no screwing it up. Decide on what you are inviting into your space and focus your words, in your head or verbally on those things. Walk the space you’re in with your burning sage and wave the smoke around the room(s) you wish to clear. Remember to be intentional and speak from your heart. You can say some words of intent like “I’m grateful to be staying here and desire to be productive, joyful, and rest well here.” Or whatever your intent for where you’re staying.
As for the sage itself, you can take a couple of dried leaves and burn them while holding them, if they’re large enough. Or you could put the dried leaves on a fire resistant surface and allow them to burn. Then wave the smoke through the space with your free hand. There are also bundles of bound sage that form a short, thick stick that you can use. For my purposes though, I just use the loose leaf sage. I’d been gifted sage at a sweat lodge. But I also copped some at my local farmers market. You should be able to get it in “natural” presenting stores.
Sage isn’t just for the room. It can be refreshing for your spirit too. Starting again with some specific intentions, practice the same ritual. Guide some of that sage smoke over your body. Start at your feet or head and carry the smoke up to your head, or down to your feet. Then you can go in the opposite direction.
New places can sometimes take a toll. New noises, new housemates, new animals to care for. New foods in your belly. Travel fatigue or new language usage/barriers. The first night can sometimes be rough. Burning sage in my new space is a small way I orient myself as so much of the rest of my travel life is change. This is also why I’ve created a daily routine. Having a foundation and a reminder of what you’re doing and why can help you to be more focused and connected to your desired daily life.
What helps you to acclimate to a new environment?
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