The art of travel

Hello dear community,

I’m Claire! Or Oroojo… my alter-ego :)

This is my first blog! Thanks to @louis88 @rivalzzz who taught me about Peakd by the beach here in beautiful Koh Tao.

I’ve been out here travelling for the last 2 months. I started in India on October 31st where I spent a month in Rishikesh advancing my Yoga training… I’m an instructor back in Toronto. Rishikesh is the birthplace of yoga and so, naturally i felt inclined to pick up my training there… the school was tucked away in a small village called Tapovan. I say small village, but like most places in India it was buzzing with busyness!! Here’s the school below. Check out the foothills of the Himalayas… we were surrounded. Mountains are powerful places. They offer us perspective, fresh air and an elevated sense of… the world?

The month was an intense training, the course itself was a 300 hour advanced teacher training. I will learn yoga for the rest of my life and still won’t even have scratched the surface. This knowledge goes back thousands and thousands of years. How incredible that it has survived and continues to flourish. India has gifted the world a lot, everything you could ever need to live a full, connected and meaningful life. It’s really that simple! Do Yoga! :)

Yoga… what is Yoga? Yoga is union between mind, breath and body. Yoga is not only postures, postures are only one component… The other elements involve, withdrawing the senses, concentration, meditation and ultimately… if you do the first steps right… you will reach Samadhi — the ultimate state of oneness.

That’s what we’re all really seeking, isn’t it? To feel at peace. To feel whole and at one with the universe? If that’s not what you want, I’d be curious to know why not…

Anyways, back to the travels… Rishikesh was an expansive month. Not only the physical component, but when you deepen your practice or in Sanskrit — Sadhana you meet deeper layers of yourself… it can be a confronting experience. But we have to see and feel what needs to be healed and integrated. Otherwise, our wounds run our life (subconscious conditioning… we will save this one for another day).

My point is… Yoga is a path of self-discovery, self-realization and ultimately freedom. We find freedom through the harmony we experience by becoming one with ourselves and the world around us. As above so below.

There’s me in class with my alignment and adjustment teacher, Amit. I would consider myself a relatively advanced Yogi, but being in Rishikesh with these teachers was humbling in the best ways. I realized how little I know and how much I have to learn. Phew!! Lot’s to do still. Good news.

From Riskikseh I flew to Chiang Mai, Thailand <3 Well.. I completely fell in love with Chiangmai Mai. With Thailand, but Chiang Mai had something special. There is a peaceful energy about the place, it’s spiritual by nature. Temples line the streets, worship and respect are ubiquitous. It’s felt and I love that about Thailand.

Thailand has heart. Meet my first adoptive Thai family… I met these lovely people when I first arrived in Chiang Mai at the beginning of December. Chai became my local Dad and personal Tuk Tuk driver and got me everywhere I wanted to be, safely. He also checked in on my throughout my time in Chiang Mai to make sure I was ok. When I say Thailand has heart, this is what I mean.

Wat Pha Lat (Monk’s Trail)
This was my first adventure in Chiang Mai. I took a cab to the base of this hike. It was about 3.5 km up but quite an intense upward climb!! This hike took me all the way up this incredible temple. It was breath talking. So much attention has gone into places of worship. How can a place like this not inspire something in you

The second I landed here I felt at home. There is something about Thailand that feels so familiar, like I’ve been here before… (I have) but in a more profound way, like I’ve lived here in past lives. Maybe I was a monk before? But you know that feeling? When you get to a place you have been to before. Something tells me I could live here one day.

Hotels of Chiang Mai

First stop was Siripanna Resort, located on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. This place was beautiful. Extremely well cared for, the service was great although… not exactly veg / vegan friendly… but there are lots of places in Chiang Mai that are.

Food of Thailand

The best Pad Thai I’ve ever had. This was from the restaurant next to my hotel… it was WAY better than the food at the fancy hotel. Just a local spot… it’s always that way, huh.

Street Food of Thailand

Okay… these were my favourite! Fried banana and sweet potato. So simple, so delicious

What’s to love about Chiang Mai...

What I love about Chiang Mai … It’s a historic city —- look up Lanna Kingdom— with a village vibe, but very contemporary, lots of interesting art and culture. There’s a fresh energy moving through the place. You can always tell a lot about a place by the markets, and I was impressed by the artistry, the creativity and quality of products. Everything was unique and sorta quirky. Not only that, but you are surrounded by mountains, trails, an incredible lake about 10km outside the city. There is no shortage of places to see and experiences to have in Chiang Mai. The national park is about 90km into the mountains…which takes you to the highest point in Thailand. It felt like a small city with a steady pulse. I loved it!