When I was an opera singer I was quite paranoid about travelling to say the least. Would I catch anything from other travellers? Would the pillows and duvets in the Hotels/Apartments be duck down and therefore I would get allergies? Did I bring my nasal sprays, throat sprays etc. Will the air be dry in the theatres/hotels? Did that child in the seat behind me just cough? And the list went on and on.

Now that part of my life is behind me I relax. Literally!

Not only was it physically hard work to keep up with my routines and paranoia, it was also psychologically hard work.  I have never been so well since giving up singing. Mainly because I didn’t enjoy what I was doing. For years, I had been defined as Susan the singer, and I believed that was the only thing I did well. Once I let go of that and realised that I could do whatever I wanted I started my healing process. It took a long time and was painful as well. I felt like I was giving in or giving up and the stubborn part of me hung on to it for quite a while.

It was only after doing Amnanda that I gained the courage to take the plunge. I am now an Amnanda therapist and see transformations all the time in my clients. I’ll talk about Amnanda in another blog post.

So now when I travel I am much more relaxed about children coughing.

My expectations are always positive.

I like to be organised though, especially before I leave home. By being somewhat organised, it relieves the stress of what I dislike most – packing! I have a packing list which I have had for years and that takes the pressure off the suitcase/bag packing. On my list is clothing essentials, toiletries, important stuff like passport etc, I even have a miscellaneous column.  As I think of new things I add them, my list has become quite extensive now but I never forget anything.  I also have a “to do before I go” list which has things like turn the switches off, water plants, adjust heating etc. All of this makes my journey way less stressful and it doesn’t take long. I highly recommend it.

The other important thing I do is put on my energetic boundary shield and I always travel wearing my Jade necklace.

The shield is a very handy thing. If you are going to be around a lot of people or even one person in particular that sucks the life out of you then I recommend putting on a shield. All I do is go through the motions of putting on an invisible suit of armour, or even a cape depending on the situation. I put on the trousers, the jacket, and the helmet so that I’m fully covered. Then I am set. But you must remember to take that shield off at night before you go to bed. If you don’t then your energy will become stuck underneath it and you might feel very peculiar indeed. I’ve got a note on my bedside table to remind me. If I do forget I feel it a couple of days later that’s for sure.  I can recommend a fantastic book on the subject called Energetic Boundaries by Cyndi Dale.

 

As for Jade, it has the amazing ability not to absorb any negative vibration from the space around you. By wearing it, Jade can protect you from all negative vibrations that might be able to find their way to your energy field. Jade is also the stone of peace and calm. Nice energy to have don’t you think?

I bought my little Buddha when I was in Bendigo Australia visiting The Great Stupa of Universal Peace which is still being built. The Jade used for my little Buddha is a tiny chip from the Jade Buddha of Universal Peace which is going to be eventually housed there after its world tour which began in 2009. This is the largest Buddha carved out of Jade in the world. I cherish this necklace and the way it helps me feel.

Last weekend I travelled to Lille in France so I didn’t have to board an airplane. This is always a godsend because the altitude when flying always plays havoc on my digestive system. I don’t have the greatest digestive system because I abused it a lot when I was younger through diet and lifestyle, but at least now I have the education to know what works for me. I do take Triphala every night which is an Ayurveda supplement. I’ll talk more about digestion in another blog.

What I am aware of when travelling is drinking enough water. It’s quite difficult because you don’t know when you will need the loo but I don’t stress over that anymore. (That was another paranoia I had as a singer). In fact, since doing Amnanda I don’t stress over much anymore. I don’t worry about the hardness of the bed, the air quality (mind I’m not partial to pollution), getting enough sleep etc. I just try to enjoy each moment in my new surroundings and with the people I care about.

One thing I did do when I got to Lille was buy some lemons. You might find this piece of information interesting.  In the past I have had a few issues with my gallbladder. You know, that awful stabbing pain under the right ribcage., being nauseous.  Well every now and then my gallbladder gets a bit gripy if I eat the things it doesn’t like and don’t hydrate myself enough. And when I got to Lille the first night was a bit gripy. There are 2 things I do depending on the severity of it other than addressing my diet and hydration levels. If it’s not too bad I will squeeze half a lemon or even a whole lemon into a glass of luke warm water and drink it. Apparently, the pectin in the lemon is believed to help rid you of gallbladder pain. Well it works for me and has had for a long time. I also love drinking lemon juice so it’s no chore.  When I had my gallbladder issues I started taking a fantastic supplement  recommended to me called Quebra Pedra (stone breaker). It is also used for Kidney Stones. This herb has been used in South America to treat renal problems for generations. All I can say is it worked for me. The pain disappeared completely within a few days.

Now I’m not a doctor so please if you do have gallbladder problems or think you have, then refer to your health consultant before embarking on treating medical conditions.

Well, I think I have given you enough to mull over in this blog. I am sure there will be many more travel blogs from me in the future, so until next time. Bye.