Travelling and Mindful Self-Discovery

Hello there, Davis OT! My name is Leila and I am a second year Occupational Therapy student from Western University completing my final placement in Adult OT Services here at Davis Occupational Therapy. For the next two months, I will be working to continue the development of the Nature-Based Mindfulness Program for adults with ADHD, as well as developing some new concussion management resources and programs for Davis OT (Stay tuned for this in the near future!).

I wanted to take this blog post to introduce myself and explain a little bit more about my relationship to nature and mindfulness. My relationship to mindfulness began in my undergraduate days at the University of Toronto, where I completed a minor degree in Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health. As part of my degree requirements, I completed several courses discussing the increased use and implementation of Eastern medicine into the West—mindfulness being the most common transferable intervention. I found it enlightening to learn about how consistent mindfulness practice leading to increased  self-awareness and a focus on the present moment can provide similar benefits to managing physical and psychological issues commonly treated with medication. Since my undergraduate days, I have regularly practiced mindfulness myself through meditation and reflective journaling, and have experienced the benefits from it first-hand in managing stress and anxiety as a student. I have also had the opportunity to facilitate mindfulness groups and one-on-one sessions within my other clinical placements, and have come to understand mindfulness as a viable and effective treatment modality for most physical and psychological impairments,  illnesses, or disorders.

A picture of my Mom and I in front of Ješted, the highest mountain peak in our hometown Liberec, Czechia.

I was born and raised in Toronto, although my entire family was born and lives in Czechia, a small country in Central Europe. Throughout my life, I’ve spent a lot of time travelling back and forth from Czechia to Canada to visit my family and I have been lucky enough to learn and appreciate the differing cultures to a great extent. From a very young age, my Mom instilled in me a defined curiosity in discovering diverse ways of knowing and being through travel. I have since had the privilege to visit over 40 countries around the world, all of which have shaped how I perceive my day-to-day experiences. It is through travelling that I have been able to not only learn about other cultures beyond my own, but also learn more about myself.

Overlooking the landscape of my hometown in Liberec, Czechia.

One of my favourite things about travelling is experiencing the wonderfully diverse landscapes across the world. Urban landscapes are fascinating, but having been born and raised in a city, I have developed a deep appreciation for the relational aspect of nature. I love how the grounding aspect of nature exists no matter where you are in the world, even though our visual perception of it can take different shapes and forms depending on the geographical area you happen to be in.

Most recently in April 2022, I had the chance to explore Jordan:  a country in the Middle East with beautiful landscapes, delicious food, and incredibly kind people.

Me in front of the iconic Treasury in Petra, Jordan.

My favourite part of the trip included exploring Petra, a famous archaeological site in Jordan’s southwestern desert dating back to around 300 B.C.. Petra is rightfully considered one of the New  7 Wonders of the World, with beautiful hiking trails leading to tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs. We spent our time there hiking long trails under the blaring sun heat whilst being rewarded with gorgeous views and occasional cool shade from the insides of tomb sites. I find hiking in such landscapes meditative in itself, and have come to appreciate how mindfulness can organically manifest within nature.

Sand-boarding in the Wadi Rum Desert.

Another part of the trip I adored was roaming through the Wadi Rum desert, which is a valley cut into sandstone and granite rock located within Southern Jordan. This desert has been used as a film site for famous futuristic films, as the landscape looks much like what we would imagine Mars to look like. I had the opportunity to try “sand-boarding”, which was not as easy as I anticipated! Hiking through the desert in the dry heat as my feet sunk into the bright orange sand, I had never felt so happy to feel so exhausted. I love making the effort to be one with nature—feeling the fresh air on my skin, hearing the chirping of the birds and rustling of the wild insects and animals, and simply being present and amazed of the vast natural beauty in this world of ours.

The vast and beautiful Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan!

Well, that’s all from me for now! Thank you for reading what seems to be a snippet of my life story and for learning more about me. I am so excited to use the next two months of placement to work towards  instilling my passions for nature and mindfulness in others using the continued development of the nature-based mindfulness programs for adults at Davis OT. Stay tuned for more to come!