EDITOR’S NOTE
Felicia TomaskoM
y first set of prayer beads was a rosary made of smooth, colored plastic
from a church craft fair, perfect for the cyclical repetition of devotion.
They’re part of a worldwide tradition of strands made from seeds,
stones, crystals, wood, herbs, and beads of various kinds. Over the
years, I have collected a number of strands. Many of them are varieties of the tradi-
tional 108 (or fraction thereof) that we showcase in this issue. Some were gifts, some I
fell in love with, others remind me of significant events or places I have visited. Whether
I use them to feel grounded in my daily practice, as an in-flight meditation, or as a tool
for mindfulness, they accompany me on my travels through life.
In this issue, Dr. Eden Goldman discusses the growing trend of vacations that
are centered around meditation and yoga. Whether or not you pack a mala in your
suitcase, the health benefits of a mindfulness-based vacation include strengthening the
immune system and reducing biochemical markers of the stress response.
You don’t necessarily have to book a resort stay to experience these benefits. Julie Hale
explores Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice known as “forest bathing.” Shinrin-yoku
is distinct from a hike or a trek, and this unstructured time to wander in the woods
offers documented benefits for our health and well-being. Another way to take travel to
the outdoors is to stay on a farm. Farmer, writer, and farm-stay host Jennifer Schultz
shares some of her secrets and offers suggestions for how to participate in a routine that
connects us to interacting directly with the earth.
Laird Hamilton is someone who understands—and lives—the benefits of wellness
connected to travel as well as the importance of immersing oneself in nature. He is the
subject of the documentary, Take Every Wave. To call him a surfer doesn’t convey the
full expression of his impact and influence. Writer Zoe Kors talks to him about his
relationship with the ocean, his practice, his family, and his breath. “Breathe like it
means something,” Laird said.
We could take that advice to heart in every area of our lives. Travel, work, family,
practice, breath. It always comes back to breath: the celebration of the breath. Yoga
teacher Jesse Schein invites her students to seek such celebration in their yoga practice.
She seeks it for herself and has learned to find and cultivate humor, to laugh at herself, to
connect to herself and the world, and to address obstacles and anxiety on a daily basis.
Whether we maintain our connection with the repetition of prayer or mantra, time
on the mat, wandering under and through the trees, finding ourselves on retreat, catch-
ing a big wave, laughing or just catching our breath--let our travels help us get both lost
and found and then return us to a centered place (or feeling) of home.Photos of Felicia Tomasko and Jesse Schein by Sarit Rogers saritphotography.com.
Hair and makeup by JJ Jeffries.