Do vacations sometime leave you with a hollow, dissatisfied feeling? This lack of satisfaction can make the total effort seem scarcely worthwhile.

Travel and tourism have become one of the largest retail industries in America. Billions of dollars are spent annually by consumers anticipating and trying to create their ultimate vacation experience. If you ask someone the details of their vacation, they seldom can recall the expense, but they will always tell you if they were satisfied. Getting what you desire from your vacation requires perception and knowing what emotionally sustains you.

The principle, that everything is energy, has been offered to us since the time of Hermes Trismegistus. So, wouldn’t it make sense that vacations are comprised of energy?

Practitioners of subtle forces understand that energy moves by intention. Emotions are catalysts that direct energy. That brings up the question: Do you know what you are trying to create and why? Without a conscious purpose behind your actions you could find yourself caught up in the cross fire of other folk’s intentions. This is commonly referred to as the chaos theory. You see, just as the planes of consciousness exist, levels within levels, so it is with our intentions towards our leisure time. As an example, if you have been feeling that you need more time to rest, but have not created a vacation or way to satisfy that, you could find the universe offering long lines at the ticket counters or departure gates to help fulfill that need.

Is your vacation meant to be a time to unwind and relax by moving more into your physical senses? If so, how do you see that happening? Possibly hiking in the mountains, a yoga retreat, or making time for swimming and walking within the agenda of your holiday break. An important understanding of the concept of intention is that it is behind all action. When you walk into the ocean, it can be to cool your body, take pleasure, or give healing to the waters and all life forms in it. The action is the same, but the purpose or intention behind the action is different.

Intention should be crucial if you are planning a vacation with family, since this can be a time of limitations or growth. A journey home to family and friends, renewing relationships and sharing experiences, can be a peaceful nurturing time or leave you floundering in the gene pool. An honest assessment of your personal agenda can eliminate disappointments.

In that same vein, returning to the place of your birth/childhood to rediscover your roots by tracing the family genealogy, can give greater understanding of yourself and others since history has been known to repeat itself. An added benefit is in the opportunity allowed to put closure on the past. Often, observing the people from our youth, through adult eyes, offers greater truth.

Mundane daily tasks can cause stagnant or stinkin’ thinkin’. A new place with its unique food, color and activities can stimulate your grey cells and help lift you out of the fog. It has been said that travel, more than any other tool, feeds your creative core and strengthens your intelligence. Taking a trip to new places, listening to unusual languages, and observing other cultures can have a stimulating effect on our senses and our brain. It may seem as though any vacation should offer that affect but, Americans have a tendency to take their lifestyles with them. This explains why so many foreign countries offer pizza parlors. For the greatest mental effect… immerse yourself in the culture of the area you’ve chosen.

A time for quiet introspection is a rewarding vacation as well. Self discovery can give light to understanding your connection to all life forms, present and past. This is time set aside to develop a greater understanding of who you are by awakening your soul memory. This can be done on a retreat designed especially for this or by self discipline applied to any off time. Through self-understanding comes acceptance, the reward of which is peace. There is an ancient saying: “To have peace in the world… you must have peace in your heart”.

I had an experience while traveling through Guatemala that offered just that kind of reward. I was with a group studying under the tutorage of traditional Mayan Elders. Their ancient teachings offered a level of acceptance that transcends the material. The physical plane was and is only a means of understanding the spiritual principles necessary to keep all life in balance (as above so below…).

Following in the footsteps of the elders for ten days, we explored ancient ruins, studied the calendar of the Maya, and took part in sacred ceremonies. One afternoon, during a circle ceremony in the center courtyard of Tikal, the elders began leading us in a fire ritual for the 13-day calendar. They spoke the same words, and used the same repetitions of movement that had been used for hundreds of years. Suddenly a feeling similar to deja vu washed over me; a feeling that transcended time. I had become part of the Ethereal Substance and a witness to what had been known and forgotten about our race, our world and its inhabitants. My spirit awakened from the deep sleep.

If you were to ask me the price of that vacation I could not tell you, but I can tell you the value of that experience is beyond price.