Spirit of place! It is for this we travel, to surprise its subtlety; and where it is a strong and dominant angel, that place, seen once, abides entire in the memory with all its own accidents, its habits, its breath, its name.
~ Alice Meynell
I once worked with a woman who approached travel like a scavenger hunt. She dashed through Venice, Paris, Prague and Rome, packing every hour full of activity. When showing us her photos, she’d say things like, “This is a park in….Venice? Oh…maybe it was Rome. I don’t remember. It’s all a blur.”
If your goal in traveling is to be able to brag that you’ve been to X number of countries, then the above strategy is a good one. It’s up to you. Would you rather have whirlwind sex with 30 people whose names you can barely recall or amazing, unforgettable sex with 3 people?
Even if you’re a slow traveler, your memories of certain places sometimes become hazy over time, especially if nothing dramatic happened while you were there. Perhaps you were too busy planning excursions, daydreaming about the future, or coping with emergencies (real or imagined). The more time passes, the more hazy your memories become. Precious moments recede into the fog of forgetfulness, never to be relived.
A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen.
~ Edward de Bono
On the other hand, if you are fully present in the moment, lucid memories of the place will sustain and inspire you for years to come. Do you want to preserve your memories of place? If so, start by identifying the genius loci.
The Genius Loci: Spirit of Place
A genius loci is the protective spirit of a place, often a sacred space. Sometimes it manifests as an animal or human; at other times, its disembodied presence can be felt if you sit still and listen.
At the Yog-Ganga studio in the hills of Dehradun, India, lives a tawny dog with chocolate eyes. When I visited the place a few months ago, this gentle guardian escorted me and my friends to the studio and waited outside for us. Every time I think of the restful hour we spent in this beautiful space, I feel his calm, welcoming presence.
Yog-Ganga in Dehradun, 2010
Yog-Ganga’s canine genius loci reminded me of two other dogs I met some years previously, in a flower garden in Cuzco, Peru. The garden was filled with the humming of bees and the wind rustling the wild grasses. I drank the bitter green juice of the San Pedro cactus, a healing plant with psychotropic properties. While my mind floated on the wind and colorful visions taught me the lessons I needed to learn, these calm and dignified shaman-dogs watched over me.
Huachuma ceremony, 2008
Making Friends With the Spirit of Place
If you make friends with the genius loci, it will make a home in your memory. When you cast your mind back even years later, the smells and sounds of the place will vividly surround you.
Here is a technique for making friends with the genius loci. It works whether or not you are in the place for a year or an hour.
Try this:
- Find a spot to sit quietly and look around. Is there a visual manifestation of the genius loci? Perhaps it’s an animal, like the ones I’ve mentioned in this post. (If it’s an animal, offer it some loving touch or food.) Perhaps it’s a statue or natural formation.
- If there’s no obvious visual representation, sit for a while longer and let the place seep into your bones. At first, you may find it easier to do this exercise by a peaceful lake or lonely mountainside, but it’s equally possible in a busy marketplace, amusement park, or shopping mall. No matter where you are, you can always touch into your own calm center.
- Cultivate a state of non-focused awareness. Don’t block anything out. In your mind – or on a piece of paper – list the sounds, sights, colors, sensations you experience. Try not to get caught up in feelings. “I am annoyed” or “I have a headache” is nothing to do with the place – just your transient states of mind.
- If you like, record your experience of the genius loci in some way: photograph, drawing, poetry, freewriting, voice recording. But if you are truly present and awake, you will not need a concrete record. Your memory will be enough.
This is a way of experiencing place that will deepen your memories, make your travel experience richer, and help you maintain inner tranquility wherever you are.
Where in the world have you made friends with genii loci? Which of your memories of place are most vivid and precious to you?
I want to help you find your calm center and experience travel with courage, curiosity and compassion.