There will be moments spent trying to make sense of that random shortness of breath when one is in Bhutan. Perhaps it would be the high altitude, or simply the sight of the mountains right in front.
To city-dwellers, Bhutan might not exactly make a super comfortable kind of trip. Roads might be bumpy, and going from place to place takes a long time. Hot water for showers in hotel rooms aren’t guaranteed, and also, don’t expect options of fast-food or an Expresso coffee. There’s also pretty much nothing fancy to do when night falls.
Bhutan, however, more than makes up for any ‘trip inadequateness’. Bhutan teaches that living – can actually be experienced differently, slowly. In the mornings or late afternoons, you’ll notice Bhutanese people walking along the road – to school, to work, and perhaps even on a pilgrimage. Time feels stretchable in Bhutan – everything moves at a slower speed, and nothing is ever predictable.
Yet, its people appear to be at peace and even happy, radiating what seems to be a genuine sense of joy. Children are taught in school to not do harm to others. Killing and hunting are illegal. Bhutanese people are known to think about death daily, and they measure happiness using a different scale.
Could it be the mountains having the power to positively influence its people? Or a frequent hike up to the spiritual Tiger’s Nest monastery? I’m still trying to figure it out.
When life starts to feel dreadful, all I need is to shut my eyes and recall the memory of soaking in the silence & fresh mountain air at Trongsa, or that bliss experienced during a meditation practice at a sacred lake in Bumthang. And that quiet, spiritual aura in the shrines of Tiger’s Nest in Paro.
Bhutan – You calm an unsettled heart, and I cannot wait to head back to you again.
Posted by Kristine Li • The Petite Wanderess on August 30, 2021 | Singapore
