Leaving the mountains is only part of the journey.
The deeper question is what happens when we come home.
In this final episode of The Himalayan Diary, Borghild leaves the gompa in Mustang and travels through Pokhara to Kathmandu and Boudhanath before eventually returning home to Norway.
As the silence of the mountains gives way to roads, traffic and everyday life, Borghild realises that what she found in Mustang was never meant to stay there.
It has become a way of life.
A way to stay connected, pay attention to what is here, and trust the next step without needing to see the whole path.
What does it mean to live freely while remaining deeply connected to who we are?
There is no final answer.
We discover our way by living it; one step at a time.
In this episode we explore
Leaving the gompa
A final coffee in the Milarepa Cave, breakfast and chai in the village, white khatas for the journey, and a pair of well-worn mountain boots left behind. This time, leaving Mustang feels peaceful. There is no question about whether to stay; only gratitude for having returned.
Carrying the silence
As the jeep descends towards Kathmandu, the landscape changes from dry mountain valleys to rivers, trees, towns and traffic. Yet Borghild notices that the silence of the gompa is still with her. Peace may not depend on the world around us being quiet.
Awareness before answers
The journey deepens a long-standing practice: staying with experience before rushing to explain or solve it. Sometimes what emerges is a feeling, a knowing, or simply the next movement. This is the foundation of Borghild's self-awareness practice, Connect. Focus. Flow.™
Listening to the body
In Kathmandu, Borghild’s plans give way when her back demands rest. Massage, cupping, singing bowls, good food and slow walks around Boudhanath become part of the journey. Instead of forcing the days into her plans, she listens.
The mountains and everyday life
The mountains make some things easier to see. Everyday life is where we do the practise. The deeper practice begins when we return to work, relationships, decisions, uncertainty and everyday life.
A way of life
Years ago, Walking Into It was about finding the courage to follow what called her.
The questions have since deepened.
What does it mean to be truly free?
How do we remain deeply connected to ourselves while fully participating in life?
We come to know ourselves by living, choosing, listening and continuing to walk.
ListenThis is a companion for walking, resting, travelling, or or taking a quiet moment for yourself.
Especially if you are returning from a journey, navigating a transition, or wondering how to take what you have learned back into everyday life.A reflection to take with you
Where in your life do you feel most yourself?
What makes you feel alive?
Where do you feel free to be yourself?
When you see yourself in those moments, who do you see?
What might change if you trusted that part of yourself more?
What is the next step asking to be lived?
A quote to remember
“Awareness is the practice of everyday life. The mountains simply make some things easier to see.”
Mentioned in this episode
- Mustang, Nepal
- The gompa and Milarepa Cave
- Pokhara and Beli Guesthouse
- Kathmandu and Boudhanath
- Walking the kora around the Boudhanath Stupa
- The book, Walking Into It: A Pilgrimage Through Foreign Lands to Inner Worlds.
- Connect. Focus. Flow.™
The Himalayan Diary Companion Journal
A companion journal for The Himalayan Diary is on its way, bringing together reflections and questions from all twelve episodes so you can continue exploring the journey in your own time.
Details will be shared as soon as it is ready.
What comes next
This is the final episode of The Himalayan Diary, but not the end of This Is Life.
What comes next is still to be revealed.
For now, keep walking.
The next step will reveal itself.
Follow & Share
If The Himalayan Diary has resonated with you, encouraged you to become more curious about your own life, or inspired you to reflect on the way you want to live, please follow This Is Life on your favourite podcast platform and leave a review.
And if you know someone who might enjoy these stories and reflections, please share the series with them.
Thank you for walking through the Himalayas with me.
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Note / DisclaimerThis podcast is for education and personal growth. It is not therapy or a substitute for professional mental health care.
