When We Let Go of Expectations, the Journey Becomes Freer

The last days and weeks have been filled with beautiful autumn colors. The trees are releasing their leaves, which are no longer needed. Before falling, however, they shine in the brightest hues, as if from another world. So much brightness and color truly feel like a reward. And in this beauty, it is time to let go and move on. When we see the leaves slowly falling, we can find inspiration for our own mindfulness practice. The falling leaves remind us that, just like the trees, we too can release what we no longer need. Just as the leaves naturally and effortlessly descend to the ground, we can learn to let go of old thoughts, tensions, or expectations that no longer serve us. This process is not about loss but rather about freeing space for new possibilities.

And just like that, I am also leaving autumn behind. As I write these lines, I reflect on everything I am letting go of. Tomorrow, I am setting off on a long journey to the “land of smiles,” as Thailand is called. The last time I was in Asia was about seven years ago. The last few years have been intense in many ways, yet beautiful and rewarding. I find that the more intense life is, the more real and beautiful it becomes. I believe that, like life itself, we inhale and exhale within a broader spectrum of time through various seasons. The past few months have felt like a long, slow exhale, which might represent autumn, and now it’s time to take a deep breath. I trust that now there is space, silence, and emptiness in between this exhalation and inhalation. The last few days have been mostly devoted to rest and gathering strength, as if experiencing a little winter before the 2.5-month journey that begins tomorrow.

I see this summer journey as a deep summer inhale, one that will also be directed inward. Most of the journey will be dedicated to learning, study, meditation practice, and training. I am about to embark on a 3-week Taoist health Qi-Gong course, a meditation retreat in a Buddhist monastery in the mountains, a course on traditional Japanese healing massages (Reiki) combined with Qi-Gong exercises. Before, between, and after all of this, I will travel through cities, nature, jungles, and many beautiful Buddhist temples. The training in soft healing forms will be balanced with the hard training of Muay Thai, which, like everything else, I am eagerly looking forward to. I think that it will be a balanced journey—a new beginning, perhaps the end of something old, maybe even the closing of one life circle and the starting point of another phase. I believe everything goes as it’s meant to, which might not be entirely as I envision, but perhaps all the more adventurous.

I wish for health and safety, and to share at least some part of it with you all. I try to stay present as much as I can and remind myself that when we trust in the process, the beauty reveals itself in every step.