Peace in Motion: Hiking, Yoga, and Gratitude in the Heart of Bavaria

​I didn’t plan this trip – not in the usual, methodical, structured way I tend to approach travel. I really did the thing I wouldn’t typically do; I impulsively booked a $500 roundtrip ticket to Frankfurt International Airport. One quiet morning, I woke up feeling this strong pull to go back where I belong. This year had been an... interesting one to say the least, and I needed to be in a space where I could move my body in nature, gain clarity through stillness, and most importantly, listen to my instincts. A week later, I found myself in the heart of Bavaria, surrounded by misty mountain peaks, and church bells ringing throughout the day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

​What was meant to be a spontaneous 3-week break from reality became a much deeper return to balance. When my friends asked how my trip to Germany was, I often replied “I’ve not ever felt so connected to my mind, body, and soul all at once before”. From practicing sun salutations beside the Kriegergedächtniskapelle, the War Memorial Chapel, to pausing mid-hike to appreciate the sounds of cowbells and the Zugspitzbahn nearby, I felt gratitude in ways that I’ve not ever experienced before!

​What Inspired This Trip

The decision to book the trip to Germany came from this faint yet overwhelming voice inside of me that I knew I needed to listen to more – my intuition. That morning, I woke up with this undeniable urge to move. Not necessarily to escape, but to reconnect to myself. I booked the ticket without overthinking it, especially when I knew what was waiting for me once I arrived.

​I choose Garmisch-Partenkirchen because for 2 years it was my place of residence, but since 2014, it’s been my Heaven on Earth – Garmisch is where I retreat, reset, and relive my favorite memories. Trust me when I say that Garmisch is the kind of place where time slows down, where nature asks you to breathe differently, listen more closely, and let go of everything that doesn’t matter. What I didn’t know then, but I soon began to realize, was just how much this spontaneous trip would remind me that peace often comes when we stop trying so hard to find it. If you know, you know!

Finding Stillness Through Movement

​Hiking in Garmisch quickly became more than just a physical activity, it was my meditation. I was hitting over 25k steps on most days, and close to 50k steps on other days. The unlimited amount of band aids for my blisters sure came in handy! I hiked alone for hours on end without music or distractions, letting the sounds of nature guide me. The moments of stillness during the hike like when I was sitting on a rock while listening to the rushing water of the Hoellental gorge or breaking out my journal to write what I was grateful for along my hike, surely became some of the most meaningful parts of the journey. 

​I think one of my favorite endings to my day was walking back into town after hiking up to the Hoellentalangerhuette and back down to my dear friend’s home. It was pitch black; I had to use the flashlight on my cell phone to guide me back. There was nothing that I appreciated more in that moment than hearing the cowbells echoing across the valley, the wind brushing against the trees, and the crunch of the gravel beneath my boots! 

Hoellental gorge

​Yoga That Grounded Me, People Who Inspired Me

Each day of movement brought me closer to a higher sense of presence. Hiking helped clear my mind, but yoga taught me how to relax there. Through a great lady friend of mine, I was reintroduced to Erin - a lovely yoga instructor in Garmisch, the owner of The Third Place, whose presence felt as grounded as the mountains themselves. I was a bit nervous going to the first class, I didn't know what to expect, but it was clear since then that it wasn't just about the poses, it was about the connection - to our bodies, our minds, and each other.

​I attended Erin's classes about twice a week, whenever I could drop in. Sometimes it was indoors in quiet intimate sessions, and others outside - in front of the Alpspitz with the sun beaming on our bodies, or in the stillness of the Michael-Ende-Kurpark as the world moved gently around us. Erin had such a soft and flowing way of integrating the energy of our environment into practice, reminding us to feel both supported by the ground we stand on and expanded by the space around us. Those moments became another exercise of gratitude. Gratitude for movement, for our bodies, for our courage, for our community, and for the rare gift of being fully present.

Daily Gratitude in Practice

Gratitude had been integrated in my life long before this trip, but I had fallen out of it for some time. I knew that it was shifting my behavior as well as my appreciation for life and the little things as it was becoming weak. It's like growing a muscle where if you don't work it out consistently, the muscle will become weak over time. Through this trip, I found my way back to practicing gratitude on a daily basis and what a shift in perspective did that give me. An open heart, an open mind, and most of all, happiness. 

"It's not happy people who are grateful, it's grateful people who are happy"

In the mornings, I would get dressed, look at myself in the mirror, and acknowledge where I was at and how I felt. Some days it was as simple as thanking my legs for carrying me up the mountains and through the trails. On other days, gratitude showed up in conversations with inspiring women, shared laughter, or the quiet comfort of sitting alone with myself beneath the mountain peaks. By practicing gratitude, I learned that presence is the greatest gift travel can offer. And in Garmisch, surrounded by mountains that demanded both humility and awe, gratitude became the thread that tied it all together!

Carrying Peace Forward

When my time in Garmisch-Partenkirchen came to an end, I knew the peace I had there wasn't being left behind as I headed back home to Upstate New York. The peace lived in me, and I continued to appreciate and practice what I learned from this trip. Bavaria offered me the space, but the practice was mine to carry forward. I came back from with tired legs, a less anxious mind, and a deeper trust in myself. Hiking taught me to stay steady, yoga taught me to stay grounded, and gratitude taught me to stay true to myself through my everyday habits and appreciation for life!

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