Ocean Rituals & Mountain Trails

this post is part of the root-seeking journey series
last updated: Dec 23, 2025

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My beach visit the day before inspired me to seek the ocean again today in the morning.
I meditated for a while, said some prayers and offered all the emotions stirring inside me to the island.

My simple, personal arrival ritual.

It has not been always natural for me to talk to nature.
Living in a conscious community on Mainland Portugal has taught me a lot about living in and with nature. It was on Madeira two years ago that I actively started seeking a deeper connection to nature on my own.
I talked to Mama Madeira who I felt as a divine living organism guiding every being on the island. I talked to trees, the ocean, and wrote many love poems.
I danced barefoot with the wind, hiked through intimate, untouched places, and swam in the ocean like a fish.
Nowadays, I don’t hold myself back anymore when there is a longing to connect deeper to non-human beings.

My spiritual practice is to not filter authentic longings for the Divine and instead follow them with the curiosity of a child.

It is incredible how much lighter I felt with every ebb and flow of the waves. An energetic cleansing, mirroring my inner states.
Due to PMS I experienced some irritations and oversensitivities in the past days, which I gladly offered away.
Most of the time we ask and want from the Divine. But what do we have to offer?
I like to offer present emotions. No matter if they are labeled positive or negative, I happily offer fear as much as joy. No need to hold on to any of them.

Until I’m empty, ready to be filled again by new waters.

Starting the Day

When I returned home at 9 am, I noticed that I forgot to charge my battery pack overnight. Which means that I can’t go too far away today and have to postpone the scooter drive to tomorrow. In addition, my period pain started to kick in, and I took it as a reminder to surrender my frustration to a new flow today. We can’t always choose the situations that we are in, but we can choose our reactions to them, right?

On my way to the rental service I accidentally past by a delicious cafeteria. At least 30-40 different dishes to choose from, with many steamed veggies. This was exactly the kind of healthy food option I was looking for the past days!

Hello Mountains (Zuocang Trail + Sakul Trail)

I rented a bicycle to cycle up to the starting point of those two trails. It was very humid today and soon enough, the sweat started pouring. I cycled through rural areas, admired the different rural houses and gardens and got excited by the view of the mountains getting closer.

My first hiking experience in Taiwan was the Zuocang Trail which turned out to be a steep 2km ascent. Originally about 4km long, the earthquake left its marks here as well. Many construction cars drove past my way, making this hike an uncomfortable smell and sound experience.
(I’m grateful for their restoration work, however, it might have been good to close the trail to the public.)

Halfway I met a Japanese girl named Aki who studied Anthropology and we curiously exchanged stories from our cultures.

When we arrived back at the starting point we made our way to Sakul Trail, which promised a waterfall. It was a completely different hiking experience through lush green, well maintained paths that make you forget yourself for a while. This is the kind of outdoor adventure I’m looking for. Towards the end we even saw some monkeys!