Grief Travel: An effective healer or an expensive recuperation?

Remember how Mel Monroe from Virgin River travels all the way to a new town to restart her life after the tragic death of her husband? Or how Elizabeth Gilbert or Liz portrayed by Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love travels across Italy, India and Bali in order to find spiritual peace after being recently divorced?

Or newly widowed Fern essayed by Frances McDormand travels across America in a van like a nomad to find the missing piece of solace in her heart in Nomadland! Ever wondered why in many movies and series, the concept of travelling solo after the loss of a near one is so prominent? This concept is Grief Travel.

What is Grief Travel?

While definitely not a concrete way to restart life, Grief Travel is often considered a healing process; a step towards coming to terms with loss. It basically means travelling in order to accept the loss of someone close – family, partner, spouse, children, friends etc. – due to divorce, death or any other reasons. It includes meeting new people, forging newer bonds, understanding cultures and spiritual practices and in this journey, slowly healing the growing grief within yourself. 

A step closer to healing?

Grief travel is undertaken due to several reasons.

·        Loss, often comes as a shock, and to process that takes time. This time is given by the travels to accept, understand and start preparing to move towards newer horizons without the loved one by your side.

·        Have you ever planned with a family member, spouse, partner or a friend to visit a place and then lost them? Many times, just to honour these small wishes and promises, Grief Travel is undertaken so that these unfulfilled desires can be lived.

·        Being in a new environment, especially a spiritual one helps you see the world from different perspective. Travel not only means seeing new places but also familiarising yourself with new cultures, traditions and most importantly stories. Stories and narrations, maybe even of how the other person copes up with grief, opens a window of hope in the mind, making one stronger than they previously were.

Where can you travel should you want to shed your grief baggage?  

Grief travel is a very personalised form of travel. It might be a place where someone wanted to travel for a long time and it remains an unfulfilled wish; or a road trip; or a place which holds many memories; or a completely new town where no one knows you. However, there are a few places across the globe which specifically assists in Grief Travel by offering programmes and retreats. Some of them are mentioned below.

·       Dharana at Shillim, in Maharashtra offers a Mental Resilience Programme which includes healing through customised diet plans, yoga, meditation and more.

·       Blassi in South Goa provides sound healing and wellness activities to cope up.

·       Six Senses Vana offers a unique course in Tibetan healing. Nestled within the natural landscapes of Mussoorie, the views along with practices like Tibetan yoga, the ancient singing bowl therapy, and relaxing Ku Nye massages help you heal spiritually, emotionally and through the mind.

·       Experience a fusion of ancient Greek and Chinese healing principles at Euphoria Retreat in Greece.

Is Grief Travel really effective healing or an added expense?

Grief Travel does not guarantee complete healing from the loss of a loved one. In fact, nothing can ever fill the vacuum created by this tragedy. But as they say, time heals, Grief Travel starts giving that time to a person to start walking on the process of healing and normalising their communication with the world, instead of being cooped up alone in a room. Interestingly, grief travel may not be expensive at all. They can be planned on a budget as well; and even if it is expensive, it brings back old memories and creates newer ones which helps one combat with the missing piece of their heart and build their life anew. It is definitely worth a try!