Spirit Tours - Journeys of the Soul

07/17/2026

What if approaching 80 became an invitation instead of a milestone?

As Joan's eightieth birthday drew near, she found herself longing for something more than another celebration. She wanted experiences that would stretch her heart, deepen her understanding, and remind her how much life still had to offer.

She said yes to her first Spirit Tours journey at 79.
Four sacred journeys later—to Peru, Damanhur, Egypt, and Uganda—she discovered that growth has no age limit.

Her story isn't just about travel. It's about courage, receiving help, finding community, and discovering that there is always more of ourselves waiting to emerge.
If you've ever wondered whether it's "too late" to answer a call to adventure, Joan's reflections may be exactly what you need to read.

Read her story here:

https://spirit.tours/inspiration/sacred-travel-later-in-life-when-eighty-became-an-invitation/

Can sacred travel later in life still change your life? As I approached age 70, I wasn’t sure. I was looking forward to retirement, but the Universe had other plans. Instead of slowing down, I spent the next ten years rebuilding my health and financial footing. Some things remained the same. I con...

07/02/2026

When Spirit Tours traveler Donnamarie Mazzola signed up for a Sacred Journey to Uganda, she imagined gorillas emerging from the mist, elephants crossing the savannah, and the power of Murchison Falls.

Those moments were every bit as extraordinary as she had hoped.

Yet the deepest lessons of the journey came from something else entirely.

In her reflection, Donnamarie explores the Ugandan philosophy of Obuntu—often expressed as, "I am because we are"—and how encounters with wildlife, community, and human kindness awakened a deeper understanding of belonging and interconnectedness.

She witnessed it in the ranger who offered a helping hand on a forest trail. In the porters who carried travelers up the mountain to meet the gorillas. In the children of Murushasha Community School who welcomed visitors with songs, smiles, and open hearts.

Again and again, Uganda offered the same lesson: We become ourselves through our relationships with one another.

This beautiful reflection invites us to consider what transformational travel can awaken when we move beyond sightseeing and allow ourselves to be changed by the experience.

What is the most meaningful lesson you've learned while traveling?



Read the full article:

https://spirit.tours/inspiration/spiritual-interconnectedness-obuntu-and-the-many-faces-of-consciousness/

06/18/2026

Travel, especially intentional or spiritually based travel, is not just a change in location – it is a full shift in your environment and your physiology. Dr. Dan Hartmann, DC, CFMP shares how to create enough internal stability so your body can handle the stress of travel without pulling you out of the transformational experience.

Because if your body is struggling, your awareness narrows, and you can miss the very moments you traveled so far to experience.

https://spirit.tours/inspiration/healthy-travel-tips-for-preparing-the-body-for-sacred-travel/

06/14/2026

What happens when intention, community, and sacred space converge? In this reflection, longtime Spirit Tours travelers Christine Volkmer and Sherry Wood share how a quiet “someday” dream became a lived spiritual practice.

Read their reflection:
https://spirit.tours/inspiration/spiritual-travel-experiences-that-change-us/

06/10/2026

Transformation doesn’t happen automatically—it unfolds through intention, presence, and reflection. Spirit Tours co-ownerd Rev Petra Weldes and Rev Karen Fry explain what makes travel transformational, and the lived experience of what it feels like when it unfolds.

How have you experienced transformative travel? Share in the comments.

Read the article:

Transformation doesn’t happen automatically—it unfolds through intention, presence, and reflection. Discover what makes travel truly transformational, and how meaningful journeys can create lasting change from the inside out.

05/28/2026

Our Co-Owners have completed traveling through over half of Greece to find the perfect sacred spots for our NEW Greece Tour.

We will launch them for 2027in the next few weeks. All we can say is: WOW!

You’ll love the sacred places, the people, food, nature, diversity of landscapes, the accommodations, and… the Oracles.

Here are some photos.

We don’t want to give much away before we’re ready.

We go to great lengths and expense to personally choose and ensure each and every aspect of the sacred journey. You’ll get to experience Greece in a way no one else can duplicate.

05/20/2026

There are some places you visit, and then there are places that stay with you.

For Jessica Kolbe, Japan was one of those places.

Through temple stays in Koyasan, meditation above the forest canopy at Zenbo Seinei, shared meals in sacred spaces, and the quiet ritual of bowing, she experienced something deeper than sightseeing—a culture shaped by reverence, mindfulness, and extraordinary attention to detail.

In her latest reflection, Jessica explores how Japanese mindfulness culture revealed itself not through grand moments, but through everyday gestures: politeness, presence, beauty, and care.

Sometimes transformation doesn’t arrive dramatically. Sometimes it begins with noticing.

Read “Japanese Mindfulness Culture: A Journey Through Japan” and discover how travel can change the way we move through the world.

https://spirit.tours/inspiration/japanese-mindfulness-culture-a-journey-through-japan/

05/02/2026

Join Dr Kathy Hearn and experience the sacred beauty of Bhutan, from the iconic cliffside Tiger’s Nest Monastery to the vibrant Paro Festival. This thoughtfully curated journey invites you to explore ancient mountain monasteries, walk prayer-filled paths, and immerse yourself in a culture rooted in compassion, presence, and inner peace. Each day nurtures body, mind, and spirit while creating meaningful connections with the land and its people. Spaces are limited—discover more and reserve your place today.

04/26/2026

What is spiritual travel—and how is it different from tourism?

The difference is not in where you go, but in how you arrive.

Tourism often asks, “What can I see here?”
Spiritual travel asks, “What is this place here to teach me?”

It is an approach rooted in reverence, cultural respect, and openness to something deeper than sightseeing. Sacred travel invites us to engage with the spirit of a place—to understand its history, honor its traditions, and experience the journey as something participatory rather than consumptive.

In our latest article, Rev Petra explores the heart of spiritual travel and why some destinations are not simply visited, but truly encountered.

If you’ve ever felt called to travel in a way that nourishes both soul and perspective, we invite you to read more.

Read the full article: What Is Spiritual Travel (and How Is It Different Than Tourism?)

What is spiritual travel? Learn how it differs from tourism and how intentional journeys can transform the way you experience the world.

04/23/2026

Earth Day, Still

The Earth does not hurry
even now—
even as headlines crack like thunder
and certainty slips through our fingers
like loosened soil.

She turns,
as she always has,
quietly carrying oceans on her back,
lifting green through broken places,
whispering to seeds:
not yet… but soon.

We forget this—
how life insists
without asking permission.

A dandelion splits the sidewalk.
A bird sings into a morning
that did not promise safety,
only arrival.

And still—
still it comes.

The rivers do not ask
who deserves their reflection.
The sky does not ration its blue.
The trees keep breathing out
what we cannot live without.

There is a rhythm beneath the noise,
a deeper pulse
that does not panic.

It says:
Stay.
Root where you are.
Reach anyway.

Even now,
especially now,
the Earth is not giving up on us.

So place your hand on something living—
a leaf, a stone warmed by sun,
your own steady chest—

and remember:
YOU BELONG to this
ongoing miracle.

Not someday.
Not when things are fixed.

Now.