A Passage to India

A "frightening" trip leads one woman to guide journeys of the body and spirit.

By Ronna Abramson

The first time Elizabeth Medgyesy visited India in 1990, she hated it. The sights, sounds, and smells were just too intense. "There's no peace from the chaos," she says. "I found that frightening."

Even after Medgyesy traveled to other countries and cofounded EcoTours of Oregon, the subcontinent stayed with her. Five years after her first visit, a series of coincidences—unsolicited requests about tours to India, even a vision— inspired her to start Spirit Travel, which offers spiritual tours to that country. To the now-booming spiritual travel industry, Medgyesy brings deep personal knowledge of several religions as well as her yoga practice.

"India is the most spiritually charged, challenging, and colorful place I've ever been," says Medgyesy, who insists on using smaller, locally owned lodgings so that travelers get a true sense of the land. Exposing travelers to transformational encounters is key to Medgyesy's mission. She arranges talks by local scholars and visits to sacred sites off the beaten track.

While many tourists might take a boat trip on the Ganges to watch Indians bathe and pray, Medgyesy's groups take to the waters at sunrise, accompanied by a local Hindu priest who explains the holy river's rituals, in which the travelers then participate. "My job is to create a supportive, soothing trip, then let the country do its work on them," she says.

Drawing on eight years as a yoga teacher and 24 as a meditator, Medgyesy leads travelers in yoga and meditation each morning. The practice provides grounding energy to help people grapple with India's travel challenges, be they late trains or leprous beggars. "Setting up the day with that tripod of strength, flexibility, and balance helps the spiritual and mental realms," Medgyesy says. "You really need that to avoid freaking out in India." Spirit Travel also conducts trips to Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.

"My ultimate goal is world peace," Medgyesy says. "That comes from understanding and loving our brothers and sisters all over the world."