REISIMINE JA VAIMNE TERVIS

The discussion evening invites you to hear inspiring stories about how travel can support mental health. Traveling and journeying as a change of environment is certainly one of those experiences in a person's life that can change us and make us look at the world and ourselves differently after returning home. It may be a package holiday to Egypt or a backpacking trip around the world. Some journeys have a clear destination, such as completing a pilgrimage route, while others involve wandering aimlessly, from village to village like a vagabond or Nipernaadi. Some people seek to nourish the spirit, others flee from themselves. Some seek enlightenment, while others find themselves trapped, because dangers, too, are part of the hero's journey. Joseph Campbell's monomyth can be seen in people's life journeys. The monomyth refers to a unified myth pattern—the idea that many myths, fairy tales, religious stories, and heroic tales around the world follow a similar basic structure. At its heart is the hero's journey. An important psychological mechanism is also moderate and controlled uncertainty. While traveling, a person has to cope with unexpected situations: getting lost, delays, language barriers, logistical problems, or the need to make decisions quickly. Such situations need not be traumatic, but they require active adaptation and problem-solving. Coping successfully strengthens self-confidence, a sense of competence, and the inner conviction that a person can manage situations that at first seem uncomfortable or frightening. Travel can also temporarily reduce the pressure of social roles. At home, people are often defined by their roles: employee, partner, child, parent, caregiver, or colleague. While traveling, these roles may recede, allowing a person to experience themselves in a freer and less structured situation. Such distance from one's roles can support awareness of authentic wishes and needs and help people notice what changes in life might improve their mental well-being. Travel does not replace professional mental health care, but it can be a supportive experiential practice that creates an opportunity for change, self-discovery, and trying new ways of behaving. It can be especially valuable for people who feel stuck in their existing roles, decisions, or life patterns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we keenly felt how important freedom of movement is and how oppressively restrictions can affect the mind. After restrictions eased, both travel and, for example, caravan tourism grew noticeably, bringing families together and creating new groups of travel companions. There are many different ways to travel, both motorized and non-motorized. Some prefer to wander with their hands in their pockets and a backpack on their shoulders, while others bring their whole home along in a motorhome. A motorcycle trip may be optimal in terms of speed and the equipment one can take along, but those who do not want to depend on fuel prices or the risks associated with motor vehicles may choose a bicycle instead. Often the most important thing is not the destination, but the experience of being on the move—physically, mentally, and existentially! Lecturers: Ivo Tšetõrkin is a tour operator, anthropologist, and experienced world traveler. For years, Ivo has been closely connected above all with South America, especially the Amazon region and its cultures. He first reached the Amazon as a backpacker more than 15 years ago, and it became a long-standing passion and profession. Originally a lawyer, Ivo changed careers to travel organizing and founded the company Amazonas Reisid in 2008. For him, traveling is not merely about visiting sights, but an opportunity to understand local people, culture, and ways of life firsthand. He has lived and adventured for years in the Peruvian Amazon, gathering many personal experiences and stories there. He has also shared these experiences in his book “My Amazon. No Peeing in the River!”. Ivo emphasizes mindful travel, in which one tries to truly get to know a destination rather than simply visit as many places as possible. His talks bring together practical travel experience, cultural knowledge, an anthropological perspective, and vivid stories from real life. Come hear Ivo's experiences and thoughts, and hopefully you will look at the world and your travels from a different angle! His author-hosted show Reispass airs on Raadio 2 every Sunday at 10 Read more: https://amazonas.ee/ [https://amazonas.ee/] Eidi Elisabeth Aidla works in the field of mental health and is fascinated by creativity, spirituality, and the inner world of the human being. Her first longer and more meaningful journey took her to Tibet 11 years ago, and now her second conscious journey is to southern Italy. At the gathering, Eidi will share her travel experiences and reflect on how a journey can become more than moving from one place to another—an opportunity to slow down, notice, and meet oneself. Read more: https://isiklikareng.ee/ [https://isiklikareng.ee/] Tauno Jürgenstein began his personal development journey more than 20 years ago. Since then, many of his trips have included at least some element of spiritual self-search or expanding awareness. These include “classic” spiritual destinations such as India and Bali, but, somewhat unexpectedly even to him, also Germany, Spain, South and Central America, and even Lithuania. It turns out that much depends on one's mindset—that is, intention and awareness. In spiritual terms, he considers his most significant trips to be a three-month solo journey through the Americas in 2016 and a three-week pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 2025. Both journeys had very difficult moments, and he returned from each noticeably changed and in a significantly better mental state than when he set out. He also wrote a book about the trip to the Americas, “The Longest Journey”. Today, Tauno works with his wife at Sisekosmosejaam as a hypnotherapist and constellation facilitator, and leads various personal development practices, including journeys for men and other expansive experiences. Read more: https://www.sisekosmosejaam.ee/ [https://www.sisekosmosejaam.ee/] Jana Ots is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist who works individually with both adults and adolescents and conducts training on mental health topics. Her professional journey has led from medicine to psychology and psychotherapy, and she is especially interested in people's inner worlds, their life experiences, and how different life events can change a person. At the discussion evening, Jana will look at travel and journeying primarily from a psychological perspective: how stepping out of a familiar environment, adapting to new situations, and temporarily setting aside established roles can affect a person's self-perception, mental well-being, and understanding of their life. For her, a journey is not only movement from one place to another, but can also be an inner journey during which a person notices something new in themselves, questions old habits, and returns home a little different from when they left. At the discussion evening “Mental Health and Travel,” Jana Ots is the moderator and will help connect the guests' personal travel experiences with psychology, self-discovery, and mental well-being. Read more: https://psuhholoog.eu/ [https://psuhholoog.eu/] The discussion evening is part of events taking place in Pärnu as part of Mental Health Month and is supported by the City of Pärnu. Tickets from Fienta, and at the door too if places are available! More information: [contact details withheld] Show less