Chiang Mai is the second most important city in Thailand next to Bangkok, its capital. Aside from the hundreds of temples sprinkled throughout the city, and several excellent Thai massage schools, Chiang Mai also boasts of modern meditation classes for English-speaking students.

Why training the mind is important in Buddhism

Average people have no control over their thoughts and feelings. Like water that is unclear when it moves, an agitated mind fails to perceive truth.  Buddhism in Thailand and elsewhere in the world teaches that to see truth and be free of suffering, one has to learn to tame the mind first. This taming of the mind is acquired through basic concentration and breathing practices. In ancient times people had to take monastic vows to practice these exercises in seclusion. Today you can take “meditation retreats” to receive similar training without becoming a monk or nun. Several schools in Chiang Mai offer such retreats and classes.

Meditation Classes in Chiang Mai, Thailand

The Northern Insight Meditation Center teaches the vipassana method of mindfulness. Its intensive classes take 26 days to complete, or no less than 10 days for those who cannot take the full course.

The International Buddhism Center offers a 21-day course on vipassana as well. You can join discussions and chanting or a short 3-day retreat.

Wat Soan Dok gives people a chance to learn about the lives and practices of monks in their “Monk Chat Programme” held every other day on weekdays. For meditators, the temple has a 4-day course on vipassana.

Tip: Learn Thai yoga

Meditation exercises should be practiced only by healthy, mentally and physically sound individuals. To prepare for Buddhist meditation, you might also want to learn Thai yoga, also known as ruesri dat ton. This system of exercises are designed to improve physical health and give a sense of calmness, necessary for mental training.

The best tip that I can probably give you if you want to survive this festival is to dress lightly and comfortably. Remember that you will be squeezing in to the rest of the crowd in Caribana and will be exposed to sunlight. Dressing lightly will allow air to easily circulate around your body’s surfaces as well as allow your sweat to evaporate – which in turn cools the body.

Next, arriving early is just as important as dressing as lightly and as comfortable as possible. No matter how breezy your clothing may be, these won’t stand a chance of helping you survive the heat if you arrive late – just in time to join the crowd. If you arrive early though, you will be able to position yourself comfortably along the front row minus the crowd. You can bring a chair and other necessities with you so that you will be able to keep yourself at ease by the time the parade starts.

Lastly, it is also important that you wear footwear that won’t cause you any trouble. With the parade going on for the next 3.6 kilometers from where it starts and considering that there are many other activities that you have to go to right after the parade, most travel blogs will tell you that wearing comfortable footwear is a must. Closed shoes with flat heels are the best types of footwear for both men and women during the festival. Heels are highly discouraged and because slippers may snap during long walks, it is best to avoid them.

There are still plenty of people who are looking for opportunities to own a timeshare, and if you say you want to sell my timeshare then these people can just be the market that you are looking for.  Selling a timeshare is not hard to do especially that the slot you are offering has already been used by someone, which adds more value for the buyer when you could provide extra information about the place rather than to have a fresh start with a new purchase. You know that some time share experts do not suggest that you buy from developers because this is just too expensive to consider.  You might just be paying a lot of extra fees when you can get it from someone like you who is willing to post a sign outside that says selling my timeshare.

You can start an advertisement about your slot online so that people will be aware about what you are offering.  Advertising it will help because it could be that there are really people who have been looking for the same slot as you have and you might just be the answer to their longings.   You can try posting on some timeshare market place or an online classified ads, just beware of some opportunists who may dupe you to pay upfront cost and promises you that there are buyers on queue who are ready to buy.  These are marketing strategies that they do to earn form the seller like you.

Guided Walks

Many excursions and tours are available in this area.  The “River Walk” is a nice option that leads close to Westmoreland through vegetation.  Bring a swimsuit because waterfalls and natural jacuzzis form an invitation to swim.  Enjoy the opportunity to taste the local food.  Most tours include a barbecue feast.

Cliff Jumping and Sunsets

Negril is famous for divers who jump off cliffs at sunset.  It is inspiring to watch these divers.  It is important to remember that high cliffs are specifically for experienced divers.  Dangerous injuries have occurred to those who have little or no knowledge about Negril cliff jumping.  Novices should just sit back with Reggae music in the background and enjoy the sunset.

Watching Wildlife

Birdwatching is a common hobby.  Jamaica has a wide variety of birds that can be seen in Negril.  Herons, parakeets, egrets, and the Doctor bird, which is endangered, can be watched from here.  Butterflies of different colors, are often found in the same area as these birds.  Sea life such as turtles, whales, and dolphins, can also be viewed. It is quite exciting to watch wildlife in person, not just in pictures or on television.

There is so much to see and do when visiting Negril, Jamaica.  Instead of spending your entire vacation at the hotel or beach, discover what nature in Negril is all about.  The numerous amount of activities that this area of Jamaica has to offer leads many Negril hotels to present private tours, and most are willing to tailor-make an itinerary that fits your needs if you just ask.

Oxford Street – The busy thoroughfare is also one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. Busy, crowded but with an astonishing array of shops, Oxford Street should be braved at least once. Many of Europe’s flagships stores are based here including Top Shop and Nike. The street has mainly high street stores but there are also many interesting boutiques and of course department stores of which Selfridges is easily the best.

Covent Garden – This great London area is another tourist hotspot. It’s a quaint street and square which has some great shopping streets located just off of it. Covent Garden is known for it’s alfresco cafes and street performers but also look out for the great Apple Market which sells some fine crafts and lovely jewellery.

South Bank – This is a fantastic London area located along the banks of the River Thames. A cultural haven this offers a great independent theatre, cinema and of course the world famous Tate Modern Art Gallery. Taking a stroll along here will take you past lots of great art shops, cafes and traditional English pubs. Perfect for a sunny afternoon out!

Soho – This is a great place if you want to be seen! A favourite with celebrities and media types the area is full of great bars and restaurants. Just remember to take plenty of money!

The beach boys started it all. Not the singing group, but the original island beach boys who charmed the early visitors to San Andres and Providencia, teaching them about surfboards and outriggers, among other things. They all wore colorful, hand-painted shirts, and by the early 1930s, tourists were pestering Chinatown tailors to make similar shirts for them. Ellery J. Chun made the first ready to wear beach boy shirt. Modern versions are worn everywhere in the islands, but an old hand painted one is the shirt to wear. Good ones are hard to find but there’s no better collection than at Linda’s Vintage Isle. For a vintage silkie in top condition expect to pay between $75 to $100 and more.

To help lead islanders maidens in the paths of righteousness, the wives of early missionaries taught them the American craft of quilting. The islanders made the craft an art. Striking designs inspired by the flora of the islands were sown in tens of thousands of delicate stitches. Today, San Andres quilts are in short supply and a good one will cost several thousand dollars. The best introduction to this art is at Things San Andres where they will begin your quilting education and put you in touch with quilters if you wish to buy one. If you are very lucky, you’ll see top quilters at work here, some of the most revered in all the islands.

Here are some of the coolest souvenirs you’ll find at the Field Museum in Chicago:

Egyptian Isis Statue

Isis was an ancient Egyptian goddess. She was the mother of Horus, god of the sky and all kings and wife of Osiris, lord of the underworld. With incomparable protection and healing powers, she represented the ideal woman in ancient times. The stone statue of Isis measures 6 inches high and 7 inches wide and shows the goddess kneeling and spreading her curved wings.

Vintage Japanese Haori

Haori are traditional Japanese kimonos worn to protect men from the elements. The Field Museum sells these beautiful, one-of-a-kind garments for men and women, which measure 23” long by 23” wide, with 12” wide sleeves. The haoris come in a variety of designs and colors and each one is completely unique.

Oaxacan Carved Creatures

Oaxaca, Mexico is known around the world for its whimsical folk art carvings known as alebrijes. These painstakingly hand-carved and hand-painted crafts are all original works made from the wood of the copal tree. The Field Museum store has vibrant lizards, rabbits and deer waiting for you to take them home!

Embera Masks

Near the Colombian border, there is a collection of remote Panamanian rainforest villages where the Embera people reside. In these villages, Shamans wear masks while performing healing rituals and before hunts to bring good luck. These one-of-a-kind masks are made from knotting and sewing pieces of palm trees. They are considered invaluable because of their intricate design. The Field Museum has blue macaw masks, toucan masks, owl masks and more.

Vintage Wedding Sari

These elegant wedding saris have been worn for hundreds of years on the Asian sub-continent. They are still worn today for weddings and large-scale social occasions. The Field Museum’s saris are from the mid-19^th century and made from hand-loomed silk. They are available in several colors and embroidered with beautiful metallic and silk threads.

Shopping at the Field Museum of Natural History is unlike shopping at most museum gift shops. With truly one-of-a-kind pieces always in stock, you’re sure to find an exceptional souvenir to remember your trip by! Be sure to purchase a Chicago Card and make the Field Museum a stop on your next trip to the Windy City!

Most people think of camping as being rugged and living outdoors pretty much. Many campsites do not have indoor plumbing and you’re basically at the hand of Mother Nature. These people take tents with nice and comfortable Intex air beds to sleep basically outside in style. Campfires are built every night to roast hot dogs or marshmallows. They may even sing songs around the campfire before going to bed.

Some of the activities these people may take part in do not include modern day technology. This means no television, no radio, or no electronic games. This is known as hard core camping. They catch fish to eat during the meals and the fish are cooked over the open fire. Swimming is a big family favorite. It is not done in a pool either. People swim in the rivers, lakes, and ponds. These people just do not mind getting dirty and using their imaginations to enjoy themselves.

Some people basically believe this as some others take one step up and rent or buy an RV, recreational vehicle. So instead of sleeping on the ground in a tent, people can actually sleep in a bed. The activities may be the same, but some fancier RVs have electricity with a radio, TV, or other electronics. It may also have a refrigerator and stove to cook on.

This is a big step up from the rugged outdoorsman, but there are even some people who would never be caught dead going out into the woods in an RV, let alone tent! These people think that going camping should mean going to a different town than your hometown, getting a hotel room, and staying and relaxing there. Swimming is done in a public pool, not in some grimy lake. These are the type of people who both have a lot of money and can buy whatever they want so they do not know much about doing stuff for themselves or having fun in the dirt, or people that just do not enjoy the outdoors.

Camping is really just whatever you make it. Leaving home to spend time outdoors, or indoors; with family and friends to have a good time. Relaxation, exploration and adventure are possible when you go camping. It is a very peaceful experience for many as long as you take the necessary precautions needed when you spend a lot of time outdoors. This includes bug-spray, suntan lotion for starters.

Thai massage is one of several forms of ancient Thai healing. Unlike modern massage therapy, Thai massage practice is based in a belief in energy pathways in the body called “sen lines.” When these lines are obstructed, the life-giving force that keeps the body healthy is unable to travel smoothly. Consequently that part of the body becomes diseased. To heal it, a Thai massage expert manipulates the lines and pressure points to allow the energy to flow again.

A similar and related discipline known as Ruesri Dat Ton or Thai yoga operates under the same principles. However Thai yoga has the added benefit of being a solo practice – you do not need a massage therapist to do it for you.

To learn Thai massage or yoga, you can join English-speaking classes in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or wherever there are classes on Thai massage that speak your language. At Wat Pho, you need only your passport, some I.D. photos and Thai baht currency to pay for your tuition. A class costs a few thousand to several thousand bahts depending on the course and the duration of the class.

At a Thai massage class, you are expected to wear loose but decent attire. You will probably be partnered with another student with whom you will take turns doing massage. You will be assigned a teacher although in practice, teachers in the same massage room can assist any student in the class.

During a Wat Pho massage class, you will be expected to review your massage manual, observe the teacher perform the massage, and then do it yourself. There is a lot of practice involved. You will repeat massage techniques over and over. After a break at midday you resume again in the afternoon.

After several days of practice, you can volunteer to take an exam. If you pass the exam (it’s not hard) you will be awarded a Thai massage certificate.

Make sure you practice what you learned at home with family and friends (who ideally took the course as well) so you do not forget it. It is also important to know massage laws in your area before you attempt it on anyone whether professionally or in private.