Our NEW Women’s Eye Podcast Travel Series continues with guest host and travel writer Laurie McAndish King in conversation with Pardis Mahdavi, an Iranian American scholar, author, journalist, anthropologist and former university president who left her job in academia because she discovered a way to make even more of a positive difference in the world: transformative travel.
Join in as I meet Pardis Mahdavi, who now leads transformational retreats around the world, focused on supporting intentional, restorative journeys. “You’re learning about yourself through immersing yourself in another place,” Pardis explains.
“Many people I’ve met have said that the greatest insights they’ve had about themselves come when they remove themselves from their everyday environment.”
Available also on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube
This kind of travel connects us, fosters the exchange of ideas, and empowers us to become our best selves. I loved Pardis’ example of the way local women at Angkor Wat taught her parenting skills, and her story about connecting with another mother at Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
“I’m a single mom with three kids, and probably my most profound parenting experiences have been when I travel with my children.”
But the journeys Pardis designs and facilitates are much more than that—in fact, they often turn into pilgrimages. Pardis named her company Entheon, the Greek word that translates as “the journey to find the Creator within.”
Pardis’ latest book, Riding, was just released.
Entheon Retreats aims to create a safe, organized experience—a sort of container that allows participants to relax, be vulnerable, and genuinely open up to the world. “It gives them the brain space to really start to think differently. It allows creativity, allows ideas to come in.”
One aspect of Entheon workshops in Peru, Egypt, Mexico, Indonesia, and India is the way participants connect with bodies of traditional knowledge. “You get to meet local folks, village elders, people who have been carrying and passing on stories of the land,” Pardis explains.
In India, for example, you might take up new Yoga and wellness practices. In Thailand you might volunteer at an elephant orphanage instead of riding on the back of an elephant. In Peru you might spend time with a shaman in addition to exploring the living energy of the jungle.
This kind of cultural awareness and preservation is central to Pardis’ mission of providing experiences of community and connectivity that are restorative for both the traveler and the places they visit.
Our conversation also includes:
- Tips for your backup travel plan
- Benefits of traveling with children
- Importance of Intention
- How to become a storymaker
Enjoy this podcast!
Join us for more travel podcasts with “Go Boldly!” traveler Beth Whitman, and our upcoming talks with award-winning culinary adventurer Naomi Duguid, and National Geographic photographer Catherine Karnow.
Connect with Pardis Mahdavi:
Website: pardismahdavi.com
Entheon Retreats: Entheon Retreats
Instagram: @mahdavipardis
Some links in this post may be “affiliate links,” meaning TWE receives a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.
Leave a Reply