After returning from the nunnery, Borghild settles back into the silence of the gompa in Mustang. The mornings are cold, the routines are simple, and the body is tired from the altitude, the winter conditions, and the constant practical work of staying warm, fed, and grounded.

Even in the stillness, the mind keeps moving. There is already a flight booked from Delhi back to Norway, but everything between Mustang and that departure is still open. The mind circles many possibilities. And underneath all of it, another question appears: does she really want to leave this place?

Even in the stillness of a remote gompa in Mustang, Nepal, everyday life finds its way in.

In this episode of The Himalayan Diary, Borghild reflects on what happens when the mind begins to speed up again after a period of stillness.

Messages from home, practical decisions, travel questions, and unresolved things in Norway start to enter the retreat.

And with that comes the familiar movement of the mind; planning, worrying, anticipating, trying to create certainty before anything is clear.

From the butter lamp that will not stay lit, to the...

On a freezing morning at the gompa in Mustang, Borghild sits with her hands wrapped around a hot pot of porridge, waiting for the first sunlight to reach her skin. Muktinath remains in shadow. The fortress ridge above Jhong village is already lit, and slowly the day begins to arrive in layers.

In this episode of The Himalayan Diary, Borghild shares a sunrise mindfulness practice inspired by those first moments of warmth on a winter morning in the Himalayas. It's a gentle invitation to pause, breathe, and be open to receive what is here, just as it...

Outside the gompa in Mustang, a Tibetan prayer flag has become a silent teacher for Borghild. From the kitchen window and out in the sharp morning light, she finds herself returning to it again and again; watching the way it hangs still, lifts, twists, opens, and falls back with the changing wind.

In this episode of The Himalayan Diary, Borghild shares a reflective mindfulness practice inspired by the prayer flag and what it reveals about the mind.

The wind becomes a way of understanding thought: invisible, yet powerful. We may not see it coming, but...

Today, Borghild steps out of the stillness of the cave and into the everyday rhythm of winter in the gompa. What does it really mean to tend to the flame, not just metaphorically, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually when the conditions are cold, the butter won’t melt, and the smallest acts require full attention? From lighting a stubborn butter lamp to negotiating with bold mountain mice, we explore how presence is cultivated not only in meditation or stillness but in small, persistent acts of care through the ordinary flow of the day.

In the middle of co...

Today is 2 January 2026.

This morning I’m sitting inside the Milarepa cave in Mustang, Nepal, lighting incense, offering a butter lamp, and watching a small flame calming the body and mind. From that silent place, this episode opens into a reflection on grace: the unexpected support that arrived yesterday when food was low, the electricity was out, and I went down to the village simply needing help.

What unfolded became a meditation on timing, kindness, and what it means to be truly met. In this episode, I reflect on gratitude as something felt in the bo...

At 3,700 metres in Mustang, Nepal, I begin settling into the rhythm of daily life in a remote Himalayan gompa where altitude, silence, and simplicity invite a different kind of listening.

Up here, rhythm is not organised by the clock. It's shaped by light, cold, warmth, food, silence, rest, and the quiet intelligence of the body. But even in a place this spacious and still, rhythm gets tested by discomfort, old patterns and other people’s expectations. And yes… by very determined mice.

In this episode, I reflect on what it means to listen to the body...

Christmas Day in a remote, high-altitude gompa in Mustang, Nepal and also Borghild’s birthday. A day that begins with a literal crash (a cat falling through the roof), and unfolds into something quieter: a walk to Muktinath Temple, a return to mountain rhythm, and a reflection on what happens when we stop needing life to feel “special”… and let it be what it is.

In this episode we explore

A cat falls through the roof, turning “Christmas Day expectations” into dust, debris, and laughter.

The altitude rhythm at 3,700 metres: everything reduces to t...

A set of keys in Kathmandu. A simple invitation. And suddenly, the next step arranges itself.

In this first episode of The Himalayan Diary, I share how I arrived at a remote gompa in Mustang, Nepal and the sequence of small, clear steps that carried me there: from Kathmandu, to Pokhara, to an unplanned day that brought clarity, and then a remarkably smooth journey north into the Himalayas; arriving on Christmas Eve, alone, at around 3,700 metres.

This series is recorded from my solo retreat at Rinpoche’s gompa: a shift in pace, rhythm, and attention; an...

After weeks of high-altitude simplicity on the Manaslu Circuit, Borghild returns to Kathmandu and feels the city rhythm rush back in. She calls it everyday altitude: not thin air, but the invisible pressure of noise, decisions, and constant input that can keep the nervous system switched on.

Through steady kora walks in Boudha and trail runs up Pulchowki and Shivapuri, this poetic, yet practical episode explores

how the body’s subtle signals can guide the the way forward: when to rest, when to move, and how to protect the fragile spark of what’s ne...

After the Manaslu Circuit Trek, I return to Kathmandu and life feels both familiar and strange. There’s relief… and there’s also the shift from mountain rhythm to modern pace.

In this episode, I explore what I call Everyday Altitude, not as thin air, but as constant input and pressure that can leave the nervous system “on call” without us noticing.

I share a mountains lesson about the body’s intelligence, the Genius Body, and how we can trust it in the city too. I’ll guide you through one practical tool I call: One si...

Welcome back to the trail.

In this second part of the Manaslu Circuit trek in the Himalays of Nepal, we move into higher altitude, deeper simplicity and wisdom, where the body takes the lead and the mountains make everything basic: warmth, breath, water, food, and rest.

We continue from Samagaun to Samdo, up to Dharamsala, across Larkya La Pass (5,106m), and down to Bhimtang and finally the last descent to Tilije and Dharapani, before the jeep ride to Besisahar and the long bus ride back to Kathmandu.

In the first part of the...

This extended episode (just over 60 minutes) takes you deep into the mountains of Nepal on the Manaslu Circuit Trek, through steep ridges, river gorges, Tibetan villages, and toward a turquoise glacier lake.

This is part one of a two-part series. Along the way, we explore two powerful themes: boundaries and belonging. Not as abstract concepts, but as real, embodied experiences.

From the jeep ride out of Kathmandu to long days on foot, the trek reveals where our boundaries lie: physically, mentally, and emotionally. And how belonging can appear in small, unexpected ways: in a guide’s...

After we make a decision, or feel a chapter ending, there’s often a strange, wobbly space that opens up: the in-between. In this episode, I share why that feeling is normal, why uncertainty can feel overwhelming, and how to meet it without spiraling.

I’ll guide you through my simple self-awareness rhythm: Connect • Focus • Flow™ to help you come back to calm, clarity, and trust when doubt, fear, or guilt show up. Along the way, I weave in short stories from my life (Australia, Hawaii, Bergen—and my dad) to show how intuition often speaks in ordinary, gr...

When we realise something has to change, guilt, fear, and self-doubt often show up. In this episode I share how I work with those reactions on the Camino and in everyday life. This is a simple self-awareness rhythm, I use with clients and myself called, Connect • Focus • Flow™.

You’ll leave with practical journaling prompts and one doable next step.

Key takeaways

Why change can stall even after the first yes.

The difference between caring for others and complying with an old role.

How fear, doubt, and guilt try to keep things familiar and what actually helps.

A quick reality check that...

Feeling stuck, like something needs to change, but the path isn’t clear yet?

Today, Borghild invites you into the heart of breaking free. Not as running away, but as walking toward what’s real, one step at a time. You’ll hear how small steps from the Camino to the Himalayas, became a practical rhythm for everyday life.

We talk about...

The moment of choice when everything in you says move and the mind answers, but I don’t know how.

What breaking free really means beyond j...

Welcome to This Is Life: An introspective podcast about breaking free one step at a time. This short introduction shares why I created the show, who it’s for, and what to expect.

I blend psychology, reflection and lived adventure to help you meet life's turning points with more clarity, confidence and trust.

Next: Listen to Episode 1 — Breaking Free: The Beginning of the Journey.

Website: https://borghildbo.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/borghildbo

Note: This podcast is for education and personal growth; it is not therapy or a subs...