With all the chaos of our daily existence and having to precariously balance the many hats we wear daily; the consistent bombardment of information and the daily obsession of modern technology, it is so easy to lose our inner connection to ourselves, who we are and what our soul’s purpose is.
It is therefore necessary to take time out from all the daily demands and peel back the layers of our ego to reconnect to our hearts again and enable ourselves to experience the gifts that appear each moment. To be a Pilgrim is to simplify, unencumbered to let go of the fears that constantly debilitate us and our unconscious addiction to the material world. To open ourselves up and give ourselves permission to bear ones soul without judgement. We are so absorbed in our daily lives that we are totally unaware of the huge amount of energy that it required to maintain it.
Being a Pilgrim is a very personal experience and although the work is a collective thing, it is only possible to do the healing if one stays focused with self. Healing begins within oneself, once achieved, it can be experienced collectively, like the ripple on the water. Peace begins within. This journey begins by deciding what is absolutely essential to sustain you and give you a sense of safety and security. (This in itself is revealed to you along the way).
For me my back-pack is my metaphor for the baggage I’m carrying whether emotionally, physically or spiritually. I therefore understand why the Aesthetics chose to only take the cloths they wear and a bag of rice. It is therefore interesting to be mindful of what one packs in your bag. It is very important for me to carry my own personal belongings so I can physically experience how much heavier or lighter I become the deeper I go into myself and the Pilgrimage. It is also important that I don’t give my person belongings to others to carry, so that I am totally responsible for myself and I am completely self-reliant.
To sink into self and witness the divine universe as part of self
I believe that it is vital to have a personal spiritual discipline or meditation to keep one focused. More importantly, to set ones intention and be clear as to why you are walking as a Pilgrim and what you wish to achieve. For me it is a desire to experience Inner Peace. I choose to let Nature and Mother Earth be my teacher. As a Mother she is my nurturer, always a clear indicator and essential part of me walking as a women on this earth for all women. She connects me to my inner power and gives me the freedom to connect with my "Wild, Creative, Free-thinking Creator Inside myself" the divine femine which is right now on this planet in deperate need of healing. She gives me purpose and teaches me tenacity, endurance and gives me strength to face my fears.
I choose to walk with the four principles of happiness; to be totally present in the moment; to love myself; to respond and not react to whatever presents itself along the way, whether physically, mentally or spiritually, and most important, to walk in gratitude.
I choose to be a walking Enviro-Pilgrim because every aspect of her is a metaphor for the world we are living in right now. It connects me to my breath which brings me into my centre and connects me to the rhythm of my foot-steps and the rhythm of my “heart-beat” (This is a very personal and unique experience). The deeper I breathe, I oxygenate all my cells in my body, and this brings me to a deeper consciousness. It raises my resonance, and in thus doing so, I am able to find a still place within myself.
A feeling of dropping back inside myself, an awakening of the senses and becoming one with self and my surroundings, a sense of inner Peace. Once I have experience this stillness inside myself and stilled the monkey-mind or sabotaging mind, I feel myself moving into my heart centre, feeling as though my entire aura is expanding, enabling me to connect to all that is, trusting that everything I require will present itself. In this heart-space, each day presents new themes and for me the capacity for forgiveness and compassion, opening me to the possibilities of loving myself and everyone who has come into my life. In this heart-space I am able to unpack many things that have presented themselves to me in my life and many which have prohibited me from actualising my dreams.
Pilgrimage is an opportunity to become “lighter”. Once we have experienced this we can actualise our soul purpose and be truly happy and contribute constructively to the collective consciousness. It enables us to walk authentically in the world, to see how powerful we are in co- creating our lives.
Pilgrimage is my on-going practise of “Walking into Wholeness”.