The Spiritual Significance of the Journey
From Kathleen:
When I was a little girl, I spent a countless number of hours in the
woods behind my house...turning over rocks to find slimy salamanders,
gazing into the shallow waters of the mine hole to watch the tadpoles,
and climbing trees to observe the baby birds in the nests...The
connection to nature was so deep; I couldn’t wait to go back and
discover more. The experiences made me feel as though I belonged to
everything in the world around me and there was no separation. And what I
realized was that, every day I went into those woods, I was not only
discovering new things in nature, but also new things about myself. It
was as if the trees, rocks, and animals would whisper to me, inviting me
to recognize that we are all one. But then, as I got older, ‘life
happened.’ Motherhood, career, relationships, and technology had created
a distraction. I had lost my connection.
You see, we are a part of nature and nature is a part of us. But we
often lose that connection and don’t realize that the answers are all
around us. Everything we need to know is provided by the Earth Mother.
In order to create that connection, we need to step aside from our busy
lives and go to a place that “speaks to us.” And Peru does just that.
As I stepped off that plane in Peru, there was
an immediate mystical feeling that I was not alone. The majestic
mountains whispered to me as if to say, “Welcome home.” The connection
was so deep, unlike what I have ever experienced before. There was a
tremendous feeling that I was supposed to be there. I had been given
“signs” a couple of months earlier which were strong indicators that I
needed to go. And within moments of arriving, I knew I had made the
right choice.
The ability to communicate my intentions with the mountains, the rivers,
the sky, the animals and everything else in the Sacred Valley gave way
for an experience unlike any other. Releasing my old identities,
attitudes and habits with Peruvian ceremonies was like rain gently
washing off the pollen from the sidewalks. This cleansing brought me one
step closer to becoming more of the “I am” and less of the “I am not.”
Describing this experience can be difficult in that it is different for
all who arrive. For some, it may be the first time they are able to
connect with their spirit. And for others, it may be an appreciation for
the indigenous people’s ways of caring for the Earth Mother, Pachamama.
But one thing is for sure...The mountains will call you back again...and again...and again...
From Renee:
"Enlightenment is not found halfway up the mountain.”
These are the words that called out to me as I grasped for air and resolve while inching my way up the trail to Machu Picchu. By this point, I had fallen an hour behind the other hikers. As I sat looking over the citadel below, which now appeared a tiny outcropping in the hillside, I applauded my progress and thought it best to wait for the others to return from the summit. At that exact moment of surrender, the wind bellowed in my ears urging me to complete my progress towards my goal. In that moment I knew that I could, and would, finish the assent up the steep grade. Right then, a brown spotted butterfly came to lead the way, guiding me one hiking boot at a time the rest of the way up the ancient Incan stairway.
This is the call of the Peruvian landscape, whose valleys and mountains are the source of an inner journey that, if allowed to inspire us, changes everything. Those of us who are called to take the sacred journey to connect intimately with Pachamama, our beloved Mother Earth, in settings such as Machu Picchu are given opportunities to access the wisdom of our intrinsic being as humans. The noble presence of the mountains has healing properties.
All my life I have sought the solace of the land. As a child I would venture every summer to Girl Scout Camp, unaware that the Earth would become my greatest teacher. She is the one that would never leave or disappoint me, the one I would not out grow. As a child deep in the forest away from the city, feeling the wind on my skin and smelling the scent of the musty mountain trails nourished my soul. It was the safe classroom where I learn to live in harmony in my chaotic world. The trauma and stress that people feel to varying degrees from our disharmonious lifestyle is mirrored in the chaos in the world at large today. We feel separate and lost, like I did, until we remember we are one with something greater.
For many years my connection to nature was distorted by drug and alcohol abuse. I found my way back to the Earth over time. One day, shortly after moving to the desert of California, and not sure why I was there, the mountain grew inside my belly, filling me up and commanding my attention. Everything began to change. I went to an Inipi Ceremony, a Lakota sweat lodge, and for the first time in years felt at home. Then I traveled to Chile where the Mapuche Grandmother gave me the name of Tresunko, which, roughly translated, means the sound between things, like passing horses and rustling leaves, and she explained that it was a big name into which I’d need to grow. From there, it was a long and arduous journey healing my life by traveling slowly around the medicine wheel.
Medicine work, indigenous shamanic practices and healing ceremonies, lead us to discover a new relationship with the four primary directions in our lives. Our spiritual ally from the south, Serpent teaches us how to shed our skin through seasons of transformation and upheaval. From the west, Jaguar teaches us to walk with impeccability and integrity. From the north, Hummingbird guides us to operate outside of time and be as one with the ancient energies that govern the birth and death of whole galaxies. The Condor, our spiritual ally from the east, teaches us to fly wing to wing with the Great Spirit. We may approach these aspects of self through four levels of engagement—the literal/physical, the symbolic/mental, the mythic/emotional, and the essential/spiritual. We also connect with sky and earth, and the inner direction that takes us to the center of our being.
Each time I go to the mountain, I face another layer of myself and it is always a life enhancing experience. To be surrounded by the silence and the majesty of Peru is something that I feel every person should experience in his or her life. To face ourselves in an environment stripped of manmade noise and technology is an amazing gift. For this reason, I invite you to take the time to explore the next level of your own healing.
