Outer action with inner meaning

"Pilgrimage is a journey, a ritual, a commemoration, a search for something, perhaps something the pilgrim cannot express in words, perhaps even something the pilgrim does not fully perceive...They speak to the human spirit and even transform the pilgrims." - The Archetype of the Pilgrimage

This week you will be designing your own pilgrimages! The sky, your heart and imagination are the limits! Planning a pilgrimage to Mordor or Hogwarts? Excellent. Visiting your ancestral home? Fantastic. Making a pilgrimage to the Nintendo Headquarters in Kyoto? Do it! Making a pilgrimage to mark letting go of heartbreak? It's time! Feeling the urge to follow in the footsteps of centuries worth of pilgrims on the Camino del Santiago? They await you.

Visit the homework page to download the Pilgrimage pdf that will guide you in putting together your own pilgrimage packet.

Happy travels!

Walking meditatively and walking into the past....

In preparation for our journey into the ritual of pilgrimages next week, this week we tried a walking meditation and a past life regression visualization. Check the tutorials page to read a recap on how to do the walking meditation and check out the homework page for the past life regression visualization. 

Solo Retreat!!

Hello everyone! Just a reminder, this week is solo retreat week!! You will be spending class time (or another time if you are switching things around) to do something that feeds your soul!! Your write up for next week (Week 8) will be about your solo retreats.

Have a wonderful Monday and Veterans Day!!

Seeing the sacred in everyday places

Hi everyone. Apologies for the late post! This past week (Week 5) we looked into sacred patterns that exist in the everyday spaces that surround us (home, work, school). We studied the work of architect Anthony Lawler who says that a "hero's journey" can be found in how all spaces are set up.

We can think of it like this - think of Neo (from the Matrix!), or Buddha, or Jesus Christ - they all led normal lives until they started to have questions - is this all there is to life? Unable to shake the question, they finally decide to embark on a journey to find answers. On their path, they experience many obstacles and challenges, but to keep them on their path they also have moments of insipration and reflection and finally realization. Every building can be seen as a manifestation of this journey. A "gateway" into a home is the decision to embark on a journey, the "path" is the route taken to the point of realization - the "lotus seat" - the place where you go to sit once home. "Steeples" and "Sanctuaries" provide places of inspiration and reflection along the way.