| Sacred Journeys |
| Throughout the world, there are sacred places that evoke feelings of awe and wonder. Whether it is ancient stone circles, majestic pyramids, gothic cathedrals or mountaintop shrines, people have visited these sacred sites for healing, inspiration and guidance. There are three stages to consider when going on a Sacred Journey or Pilgrimage, The first is the planning, preparation and anticipation, which is a time for us to contemplate our lives and overcome the obstacles before us. The second part of the journey is the time we actually spend at the sacred destination. This point often resonates with a deep peacefulness that comes from centuries of use as a place of sacredness. The destination is a place to give and receive; here we make our offerings, worship and meditate in the hope of receiving guidance for the next steps of our lives. The third stage is the journey back home. The return trip is a time for integration, preparing us to implement the insights gained from the journey into our daily lives. The journey home is a transitional phase, bringing us back to our daily reality with new awareness and growth. |
| Sacred Places This is just a few of the many sacred sites to visit |
| Machu Picchu, Peru Over 600 metres above the swirling Urubamba River that flows through the Peruvian Andes lies one of the most famous sacred sites in the world. It is also referred to as 'The Lost City of the Incas' as it remained hidden from the Spanish Conquistadors and wasn't re-discovered until 1911. Egypt The Pyramids and the Sphinx stand in the Egyptian desert defying all attempts to fathom their mysteries, perhaps because the secrets they hold are spiritual rather than material. Mount Fuji, Japan For generations, Mount Fuji, also called Fujiyama ("everlasting life") has been considered a sacred mountain that pilgrims climb as a religious experience. An estimated 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji every year, about 30 per cent are foreigners. El Camino de Santiago is a journey to itself. Every year thousands of pilgrims make their way along a network of routes across Europe that converge on the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in North West Spain, where relics attributed to Jesus' apostle James lie buried beneath the high alter. In medieval times this pilgrimage was considered as beneficial as a pilgrimage to Jerusalem or Rome. Rapa Nui - Easter Island Isolated in the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean, the small island of Rapa Nui is now a World Heritage Site. It's mysterious moai statues, Birdman carvings, caves and stone buildings stand as monuments to a civilization that at its height, in the 14th century, may have numbered as many as 20,000 people. Tongariro and Taupo, New Zealand Lake Taupo lies in the centre of the North Island like a tranquil sea, while in the mountains nearby, fire and water combine to form a dramatic, primal landscape that is sacred to the Maori. Mount Kailash, Tibet Like a great natural pyramid soaring to 6705 metres and covered with ice and snow, Kailash reflects the light of the sun and moon with such beauty that it is know in Tibetan as Kang Rinpoche - 'Jewel of the Snows'. This remote landscape is one of the most arduous pilgrimages in the world and is sacred to four religions - Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and the Bonpo. Uluru and Kata Tjuta - Australia Like a great island rising out of the sea of the central Australian desert, Uluru - or Ayers Rock is one of the most sacred sites for the Aboriginal people of Australia. Situated around the base of Uluru and among the 50 peaks of the nearby outcrop of Kata Tjuta are initiation and ceremonial sites connected by songlines that weave topography and mythology together through the medium of song, dance, ceremony and story. The Oracle of Delphi, Greece The holiest place in ancient Greece was the shrine at Delphi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Generations of people, especially ancient leaders, came to Delphi to have their future foretold by the Pythia, the priestess who presided over the shrine. |
Email or call Marie to arrange your Sacred Journey Ph 604 809 8378 marie@insighttowellness.com |
'From time immemorial the mountains have been the dwelling place of great sages; wise men and sages have all made the mountains their own chambers, their own body and mind' 13th Century Buddhist Teacher Dogen |
'If the journey meant anything, it meant that the last steps into Santiago were the first steps of another journey' Laurie Dennett - A Hug for the Apostle (1987) |
'Stones of the Old Ones, let us be wise and listen to you. Sharing the same heartbeat of the beautiful and beloved Mother Earth, With the voices of trees whispering in our hearts' |
| 'As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life' Jack Kornfield, Buddha's Little Instruction Book |
| Insight to Wellness, Vancouver BC Ph 604 809 8378 www.insighttowellness.com Email: info@insighttowellness.com |
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