Pilgrimage: Preparing for the inner journey

“Walking can provoke these excesses: surfeits of fatigue that make the mind wander, abundances of beauty that can turn the soul over… Walking ends by awakening this rebellious, archaic part of us.”

—Frédéric Gros, A Philosophy of Walking

While the practical side is a critical part of preparation, pilgrimage is also a chance to take an inner journey. If you just want a long walk, there are plenty of natural trails, but pilgrimage provides a chance to go deeper.

Once you start your pilgrimage, the physical routine of walking, finding food, water, and shelter takes over. The deeper thoughts you expected to have can fall away in the face of heat, cold, or rain, as well as fatigue and pain.

But when you stop in the shade of a tree in the heat of the afternoon, or lie with your feet up at the end of the day, there is a chance to ponder the deeper aspects of pilgrimage.

Clear the decks and slow down

Clear space in your schedule for the few weeks before your journey, so you have time to consider what you want your pilgrimage to be. Journal about it, or pray if you are a person of faith. Prepare your mind and spirit as well as your body for the journey.

In the last few days, slow down and shift into pilgrim time, where life is simpler. Perhaps do a digital detox and stop watching the cycle of news and social media so you can disconnect from your usual routines.

I like to physically clear my desk, de-clutter, and clean my office before I leave, putting away my computer so my mind knows it’s time to leave that side of me behind.

Questions to consider on pilgrimage

I take a journal to write in, and I print out and stick a list of questions in the front to think about on the way. You can adapt the following list to your pilgrimage or write your own.

You don’t need to answer every question, and others may emerge for you. Some will even seem unimportant later. But at least they may help set your intentions for this period of contemplation and remind you to set aside time for inner explorations. Otherwise time could pass quickly on the journey, and you may miss the chance to think.

You can download a printable list at

www.jfpenn.com/pilgrimagedownload

 

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What am I escaping from?

What am I seeking?

What am I curious about?

What do I notice in the world around me? Consider all the senses. What do I see, hear, smell, taste, touch — and also with my inner self — what do I feel inside? What resonates?

What is my challenge today? What is difficult? What do I need to overcome? Where is the gift in the hardship?

What am I afraid of?

What am I disappointed about? How can I reframe the situation?

What surprised me? What delighted me? What brought me joy?

How did serendipity creep into my plan? How can I leave room for more of it?

If I look at the world with the eyes of a stranger, what is interesting? Where can I find wonder? How can I embrace beginner’s mind?

What is the history of this place and how does it resonate now?

What is ancient, and what is modern? What is the same, and what has changed?

What is the truth behind the monuments? What is the alternate history?

What is permanent? What is transient?

Memento mori. Remember, you will die. How can I keep this in mind today? What underscores this along the way?

What do I take for granted?

What do I need to reinvent?

How do I feel physically? Emotionally? Spiritually?

What is nagging at me? What do I need to sort out?

What can I let go of? What can I release?

How can I live more simply?

How can I stop looking down at my feet on the path? How can I remember to look up… then further up?

I don’t want to get lost — but what if I’m meant to get lost? What are the benefits of being lost sometimes?

What do I want to share about the journey? What can I keep secret just for me?

“Stranger, pass by that which you do not love.” What should I pass by? What do I love?

How do I want to live? How can I serve others while doing that?

What is faith to me? What do I believe in? What makes this a pilgrimage rather than just a long walk?

Where is the shadow or the darkness here? Where is the ‘under-glimmer’ as the poet Bashō called it? How can I experience this journey more deeply?

What is the transformation of this journey?

How am I a pilgrim? A wanderer? A curious soul who crosses boundaries?

What is sacred? What is profane? What is divine? What is human?

Where is the veil thin?

Where am I ripped thin enough to feel it?

Questions:

•   How will you prepare for the inner journey of pilgrimage before your departure?

•   Will you set aside time each day for reflection during the pilgrimage? Do you plan to bring along a journal or another system for capturing your thoughts?

•   What questions resonate with you?

•   Can you add some of your own?

Resources:

•   Printable list of questions at www.jfpenn.com/pilgrimagedownload

•           The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred — Phil Cousineau