There are different levels of experience that are possible while taking the leap and heading abroad as a traveler into this world full of castles, temples, home-stays, and ancient cities. We the travelers ultimately decide whether or not our journeys are sacred. Our level of experience may start with where we stay and the sites we choose to see, yes, but there are other important components than just those. Here’s some advice surrounding how to, in general, travel sacredly.
This advice comes in the form of quotes by none other than the leaders of our Sacred Earth Journeys. Make sure to click the links to check out our journeys videos through which our leaders speak these words!
The first quote is by Freddy Silva. Freddy is a bestselling author and a leading researcher of ancient civilizations, restricted history, sacred sites, and their interaction with consciousness. He has led journeys for us through Mexico, Egypt, and Peru. His words charge our longing for journeys full of ancient mysteries and hidden secrets.
“You can come and just look at the big buildings. That’s the first layer of expression. Everyone likes eye-candy. And why not? But then there are the people who ask questions. And once you start asking questions, things start to alter. There’s a change of perception that happens, a door that opens into another level of reality. Once you start asking the right questions things start happening.” – Freddy Silva, The Hidden Side of Egyptian Temples
Freddy likes to teach about the hidden side of sacred sites such as the Egyptian pyramids. He teaches that the structures were built as living entities, so alive that the ancient people would awaken areas of the buildings during certain parts of the day, such as at dawn. Freddy’s teachings show us that there’s a difference between simply looking at buildings and experiencing them. Looking is fun, yes, but wondering about and discovering things opens travel in a way that serves as a portal of transformation.
Next are words from our beloved journey leader, Phil Cousineau. Phil is a writer, teacher, independent scholar, documentary filmmaker, travel leader, storyteller, and author. He’s led our pilgrims on journeys through Ireland, Greece, Italy (coming next year), Paris, England, Turkey, and Cuba. Like Freddy, Phil touches on sight, as we know it, as being only a narrow portal into experience:
“There are two ways to travel. You can travel like a typical tourist who looks at things, or you can look at it. . .as a pilgrim. The deepest sense of a pilgrim tries to look through the facade of a culture and into its soul.” – Phil Cousineau, The Essence of Sacred Travel
Phil advocates for a different type of seeing, one that grants us the ability to look at things “as a pilgrim.” Looking into the soul of a culture brings to mind not only the images, tastes, and sounds of said culture, but the experience, history, and spiritual motivations that led to their creations. Viewing culture in this way leads to not only a memorable trip abroad, but perhaps a deep healing of the soul as well.
Speaking of healing, our Peru journey leader, Puma Quispe Singona has much to say about the healing power of Earth. Trained by his Grandfather since the age of 6, Puma walks the path of a traditional Andean medicine man. Speaking to thousands of people globally, he is recognized as a keeper of ancient wisdom. We should trust his wishes for us as travelers who seek the sacred:
“I would always wish for the people who come here to go back with the strongest connections to Mother Earth, with a communion that is so powerful, that regardless of what is happening around them, they can just take a breath in and a breath out, and be in absolute harmony. I definitely wish for our people that come to Peru to go back to a new life. That is why these journeys are life-changing journeys.” – Puma Quispe Singona, Heart of the Pachamama
The keywords here are “life-changing journeys.” To Puma, a life-changing sacred journey is one that pulls us away from the norm of our lives, connects us with the harmony of the Earth, and sends us home better prepared to face our challenges with grace and ease. This type of meditative action is the focus of our next quote by our journey leader, Miguel Angel Vergara. He leads our journeys through the Maya Lands of Mexico and Guatemala.
“Let your life be meditation in action.” – Miguel Angel Vergara
Maya Master Teacher Miguel Angel studied for 17 years with Mayan elder and wisdom keeper, Don Vincente Martin, and teaches seminars in Mexico and abroad on Mayan shamanism, tradition, and culture. His quote, when applied to journey-ing itself, can expand a simple trip abroad into an experience of soul-searching. Living meditatively abroad is key to how to travel sacredly. It leads to asking questions, connecting deeply with surroundings, and having profound impressions of each site, city, or natural area one’s visiting.
“One thing I love to do is take people on pilgrimage to places that are charged with sacred energy. . .We are here to realize that we are children of divine joy. If we build that joy and nourish that joy, it will grow and grow and finally, it will open into total liberation, total freedom. How amazing.” – Andrew Harvey, Shiva Dancing: Sacred South India
Andrew Harvey is our beloved tour leader, teacher and guide who leads us through destinations such as Sri Lanka and India, including Ladakh. Like our other leaders, he’s an expert in how to travel sacredly and leads heart-expanding tours full of wisdom, stories, and unforgettable sites. Andrew Harvey is an author, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Institute of Sacred Activism, dedicated to creating a new world founded in universal compassion and sacred passion for all life.
Andrew’s quote holds transformation through travel, or “pilgrimage” as he calls it, at its heart. For those wondering how to travel as a pilgrim, look to these words that describe journeys that leave us not only refreshed and rested, but vehicles for “total liberation, total freedom.”
