Talking about pilgrimage, I often refer to something beyond the physical journey of, for example, the Camino de Santiago. To me, the physical pilgrimage makes up just a tiny part of a larger journey.
In today’s article, we will dive deeper into the concept of the inner pilgrimage, and in which ways it can influence our everyday journey.
beyond the physical
When we think of a pilgrimage, often it’s the physical journey that pops into mind. We envision a pilgrim walking days on end, enduring all sorts of hardships to reach a sacred or meaningful destination at the end of their journey.
Less talked about is the non-physical expression of pilgrimage – the inner journey. This inward journey can be an element of the physical pilgrimage, though is not limited solely to this physical adventure.
The inner pilgrimage is quite frequently denoted as a spiritual journey. As this term often comes with a religious connotation or the idea it’s tied to a larger system of beliefs, I find it difficult to use. For some of us this might work, yet for others it doesn’t cover the entire spectrum of that which the inner journey is about.
a journey to meaning
To me, the inner pilgrimage is the path that takes us deeper within.
When we follow it we are seeking to reconnect with ourselves, with who we are and the things that are important to us, that make us feel alive!
The inner path takes us to that which I would designate as our meaning.
Your meaning could be to love or to live a free life, it could be to feel and experience, to develop or grow. It’s that which we truly believe in, that which drives us in life and influences us (often unknowingly). Discovering your meaning is essential, but the journey doesn’t stop there…
live our meaning
Reconnecting with ourselves and discovering the things that hold a special significance to us, only marks the beginning of the journey. A meaning is not just to be discovered, it’s to be lived.
If we desire to a life filled with love but we’re keeping our heart closed, or if we want to experience life but we’re stay inside all the time – your meaning will not be lived, it will not be expressed. Leaving you feeling empty, or incomplete.
Creating a meaningful life, thus requires us to act. Only when we can translate our meaning into everyday practices, we’re able to create a life true to us.
It’s not an easy path. On the contrary. Just as with the outer one, the inward pilgrimage too comes with discomforts, obstacles and difficulties.
However, just as with a physical pilgrimage, there is this deep sense of knowing that no matter how difficult it will be, you’re on the right path.
When we find ourselves wayfaring within, that sense of knowing will grow stronger in time as you continue to reconnect with that which is true to you, and begin incorporating it into your everyday journey.
The pilgrimage continues.
Love,
