Hyderabad: One of the most transformative experiences for a spiritual seeker is a walking pilgrimage — a literal walk of faith. People set out on these walks for different reasons — to pray, to seek favours relating to health, better prospects, marriage, to offer thanks and make votive offerings, or quite simply to find peace.
Spiritually evolved souls will tell us that one cannot set out on such a journey unless the call actually comes from God. Which is why sometimes these trips happen after much delay and many hiccups. But when the call does come, the timing is perfect.
There are several paths in India dear to people of various faiths. While Tirumala, Pandharpur, Sabarimala, Palani, Thiruvannamalai, Kedarnath and Badrinath are some of the sacred walking paths for Hindus, the Velankanni walk, the Hemkund and the Haj pilgrimage are special to Christians, Sikhs and Muslims respectively.
If one looks at it scientifically, one will find that many of these places of worship and the trails themselves are along routes filled with positive energy and vibrations, enhanced further by the collective faith of those who have traversed the route earlier. Which explains why one feels those powerful shifts in energy while one is on the trail. Besides, getting away from the daily grind and being out in the open with the natural elements for company can work wonders at the pranic level.
While walking pilgrimages are a test of physical endurance, pilgrims are usually willing to rough it out and endure any hardships as this is a labour of love, of faith and an act of devotion.
There will, of course, be times during the walk when one feels one cannot move an inch further. Even a minor thing like a blister or stubbed toe or unusually hot weather can slow your pace. However, if you proceed with faith, strength flows from an unknown power and enables you to overcome challenges. Also while you keep the final goal in sight, learning to enjoy every bit of the process of getting there makes it more joyful. In that sense the journey is a metaphor for life.
Walking pilgrimages are also a wonderful opportunity for reflection, contemplation and introspection. As you sift through those thoughts, memories and emotions that find unlimited storage space in your head and ponder on the deeper meaning of life, out of chaos will emerge order and direction.
Though it is inevitable to encounter people who are in different stages of spiritual evolution one would do well not to compare notes or chatter incessantly but to seek solitude and remain focused inward. A pilgrimage is not a contest or a social event. It is actually about you and God and deepening that bond.
Yet another very positive spin off from a walk of faith is that it gives you a chance to commune with nature. So stop now and then to enjoy the sights and the sounds, and soak in the beauty of nature in all its myriad avatars. This is not only exhilarating but also very healing.
Finally, when you have reached the end point the ultimate reward is that feeling of supreme bliss that washes over you. This palpable cloak of peace that envelops one and a sense of being anchored firmly is something that stays with you and equips you for the days that lie ahead.
The writer is a Reiki channel, yoga practitioner and a spiritual seeker
