Pilgrimage

Travel and spirituality have been in lock-step since ancient times. All the great religions of the world have traditions of journeying to distant, holy places as a rite of passage, for contemplation or community, or to heal the body, mind and soul. It seems to be in our nature to desire a direct contact with the sacred.

If we regard pilgrimage as a metaphor, however, any trip taken with a higher purpose and for the sake of transformation can offer us that experience. On a trip to France, for example, one person might be spiritually transformed by the cathedral at Chartres, but another might have a similar episode at the Louvre.

Some secular travelers might regard a trip to Cooperstown or Graceland as a pilgrimage. For others, it could be a visit to a grandparent's home, a location that holds special childhood memories, or a historical site. What distinguishes the pilgrim from the tourist is a sense of reverence for the destination and a desire to be spiritually renewed rather than merely diverted or entertained.

"I passionately believe that we can all be pilgrims," says Phil Cousineau, author of The Art of Pilgrimage. Here are some guidelines on how to incorporate this remarkable process into your life.

do some homework

Before you set off on a pilgrimage, read up on where you're going. "Study the Mayans before heading to Chichen Itza, or get a book on Gothic cathedrals before doing a cathedral tour of Europe," says Brad Olsen, author of Sacred Places North America and Sacred Places Around the World. "I always find that type of background information gives me a much better insight into what these places meant to the people who built them." Go to lectures, read novels set in the area and talk to other travelers.

Don't stop once you're there. "Start each day with five or lo minutes of some sacred reading," says Cousineau, who leads pilgrimage tours to various locations. It could be traditional religious literature or it could be poetry, a fairy tale or anything that helps you understand where you are. "If you go to Chile," he says, "you have to have a tiny book of Pablo Neruda's poetry with you or you'll never know the soul of the place. History and guidebooks provide us with the 'outer story,' but poetry, myths and art provide us with the 'inner story.'"

This also applies if you're making a pilgrimage to someplace personally meaningful. Get a parent or grandparent to relate stories about their hometown, for example, and take old photos with you so you can picture them there.

ritualize your departure

"A ritual or ceremony temporarily separates everyday life from extraordinary life, and draws a line between the sacred and the profane," says Cousineau. If you don't engage in this before you leave home, subconsciously it's just another trip. Start by announcing to yourself, then to your family and friends, that this is going to be special to you. Begin slowing down and getting into a pilgrim mindset days before you leave. Your own rituals might include obtaining a special journal or talisman, listening to inspiring music as you pack, having a valedictory meal with your family, or asking someone to bless your journey.

Try not to arrive at the airport or set off in your car feeling stressed and anxious. Instead, see yourself on the threshold of a transformative experience and be full of excitement and anticipation. "Start with good intentions and no expectations," suggests Olsen.

be respectful

Many places you might make a pilgrimage to are in community spaces or are open to the public, Always abide by posted rules and regulations. Take nothing away with you and leave no marks or detritus behind.

Some sacred sites aren't always open to the public, and old family homes might now be occupied by strangers. Never trespass. "It's very important to get permission," says Olsen, "especially if you want to go on private land or a reservation'

come bearing gifts

When we travel we acquire photographs, souvenirs and memories, but it's in the pilgrim character to give something back. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. But a small offering can create a connection, help with cultural exchange or simply make people smile.

Cousineau recommends taking postcards of your hometown. "They are inexpensive, they can fit into the smallest backpack, and it leaves you with no excuse not to take a gift," he says. "On my last few tours I've been tickled to see that eight out of 10 people will bring something. It's so rewarding."

One woman on a trip to Ireland took several dolls that had been handmade on a Native American reservation, and she handed them out to a cab driver and a hotel concierge. "She was glowing by the end of the trip. It so shifted her focus," recalls Cousineau.

pay attention

The model of modern tourism is aggressive and based on consumerism. Travel can be expensive, so we cram in as much as we can. Rather than trying to create and capture an original moment, we see it through the lens of a camera: We think if we can save it on film, we can relive it later. There's also a tendency to think we'll come back some day, so we adopt a cavalier attitude. "I think this comes out of an increasing inability to be in the moment," says Cousineau. "Most people aren't contemplative today."