“the soul has been given it’s own ears to hear things the mind does not understand.”
– Rumi
D h a r m a
The intrinsic nature of things.
The unfolding of one’s life purpose.
When I was 26 I came to a crossroad. Something inside was speaking so loudly, so unmistakably, I just couldn’t ignore it. I chose to listen.
I left my job as a therapist in a rehab facility and material comforts to walk across Spain. I wasn’t hiding or seeking to find myself. I didn’t know where that journey would take me.
Was I scared? Yes.
Was it hard to let go? Absolutely.
Were lessons difficult? Yes.
Did I fear critical voices that cautioned that I would regret my decision? A little.
It was spring of 2007 and I was leaving for The Camino De Santiago, a 732km hike that begins in the French Pyrenees and finishes in Santiago in Spain. I walked and walked and shed so many layers. I grew new community. I met my inner child for the first time. I put myself together, I fell apart. This walking meditation was the start of an epic journey that lead me to India, an adventure and dear teacher that continues to pulse within me.
My 10 year pilgrimage to India was not about escaping the “real world”. I wasn’t abandoning my life or responsibilities. I was returning to who I was and who I was being called to become. India is in my bones.
Over the years I’ve met and learned from countless yogis, teachers, old souls and new souls. I expanded my mind and my perception of self. I came up to and surpassed my edges many times. This will be my first year not traveling to her and I miss her so. I have since moved to San Francisco and the journey into remembering and becoming continues to unravel.
Can you relate to this type of awakening? Please share in the comments below.
Wishing you courage to peel back the layers. May your adventures lead you back to who you are.
Love
Julia
