March 6, 2024
Somah
Exactly twenty years ago, during my first vision quest along the breathtaking coastline of Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest, the profound depth and support inherent in this rite of passage was illuminated to me. A vision quest is one example of an ancient practice rooted in earth-honouring cultures that serves as a poignant marker of life’s transitions and milestones. Indeed I had left my life in Toronto behind and was heading to Thailand without much clarity on what was to come, but courageously heeding the call of my soul. This sacred journey, literally a stepping stone on my travels, presented itself serendipitously and would lay a foundation for the years to come.
The journey of a rite of passage unfolds in distinct phases. It begins with a recognition that something must be left behind, a process of letting go. Then comes the liminal phase, where one navigates unknown waters, preparing the soil for new seeds of vision and being. The emergence of a new way of life, ideally serving a greater community, follows. Beyond cultural traditions, I observed that a rite of passage can hold the power to guide our deeper journey toward aligning with our souls and fostering personal development.
We are designed to evolve, but guidance and support are essential along the way. This process and the transition are delicate, requiring careful nurturing. Fortunately, wisdom traditions offer a wealth of practices to support this transformative process.
About a dozen years ago, while embarking on my second vision quest in the desert of the American Southwest’s 4 corners, I again encountered the profound significance of this rite of passage. It became evident to me that the yoga teacher trainings I had been facilitating shared significant elements of a rite of passage. This realization held great importance for me because, in our modern world, we’ve lost touch with many forms of ritual passage. Here was an opportunity for me to assist people in rediscovering that depth and guiding them through something akin to a rite of passage.
Participants in these month-long immersions invariably would undergo profound internal shifts. They would leave behind an aspect of their former selves (even just by traveling far from their homes and shifting their lifestyle), diving into a container of transformation, and supported by consistency and commitment emerge with new skins and practices to support their navigation through life in a sacred way. While the depth of their journey was a personal choice, the potential for profound growth awaited each participant.
Guiding individuals through these types of journeys is my passion and calling. While each offering may be packaged differently, the impact on one’s inner state and way of being is undeniably profound. The inner shifts experienced not only alleviate personal burdens but also reverberate through one’s relationships, family dynamics, and broader community. It is within these ripples of change that the transformative impact our world so desperately requires begins.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love, it will not lead you astray.” ~ Rumi
The journey of a rite of passage unfolds in distinct phases. It begins with a recognition that something must be left behind, a process of letting go. Then comes the liminal phase, where one navigates unknown waters, preparing the soil for new seeds of vision and being. The emergence of a new way of life, ideally serving a greater community, follows. Beyond cultural traditions, I observed that a rite of passage can hold the power to guide our deeper journey toward aligning with our souls and fostering personal development.
We are designed to evolve, but guidance and support are essential along the way. This process and the transition are delicate, requiring careful nurturing. Fortunately, wisdom traditions offer a wealth of practices to support this transformative process.
About a dozen years ago, while embarking on my second vision quest in the desert of the American Southwest’s 4 corners, I again encountered the profound significance of this rite of passage. It became evident to me that the yoga teacher trainings I had been facilitating shared significant elements of a rite of passage. This realization held great importance for me because, in our modern world, we’ve lost touch with many forms of ritual passage. Here was an opportunity for me to assist people in rediscovering that depth and guiding them through something akin to a rite of passage.
Participants in these month-long immersions invariably would undergo profound internal shifts. They would leave behind an aspect of their former selves (even just by traveling far from their homes and shifting their lifestyle), diving into a container of transformation, and supported by consistency and commitment emerge with new skins and practices to support their navigation through life in a sacred way. While the depth of their journey was a personal choice, the potential for profound growth awaited each participant.
Guiding individuals through these types of journeys is my passion and calling. While each offering may be packaged differently, the impact on one’s inner state and way of being is undeniably profound. The inner shifts experienced not only alleviate personal burdens but also reverberate through one’s relationships, family dynamics, and broader community. It is within these ripples of change that the transformative impact our world so desperately requires begins.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love, it will not lead you astray.” ~ Rumi
