Join Satish Kumar, Sebastian Burch and Hotel Posada del Valle's Community on a Special event from 30 September to 6 October, 2010
This event is open for bookings
As my mother and I were walking along the estuary of the River Sella, on one of the many signed Santiago's way, a couple that had pilgrimaged all the way from the south of Spain came up to us. Do you speak Spanish? He said, confused by our northern looks. Claro que si! We replied, and only with the humbleness and gentleness of someone who has walked for so long, he asked for some help. As we departed and wished each other good luck, I remembered that in Asturias, land of passing pilgrims, it is well known that helping a pilgrim is something that brings home luck and good times.
Pilgrims in the 21st century? It hardly seems like the time in history when you would expect to hear about pilgrims, but it is, and maybe now more than ever it is time to become an earth pilgrim. Earth pilgrim is the title of Satish Kumar's latest book, a conversation between him and his daughter and also is the title of the BBC documentary about him and his relationship to Dartmoor.
Satish believes that at this stage of human history we now need a new kind of pilgrim, unattached to any form of dogma - 'Earth Pilgrims' who are connected with this world, not to the next, Such pilgrims are seeking a deep commitment to life here and now, upon this Earth, in this world. We need to realize that we are all connected, and through this connectivity we become pilgrims. (Earth Pilgrim, S. Kumar)
We are all Earth Pilgrims! Every time we walk, sit and contemplate or take action for the world, in a mindful and profound way, we become Earth Pilgrims. By doing this we become aware of the acute interconnection between every member of this planet and how the landscapes that surround us are also the landscapes of our minds, we co-evolve and are mutually defining.
To celebrate 15 years in Asturias and its social-ecological commitment, Hotel Posada del Valle is proud to host such an event. An opportunity for anyone to enjoy the company of other earth pilgrims, joining Satish and Sebastian in quiet reflection through mindful walking and sitting, as well as sharing some of their thoughts and ideas. It will be a time for walking, discussing, meditating, and experiencing the place of spirituality in the modern world as well as understanding a more holistic way of being in our life by engaging further with the natural world and finding healing in our connection with it.
Satish Kumar undertook an 8,000 mile peace pilgrimage, walking from India to America without any money to deliver packets of peace tea to leaders of the four nuclear powers. In 1973, he settled in England, becoming editor of Resurgence magazine – a position he has held ever since. Satish is the guiding spirit behind a number of ecological, spiritual and educational ventures in Britain and was one of the founders of Schumacher College.
Sebastian Burch MSc (Hons) was born in the south of Spain. He came to Asturias with his family at the age of twelve and became part of what Hotel Posada del Valle is today. Since a young age Sebastian has loved the natural world and this led him to start a degree in Biology at Oviedo University. Disillusioned with mechanistic and reductionist science, he then did a Masters in Holistic Science at Schumacher College. He is now engaged in holistic research concerned with landscape feelings, and is very interested in Deep Ecology and social ecological transformation.
“A pilgrim is someone who sees life as a sacred journey, who sees the Earth as a sacred home, who sees the universe as a process”
Satish Kumar, Earth Pilgrim
Click here for more information on the course
Watch on youtube the BBC 2 Natural World documentary“Blog entrance written by Sebastian Eslea Burc"
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