Spiritual Exploration, Community, and Shared Experience - A Spirit Tours Pilgrimage

Going to France in April 2017 to explore Paris, Toulouse and Carcassonne was not on my bucket list.  At least, I didn’t know it was! I had been to Paris twice, but both trips were many years ago. However, when I read the description of the Spirit Tours pilgrimage to France, I decided to go and explore part of France that would be new to me.

I signed up for this Spirit Tours trip, which was lead by Dr. Edward Viljoen (Senior Minister of the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa), because once again I was seeking spiritual exploration, community, and shared experiences. Having been on three previous trips with the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa, and Spirit Tours, I knew that all three considerations would be realized. Plus we would be staying in some lovely and charming hotels and eating wonderful French food!) (Note: Everyone’s food requirements were able to be met during the entire trip.)

Spiritual Exploration:  The focus of this trip was on the plight of the Cathar people (who were considered heretics by the Christians), the sacred sites and areas where they dwelled and the divine feminine in the form of Mary Magdalene. Every day was filled with beauty, mystery, adventure and amazing experiences. 

Community:  There were 20 interesting and adventurous people on this trip.  Most were from CSLSR with a couple “friends of” joining as well as a traveler from New Zealand who was quickly and completely adopted by our group.  Each morning we gathered in a circle for prayer, practice, sharing and we also received an overview of our upcoming day from our Spirit Tours leaders.  We were blessed to have Janet Pullen* as our guide, as she is an authority on the Cathars and the areas of Southern France where they lived between the 12th – 14th centuries.

Shared Experience: Each day the group visited Cathedrals, basilicas, museums, chateaus, and fortresses.  We learned about history, architecture, people and religious practices.  Our guides were graciously and generously available to us as we traveled around Paris and then on to Toulouse and Carcassonne.  Riding in two small vans gave us the opportunity to get to know our travel mates along the way.

Lovely walks – hikes, views, countryside, gardens, old houses in small villages...I wouldn’t change a thing about this trip as it was so well planned and guided. I hope you consider participating in the next one. Talk to me if you want a first-hand account!

By Chandra Farnsworth 

*Janet Renu Pullen author of In Secret and Shadows  Discovering Light in the South of France

The Universality of Story Magically Brought to Life - A Spirit Tours Pilgrimage

Photo by Pahala Basuki on Unsplash

There was a point in our masterfully facilitated Bali pilgrimage where I was reminded of the universality of story. Nestled in our gorgeous landscapes, Dr. Edward Viljoen narrated and magically brought to life important sections of the great epic Hindu poem – The Ramayana. Two scenes stood out to me – the first is when Rama, the avatar of Vishnu who is destined to become king, is instead banished into the forest. His response to the news is devoid of pity and blame and instead accepts the verdict with dignity, taking his leave.

The other was Manthara, the handmaiden who never stopped manipulating the King’s third wife Kaikeyi with her relentless gossip and calculated mental poisoning to get all that she could for herself.

We each have the dignity of Rama as well as the manipulative fear mongering of Manthara within us. Our life unfolds, and mental patterns are established based on which of these traits we become most devoted to.

What I witnessed throughout our time with Jim Cramer, William Abel, Evan Dow-Williamson, and Edward Viljoen, was pure Rama consciousness. Learning of Jim’s ceaseless years of gaining the trust of the Indonesian Temple authorities so those of us on the journey could be welcomed into temple ceremonies where typical tourist are not, was a remarkably unexpected and selfless gift for all of us to experience.

I was humbled by his devotion to the Balinese culture and the way in which we each benefitted from the ripple of effect of his decision. And like Rama, when there were criticisms, Jim never wavered from his dignity and did his best to accommodate demands.

Too, William, Evan, and Edward gave of themselves with such high-level courteousness that I cannot imagine an introduction to Bali with anyone else.

In times such as these, we are all called to bring to the light our inner Rama - not just on special occasions but as a way of life.

I am reminded of the quote, "How you do anything is how you do everything." I know that this trip fueled my devotion to allow everything within me to be like Rama.

I have had the great fortune of experiencing much of the world in my lifetime, but I have to say that this trip nurtured me deeply and I am grateful to Spirit Tours and the Santa Rosa team for this lasting treasure. My lasting, heartfelt thanks!

Dr. David Ault

http://slc-atlanta.org/minister/

Why I Enjoyed Peru So Much

Edward and Kevin Viljoen on Machu Picchu

This great testimonial from one of our travelers reminds me that we're going to Peru again in 2018!  If you would like to have more information about Spirit Tour's pilgrimage to Peru with Dr. Edward Viljoen, author of Ordinary Goodness, please visit us at Spirit.Tours.


Dear Dr Edward Viljoen,

It is with great pleasure that I write to thank you for helping make my trip with Spirit Tours to Peru this past summer both heart warming and memorable. As you may remember, I joined the Center for Spiritual Living, Palm Desert under the leadership of Dr Joe Hooper at a time when my life seemed to have been shrouded in darkness. My sister had passed away after a long and painful battle with cancer and my personal and professional relationships had suffered in the process.

When Dr Joe recommended that I join his group on this trip, at first, I was hesitant. Visions of sitting around a candle and chanting almost kept me from calling to book the travel. Had I sat in my ignorance, I would have missed the tremendous gift that was waiting for me in Peru. The effortless travel in the most idyllic settings of ancient cultures lended itself to a nurturing environment that helped me start the process of forgiveness and spiritual growth. I remember sitting in our group meditation practices, peeking through one eye at fellow travelers who I later got to befriend and share in their own spiritual journey, thinking I'm not alone in my pain. There were others from all walks of life who sought comfort and guidance in their times of need. Some had lost a husband, a father, a career. Some had a void that needed to be filled, a wound that needed healing or something that needed to be addressed and mended.

Ara and Dr. Joe in Peru

You, Dr Joe and the family at Spirit Tours made me feel at ease in sharing my challenges. The daily group spiritual growth practices helped set the stage for several life lessons that I was about to learn and that I keep with me to this day. Most of all, I remember the release and levity I felt when I realized that just like the giant granite stones that were perched on top of mountains at soaring altitudes, there are structures and circumstance in my life that are both unexplainable and unknowable; but also, that not knowing how or why things are, doesn't keep us from basking in its beauty and sharing in wonderment of how we are all connected.

So, to anybody who is hesitating in joining us in this shared spiritual journey, please consider my first experience in making your decision. If you want to take a spiritual vacation at a leisurely pace along people who seek a connection with beautiful places in the world, then, all you have to do is pack lightly and show up, the rest will be taken care of by Spirit Tours and the amazing practitioners that come along. I look forward to walking with you in your journey.

Yours Truly,

Ara Gabrielian

Why Bali, Indonesia is a spiritual travel destination

Why Bali, Indonesia is a spiritual travel destination 

Bali has been a second home to the Spirit Tours Team.  Jim first arrived on the Island in 1973 with Kyle, his wife at the time and mother to his children Gitana and Tim. 

They built a house in 1976 on a Balinese families land in the quite hills of Ubud. This is where Gitana and Tim spent the first couple years of their lives.  What made Jim and Kyle fall in love with Bali was its natural aesthetic beauty of the fauna, the primitive people and their devout practice to Hindu Dharma, the local Balinese religion.  Even to this day Balinese people spend 65% of their time and money on religious activities. What this creates is a spiritual presence that permeates every aspect of the Island.  Balinese religion is a dualistic mixture of positive and negative forces/spirits/deities that are constantly paid homage to in the form of prayer and offerings. 

Why Bali, Indonesia is a spiritual travel destination is because through experiencing and partaking in the practice of Hundi Dharma in its natural setting travelers can grow their spiritual connection into a higher consciousness.  It is very important though to travel with the right company that specializes in this kind of get away.

Having grown up traveling to various far away lands I feel that through immersing myself in places such as Bali and experiencing authentic cultures in their natural settings, I am able to think outside of my conceptual reality and just be present with the experience at hand.  Every place that our company has chosen to travel to gives space for this kind of experience to happen.  That is why I love what I do and hope it inspires people to live a happier life with a deeper meaning.

Written By Timothy Made' Omi Director of Spirit Tours

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