How to Do a Spirit Walk

Walking in silence in nature leads one's spirit into higher consciousness.

Unlike wandering through theoretically haunted places in hopes of finding ghosts, a spirit walk is undertaken by an individual for spiritual purposes. The aim is higher consciousness, with an additional goal of merging one's own spirit with that of the greater divine spirit present in all of creation. Some true shamans may undertake a form of spirit walk toward contacting the spirit world, and certain mystics aim to align with the unseen world toward furthering forms of esoteric knowledge. Walking in spirit is akin to living a full and harmonious life unified with the creator. Indigenous cultures and modern people on spiritual paths will take a spirit walk periodically for meditative, contemplative and transcendental purposes.

Things You'll Need

• Good walking shoes
• Weather-appropriate clothing
• Small backpack
• Water
• Optional:
• Compass
• Map
• Food
• Walking stick
• Camera
• Flashlight
• Matches
• Firewood
• Knife, utensils
• GPS
• Candles
• Drum
• Talismans, crystals, sacred objects etc.

Instructions

Plans and initial steps.

1. Set the intention for the walk before heading out. Decide what you hope to attain on your journey, and whether you will take only part of a day, several days, a week or more.

2. Gather all the items you will need to take with you, ensuring sufficient water, especially if you will be fasting. If you have a particular destination in mind, be sure to plot it on a map. If you plan to be gone an extended period, consider notifying a relative or neighbor of your intentions.

3. At the beginning point of your walk, pause for prayer and meditation, asking for guidance and protection if so desired. Focus within. Choose to leave your usual routines and obligations behind. Once in a state of total presence, set out onto the path.

Connecting

1. 

   Pausing by a mountain stream is good for the mind and spirit.

   As you walk, remain in total presence, thinking of nothing in particular, rather experiencing your surroundings in totality. Become aware of the details, the sights, sounds, wildlife. If you practice mantras or prayers, recite them to yourself as you proceed.

2. Stop periodically at any place that seems to speak to your soul, perhaps a stream, a boulder on a beach, a tall tree in the forest. Notice all you can about the environment. Listen with an inner ear. Inquire about local spirits and guardians of place. Drum, meditate, pray as often as possible.

3. Offer prayers of gratitude to the land, seas and sky, to the elements and to all beings. Notice your vibration rising as you journey onward. Honor the names of ancestors, and invoke any particular masters with whom you would journey onward.

4. Continue on the chosen course until you feel wholly imbued with freedom of the spirit. When you have accomplished your goal, return home. If you wish, keep a journal or photo log about your experience. Attempt to retain the higher vibration met on your spirit walk as you move through your everyday world.

Tips & Warnings

• A spirit walk is a time to remove oneself from worries, habits, fears, woes. If these try to creep up, simply acknowledge them objectively, and return to consciously observing the present moment and locale.

• If a high form of altered state is achieved, use caution when resuming walks along bluffs or rocky areas where tripping or falling might occur.

References

• Native American Spirituality

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Transcendentalists: Henry David Thoreau on Walking
• Oregon State University: Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• John O'Donohue
• The Mystic