10 Tips for Performing a Spiritual Pilgrimage

Taking Your Own Pilgrimage

By Dilshad D. Ali

A pilgrimage can be a life-changing and spiritually invigorating experience. This time of year, nearly two million Muslims travel to Mecca to take part in the Hajj pilgrimage. But pilgrimages, which typically involve a journey to a holy site to perform a set of rites, aren’t unique to Islam. Many Christians travel to Jerusalem to follow in the footsteps of the Passion and resurrection of Jesus. Jews often perform rites at the Wailing Wall. No matter what your faith, or even if you don’t subscribe to a particular set of beliefs, you can still make a pilgrimage to somewhere special using your own rituals.

I did my Hajj pilgrimage three years ago, when I stood on the plains of Arafat outside of Mecca and performed a set of complicated rites. It was a wonderful, eye-opening experience that taught me a lot about life and God. Check out these tips I’ve culled from my own pilgrimage experience to make yours one that will be meaningful.

Tip #1: Choose Your Destination

Prepare Mentally

Attaining spiritual nirvana through a pilgrimage can’t come without some serious mental preparation. Whether it’s saying extra prayers, consulting with a leader of your faith, boning up on the rituals of your pilgrimage, or meditating on what you want to achieve, I can’t say enough for getting in the right frame of mind. Sometimes it’s hard to do so when you’re tied up with life’s chores. I did my best mental preparation on the airplane while flying to Mecca. A friend of mine who made a pilgrimage to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem meditated on her upcoming journey a few minutes each night before sleeping. Wherever you can find time, do so. It’ll be worth the effort.

Keep Realistic Expectations of Your Journey

One of the hardest things I found about Hajj was all the difficulties I had to deal with while trying to have this great, spiritual experience. I expected everyone to be acting so holy and good. But you get two million people together attempting to follow intricate, exacting rituals in a short span of time in a tight space, and of course things will not be perfect. So the lesson here is to be realistic. Work on your own spirituality, but be forgiving of the situation around you. A Hindu friend of mine took a pilgrimage to the Ganges and was appalled by the condition of the water. But that’s how it is. You have to deal and move on.

Give Yourself Up to the Pilgrimage

The sooner you surrender to what you’re trying to do and achieve, the better off you’ll be. A spiritual pilgrimage can be a yearly thing or perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime event. And you’ll probably put lots of time and effort into preparing for it to get the maximum spiritual benefit. Maybe you’ve left kids at home. Maybe you’ve had to give up your beloved Blackberry and cell phone for a while. It can be hard. I left my kids behind in the dead of a New York winter with their grandparents (who were visiting from India). I am a consummate worrywart. And I didn’t worry one bit while I was gone. The reward of wholly devoting yourself to what you’re doing will be worth the effort.

Keep the Momentum Going--in Moderation

A spiritual pilgrimage can be exhilarating and life-altering. While you’re doing the pilgrimage, you may get some wonderful, lofty ideas about the things you want to do after you get back home. Pushing forward with new habits and practices upon return is a great thing. But be moderate in what you do.

Maybe you’ve resolved to be more observing of your faith. But giving up all your favorite things at once can lead to burnout. Before going on my pilgrimage, I contemplated wearing the hijab, giving up inane television, and not listening to music anymore. I ended up (among other things) wearing the headscarf and saying my five daily prayers regularly, but still watching favorite shows like “LOST” and listening to beloved college alternative bands.

Revisit Your Pilgrimage from Home

It’s been three years since I performed the Hajj. And though I don't feel the same spiritual high as when I got back, I have changed. And whenever I feel I need a spiritual pick-me-up, I take time to remember my pilgrimage experience and what I got out of it. Consider joining (or creating) a study circle dedicated to the lessons of your pilgrimage. Keep in touch with the friends you met on your journey. Get in contact with other people who will be doing a pilgrimage like yours and share their spiritual excitement. Or if you did a pilgrimage to a site of your own choosing, take some time to mentally revisit that site and that experience. Just thinking about what I was a part of three years ago on the plains of Arafat outside of Mecca is all I need to get goosebumps all over again.