This book is a creative "tool" that can be used by clergypersons, spiritual directors, and retreat leaders as well as those who would like to create a meditative walk on their own property for their own pleasure or for others' enjoyment. Creative Pilgrim Walks will enliven the participants who attend a conference, a retreat or a quiet day by helping them to see how their everyday life experiences connect to the sacred.

A cross-cultural comparsion of creativity that introduces Neo-Confucian discourse as a sophisticated dialogue partner with modern western speculative philosophy and theology.

Reviewing peace and reconciliation, secular pilgrimages, and international perspectives on sacred journeys, this book offers the reader an opportunity to encounter multiple voices and viewpoints on one of the most ancient practices of humankind. With an estimated third of all international travellers now undertaking journeys anticipating an aspect of transformation (the hallmark of pilgrimage), this book includes both spiritual and non-spiritual voyages, such as journeys of self-therapy, mindfulness and personal growth. An innovative and engaging addition to the pilgrimage literature, this book provides an important resource for researchers of religious tourism and related subjects.

This volume makes a contribution to understanding pilgrimage, not as a transient activity at the margins of daily life, but as an event grounded firmly in the physical, symbolic and social experience of the everyday world. The vital relationship between pilgrimage and society is explored via a focus on a specific pilgrimage – the Kanwar pilgrimage of Bihar and Jharkhand in India and the southeast Terai of Nepal. The rising popularity of this old but relatively unknown pilgrimage is striking and reflects profound changes in caste, class and gender relation­ships, subjectivity and notions of work in a modern economy. Through the lens of pilgrimage and pilgrims, the book explores the everyday context of life in parts of rural Bihar and southeast Nepal, questions about agency and desire in Hinduism, and the meaning given to symbolic life in a changing world. This requires an integrative approach looking beyond the performance of the pilgrimage to the historical, economic and social-cultural context. The volume underscores the role of popular and local history in understanding the life and popularity of a complex phenomenon, such as the pilgrimage today. Equal importance is given to the geography and climatic conditions, for natural rhythms such as that of rains, rivers, planetary movements, were and still are, intimately entwined with the agricultural, socio-economic and ritual cycles. The particular experience of the world that this engenders and its relationship to the pilgrimage is described through the active voice of the pilgrims and descriptions of rites, some new and many fast disappearing. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

The Vārī to Pandharpur is one of the most significant pilgrimages in Maharashtra and India. It is a living tradition and attracts millions of pilgrims annually from across the Marathi-speaking region and beyond. This book highlights the structure, organization, symbolism, and wide range of social interactions during the Vārī pilgrimage through the dindis and pālkhī processions. Vārkarī Sampradāya is a community of devotees unequivocally associated with the Varī pilgrimage. While understanding and analyzing the Vārī pilgrimage, the book also discusses the Varkarī Sampradāya, its ethos, philosophy, santa tradition, literary canon, and how it has contributed to shaping Maharashtrian culture. It is argued that the Vārkarī bhakti ethos is circulated through various public means of bhakti, and the Vārī pilgrimage is the most prominent site of this circulation. Though the Vārī pilgrimage is considered mainly a spiritual and religious phenomenon, an attempt is made to highlight its social, political, and cultural dimensions. Vārī is a site that enables the negotiation of social and cultural power relations. The book argues that the Vārī is an inclusive and open platform. In the process of the Vārī pilgrimage, a particular kind of public emerges that acquires a Vārkarī identity without necessarily transcending social identities and power structures attached thereto.

The Slow Traveller is a stunning call to change the way we travel today. Full of evocative photographic naturescapes and expertly guided by veteran slow traveller, Jo Tinsley of Ernest magazine, this leisurely guide focuses on how to have a more meaningful, mindful travel experience. Inviting readers to stroll through the book at their own pace, this must-have book for any eco-adventurer teaches adventurers to trust their instincts, embrace the unexpected, and travel by the power of their own steam. Exploring different types of destinations and modes of travels––from road trips and epic rail journeys to seeking mountain solitude—this ultimate aspirational travel guide encourages readers to allow themselves to be guided by curiosity and chance encounters, and find new ways to connect with others and with ourselves.

Embark on an extraordinary journey through the world of long-distance walking in "The Long Walk Home: The Joy of Long-Distance Walking." This captivating book is your passport to adventure, self-discovery, and the profound joy found in putting one foot in front of the other. From the bustling streets of Singapore to the serene Himalayan peaks, join intrepid walkers like Angela Maxwell and Levison Wood as they traverse continents, push their limits, and uncover the transformative power of slow travel. Their stories, along with practical insights and inspiring reflections, invite you to explore the world at three miles an hour – a pace that allows you to truly see, feel, and connect with your surroundings. But this book is more than just tales of epic journeys. It's a celebration of the small joys, the unexpected encounters, and the personal growth that come with every step. Whether you're a seasoned trekker or someone who's never walked further than your local park, "The Long Walk Home" will inspire you to lace up your boots and discover the world anew. Learn how to plan your own walking adventure, navigate challenges with a smile, and find beauty in the everyday. Explore how technology can enhance your journey without detracting from the essence of the walk. And discover how the lessons learned on the trail can bring lasting joy and meaning to your daily life. "The Long Walk Home" is not just about reaching a destination – it's about finding your way to a happier, more connected self. Are you ready to take that first step? Open this book and let the journey begin. Your long walk home awaits.

Ritual Studies have achieved prominence since the 1980s, when interest in ritual as an object of inquiry was established, bridging over a number of humanities and social science disciplines. Both connected with religious studies and independent of it; overlapping with social and cultural anthropology, but also with history; related to science and health practices and ranging across the life course to education, Ritual Studies has come to encompass studies of change and dynamism in social life. Rituals are determinate in form, but not static. They enunciate distinctive social values within specific contexts that frame them; and they relate to the wider concerns and issues of their practitioners. Due to this broad and wide-ranging scope, it is often difficult to find a single resource on Ritual Studies, and even more so to find one which moves beyond the beginnings of anthropological theorizing to grapple with the present-day contexts of ritual. Bringing together recent ethnographies of ritual practice and ritualization from across the globe, this Handbook provides case study of ritual in the light of Emotion and Cognition, Identity, Religious Power, Performance and Literature, Ecology and Ecological Disaster, Media, and other topics. While each chapter provides a deep ethnography of a specific society, ritual, or ritualized practice, each also engages with current theoretical and substantive approaches to the relevant topic. The scholars collected here provide original synoptic and indicative pieces as guideposts and pathways through the complex, varied and cross-disciplinary, and vast landscape of scholarship that constitutes Ritual Studies today and points to developments in the future.

The case for getting back on our feet The humble act of putting one foot in front of the other transcends age, geography, culture, and class, and is one of the most economical and environmentally responsible modes of transit. Yet with our modern fixation on speed, this healthy pedestrian activity has been largely left behind. At a personal and professional crossroads, writer, editor, and obsessive walker Dan Rubinstein travelled throughout the U.S., U.K., and Canada to walk with people who saw the act not only as a form of transportation and recreation, but also as a path to a better world. There are no magic-bullet solutions to modern epidemics like obesity, anxiety, alienation, and climate change. But what if there is a simple way to take a step in the right direction? Combining fascinating reportage, eye-opening research, and Rubinstein’s own discoveries, Born to Walk explores how far this ancient habit can take us, how much repair is within range, and guarantees that you’ll never again take walking for granted.

Kick start your creativity and become an even more effective leader by getting outdoors. Here's how to ditch the boardroom and set off on adventures that might just change your thinking and enhance your leadership skills. Every successful business endeavour is born of a unique and innovative idea, and that in turn was born from the creative thinking of the people behind it. Then why is it the case that so many executives, founders and managers fail to actively develop and apply their creativity? The Creativity Factor clarifies how creativity is a key ingredient of effective leadership, before highlighting the strategies and approaches through which you can actively develop and cultivate your creative capabilities – not least of which is moving meetings and team-building exercises out of the office and into the great outdoors! Rather than being an unchangeable trait, creativity is an ability and skill that we can train and improve. But how do you develop a creative mind-set that will lead to success? Creativity doesn't tend to come from inspired 'flashes', but from sustained periods of thought and effort. Through a combined effort of both the conscious and subconscious mind, much easier to encourage and develop in an outdoor setting, previously unseen connections are made and original ideas flourish. The Creativity Factor explores the scientific & practical evidence for entrepreneurial creativity, and explains the mechanisms, habits and techniques that help develop this skill. This uniquely holistic guide will provide you with a newfound awareness of your creative potential and how it can lead to business success. "Garry Pratt makes a compelling case to take our thinking outdoors as a simple but powerful way to free it from constraints." - Dimo Dimov, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Bath, UK "Outside thinking is powerful stuff... Enjoy this fantastic journey!" - João Perre Viana, Founder of Walking Mentorship