Machu Picchu: Peru’s mystical mountain.
The gateway to the Amazon Jungle
Machu Picchu: Building Strength Outside and In
One huge draw of Peru is the chance to visit Machu Picchu, a site of mystery, history, and vast discovery. Built in the 15th century, this location has been the subject of interest for many an archaeological expedition, as well as the love of many tourists. The city itself was created from huge, rough hewn blocks of stone that fit together so perfectly no mortar is needed to keep them in place.
“One of the most beautiful sites I have ever traveled to, the beauty is simply breathtaking,” Anthony Alegrete says, a Warrior Retreats II participant.
If the magnificent views of the site weren’t enough, the history of the formerly glorious city certainly would do the trick. However, with Warrior Retreats, we want people to do far more than learn a bit of history about the Incas when visiting. We want them to find their own inner strength, something the Inca Warriors of times passed possessed in spades.
Remembering climbing Machu Picchu, Rah Ross (Warrior Retreats I) recalls, “the tribe and I hiked the rocky terrain and climbed the entire mountain in the rain, it was amazing! We now have a bond you can never break.”
What can I learn from a dead city?
Machu Picchu is far from being a dead city. In fact, many times, while walking the terraces, you would nearly swear the very ground is trying to tell you a story. It’s not really surprising, given the history of the place, which was so very full of life in its time. Archaeologists often marvel at the way the city is constructed, with clear connection to constellations and planets. This, paired with the intricate, yet basic cut of the very stones the walls were built from, has held the fascination of thousands for hundreds of years to date.
That is to say, there is plenty to learn from this lovely city, including masonry, farming, mysticism, local lore, cultural inspiration, and so very much more. The Incas were a very proud and intelligent people, and the many lessons they left behind teach us far more than any textbook could do.
How can I find strength in Machu Picchu?
You can find your own inner strength in this ancient city, simply by studying the culture and the people, but also find outer strength during the physical climbs up and down the terraces and more. Indeed, it is quite the workout room, complete with mystery and adventure, making it a fun experience, as well as a physically challenging one.
A participant and facilitator of both Warrior Retreats I and II, metaphorically tells a good story: “before coming to Machu Pacchu the first time I didn’t know what to expect and I received pure bliss. But after visiting it a second time, and climbing Mountain Montana, I realized it was all about my intentions.”
“Intentions are what you put in your bottle. You can put water, tea, coffee, alcohol, or paint remover. What you taste when you drink from them depends what you put in them. If you put selfishness in your bottles, that is what comes out when you drink. And selfish people will be around you wherever you go.”
“If you put service or caring for others into your bottles, then you will receive love. Everywhere you go, you will attract people who care about you.”
“Now what if you put intentions of your soul into your bottles?”
“Machu Picchu allowed me to set my intention at the bottom of the mountain and as I climbed it with my fellow warriors I began to see my true intention, Self-Discovery.”
By focusing on the history of the city, as well as the culture of the Incan people, we have the chance to really look inside ourselves and find what dwells within. The Incas were brave, strong, enduring, and intelligent. They held strong belief in themselves and their faith, which caused outsiders to see them as “blessed” until their fall.
Where the Incas really that strong inside?
Indeed, they were. We could learn a lot in this age by studying many of the old cultures and understanding what they went through to survive as they did then. No cellphones, no expensive top-of-the-line farming equipment, just their hands, their knowledge, and their faith that they would endure. Let’s remember, that they also did all of that at about a mile and half above sea level.
Antonia Aviles, of Warrior Retreats II, had a knee that had been bothering her for years. Climbing the many, and often, steep ancient stairways of Machu Picchu, you could see it was affecting her. Determined, and strong willed to finish she mustered up all her inner strength and resolve and finished.
Keep in mind folks, it’s about a four to five hour hike up this mountain, and even to the fittest of people it can be challenging. Antonia not only climbed in pain, but she did so one step at a time. Showing the same strength many of her fellow warriors before her had done, so many times, over the hundreds of years.
That kind of strength does not come from a bottle, pill, book, or class. It comes from inside, that center part of us where we hold all of our fears and joys. Learning to connect to that space is part of the reason we visit this location and we can’t wait to help more Warriors find their inner strength with our program.
WARRIOR RETREATS III
December 9th – 17th, 2017
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