Seven celebrities tackle a modern-day pilgrimage in the brand new series returning to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer
Michaela Strachan, Spencer Matthews, Sonali Shah, Eshaan Akbar, Amanda Lovett, Tom Rosenthal and Christine McGuinness open up on their emotional spiritual journey
Immersing themselves on this spiritual journey are: wild life presenter Michaela Strachan who places her faith in the natural world; Spencer Matthews, a former Made in Chelsea reality star, who was christened Church of England but is still searching for answers to life’s big questions; Sonali Shah, a journalist and TV presenter who grew up in a Jain family; comedian Eshaan Akbar, a lapsed Muslim; Amanda Lovett, a practising Catholic, who catapulted into the public eye in the first series of...
The pilgrimage has been totally different to what I expected it to be. I never thought for one minute I’d leave this pilgrimage ready to let my mother go. I’m ready now; after five years I’m going to take her ashes to Ireland and then her soul is free to walk with me or she can go and dance and Irish jig up there, thinking yes, she’s letting me go.
I think one of the biggest changes I came across was when Sonali was explaining her Jainism faith. She explained that each living thing was a soul that had come back to earth. It made me think differently about insects as I used to hate spiders and now, I think of them as little souls, so now I will put them outside and not hoover them up!!
Yes!! I learnt that patience is a virtue! It is easy to make assumptions prior to learning about someone’s background and beliefs, but it is so important to learn about someone’s character.I think I realised my physical weakness during the pilgrimage! By then everyone had opened up emotionally to each other and problems had been let go of. It really felt like a sense of release.
I was hoping to go on this pilgrimage to learn more about others, which I did, but the best thing was learning more about myself, and that was totally unexpected.I have never been religious, I’ve been more spiritual, but I left the pilgrimage with stronger feelings of believing in faith, as in having faith in others, having faith in the universe, and having faith in myself.
This experience has made me feel stronger in the beliefs that I had before I went on pilgrimage, and that is more spiritual than religious, but I definitely feel much stronger knowing that’s where I fit. I feel a lot lighter. I worry less and trust in the universe. I believe in manifestation stronger than I ever have done before.I definitely walk more. I’ve always been active, and I love keeping fit and looking after myself but the pilgrimage has made me realise that being outdoors and walking is so good for me inside, mentally, emotionally and physically.
I hope viewers will see that walking and talking and spending time with others is so important, and to put your phone away at times and actually talk and listen in person. I think we live in a society now that is very much based on social media and technology and people don’t really get together as much as they should, and I think actually being around people and being outside is so much more beneficial.
To be honest, I wasn’t too disappointed. I felt like I had gotten everything I wanted from the experience with the stones by the sea and being able to get close to Bardsley Island. To look at it from a distance the way we did it was so beautiful, but not actually going over there almost leaves the door open that maybe our journey isn’t over yet, maybe all of us pilgrims will meet again, and I love the idea that it didn’t end as planned because that’s what happens in life.
I’m trying to, at the very least, celebrate Eid for my dad – I know culturally and socially it’s important to him and it’s the least I can do – I haven’t since my mum passed away.It’s made me more open to new challenges. It’s given me the licence to value myself more. And to give myself a pat on the back!
Describe your feelings/emotions when you reached the last church in Aberdaron, where you had to collect stones from the beach…. Why do you think that was that so emotional for you and your fellow pilgrims?And how then did you feel when you got to that point on the mainland which is the nearest point to Bardsey Island that you got to… was it disappointing? Did it matter?
I did do a bit of research on the correct gear to take, but I love an outdoor shop, so that was my idea of heaven! I also loved the coffin path that led up to Llangelynin Old Church. The church was rugged and simple and I like that. For me a place of worship should be simple. It shouldn’t need to be ornate and imposing.
I found it interesting how Christianity in this country seems to be becoming less popular, and yet other religions seem to be growing with people becoming even more passionate about their particular beliefs. I’ve definitely been more intrigued about what happens after we die. It’s a question I’ll never know the answer to. I’d love to think that we meet up with loved ones who had passed, but I’m not sure I really believe we do. I think it just makes us feel better to think that could be a possibility. Having witnessed someone dying recently, I can understand that the physical body is just a shell that the soul is in.
After two weeks walking with people, I know that I don’t like to be the one at the back! I like to lead generally, but I kind of knew that already! I don’t like faffing; I like to be on the move and active. Being the oldest person on the journey, I learned a lot about the effect of social media and podcasting from the 30yr olds! I learned all about Traitors and am now addicted!I think my strength is my ability to get on with things without making too much of a fuss.
How then did you feel when you got to that point on the mainland which is the nearest point to Bardsey Island that you got to… was it disappointing? Did it matter? Is your faith/religion something you have previously felt comfortable openly discussing with your peers, the public or within the press? Before visiting the Buddhist retreat, I hadn’t realised how similar the two religions actually were. I knew Mahavir and Buddha were accepted as contemporaries but have since learnt how much the two faiths have in common.
I am reading a bit more about what Jainsim means in a modern world. For example, some Jains are now trying to be more plant-based to try to live a more non-violent life. My children have always asked questions about where their food comes from. Prior to this pilgrimage, had you ever found yourself discussing faith and religion with your contemporaries before?
And how then did you feel when you got to that point on the mainland which is the nearest point to Bardsey Island that you got to… was it disappointing? Did it matter? I’ve always been fascinated by religion and how it can bind so many millions of people together. I was particularly interested in the Muslim faith, and how deeply religion runs through their society and culture. In terms of pilgrimage, for me it was a learning curve. I did pick up a lot of information about stuff that I knew nothing about before, and I enjoyed that. I enjoy learning about anything that I'm unfamiliar with.No, not at all.
I began to learn a lot about fasting and that led me to read books about fasting and breathing and that got me on to Wim Hof and James Nestor and I've suddenly found myself reading books about spirituality. We felt bonded by the experience that we had had, and it felt very thin, the space that we were in. It was a very special journey.It just made me think more. I don't think it's normal to spend two weeks talking about spirituality and religion and history and the roots of where faith comes from, and all of the incredible people and events that have led us to still be sharing stories thousands of years after they took place.
You spent two weeks with a group of strangers. Did you learn anything new about yourself through the experience? Essentially, it's like a passing moment for you to wish well to that person, or is a communication with that person. You stand and can communicate with that person. So obviously, I found a beautiful rock and I wrote Michael on it and shared a moment with my brother, outside that church, which was a really special moment.
Also, we were able to hike up a nearby hill and catch Bardsey in its full splendour, which was incredibly beautiful. The sea was very rough, so it was all crashing off Bardsey, and it was an amazing and beautiful thing to see. Had we actually been on Bardsey, we wouldn't have been able to appreciate Bardsey in the way that we did, from the viewpoint that we attained. So, as far as I'm concerned, it was almost a better finish to the journey.
I still have an infinite amount of questions about what's going on. I wouldn't say that I have found any hard and fast answers but, I’ve certainly now got a keener sense of a methodology within which I would actually find answers. Since returning home from the pilgrimage, have you felt different or engaged in activities around your faith that you would never have previously considered?
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
Springwatch’s Michaela Strachan opens up on ‘shocker of a year’ after 3 devastating losses & battle with br...Springwatch viewers devastated as Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan make on air announcement
続きを読む »
Charles Spencer's children: everything you need to know about the Earl of Spencer family lifeThe brother of the late Princess Diana is a father-of-seven
続きを読む »
Welcome to the new BBC.comBBC.com – the BBC's international website – has had a makeover
続きを読む »
The BBC celebrates ABBA in April 50 years since their Eurovision win in 1974This April, the BBC celebrates this remarkable anniversary with a range of programmes on BBC Two, Radio 2, BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer
続きを読む »
Gordon Strachan makes glaring Leeds United snub despite stunning Farke recordLatest Leeds United news as Gordon Strachan makes his manager of the year prediction amid intense Championship title race
続きを読む »
Scottish trad artist Innes Strachan unveils new project after MS diagnosisA SCOTTISH trad artist who received a shock multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis has released a new project.
続きを読む »