Pilgrimage as a Way of Life
Learning to meet every moment as the Goddess herself with Nataraj Chaitanya
A devoted Shaiva Yogi and teacher of yoga, meditation and Tantra, Nataraj Chaitanya is a Faculty member for Embodied Philosophy’s Wisdom School 2026: The Pilgrimage Project and Sādhana School; a year-long university-level course into the non-dual Tantric traditions. This conversation is taken from a recent Chitheads Podcast episode with Nataraj and Embodied Philosopher founder, Jacob Kyle.
Jacob: You go on pilgrimage at least once a year and practically live on pilgrimage in an ashram. Can you say a couple of words about what pilgrimage means for you in your life?
Nataraj:
Yes. The spirit of a yātrā, a pilgrimage, is to be a pilgrim. From the moment you decide to go on a pilgrimage, whatever the attitude of the pilgrim is, whatever arises is the divine.
It’s part of that journey.
So when you set out to see the holy Mountain or see the image of the deity in the temple, whatever arises on that journey is, is part of the tapasyā, the austerity, the purification process, and the līlā, the play of that deity.
And so to live life as a pilgrim, we are journeying, you know; to have that intimate exchange of glances, the darśana, of the self, of God, of the goddess.
To do a literal pilgrimage puts you in touch with that: the spirit of being a pilgrim in your life; of holding this idea that whatever arises is her is, is the shakti, is the Devi.
It invokes grace. It’s a crucible of transformation. And the journey changes us as much as the destination.
Interested in deepening into pilgrimage as a way of life?
Join Nataraj and other teachers for Wisdom School 2026: The Pilgrimage Project.
Featuring monthly meditations, workshops, lectures and more, spanning across the contemplative traditions of East and West.
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