Psst, no judgment here with this question (speaking to myself and all those reading). When you’re going about the regular hustle and bustle of your day (before 2020 or what life looks like in the corona days), when you recognize the feeling of gratitude rising within, how long do you take to reciprocate and extend back your appreciation? Do you take any action, symbolic, physical, or verbal, to give a proper thanks to the person, object, place or experience? Or is it just a quick thought, “Wow I’m so glad I have a comfortable and safe home, a car that works, a family that loves me, a job that fulfills me, the opportunity to visit this country, to meet this person, a body that functions…” At best maybe a pause, a quick reflection or maybe a message sent, “Thanks for your help today, I appreciate what you did for me, thank you for your time!” We all know the ease of gratitude when things are going swell, but how likely are we to give thanks to the tough stuff, to the hard road, to the losses, failures and suffering? And not once we’ve overcome it or turned a page, but amidst the uncertain, scary and most challenging moments of our lives, can we pause and open a window to give thanks?
I ask this question because as we move through the Coronavirus pandemic, global consciousness is awakening to more potent realizations of how we need to protect, conserve and honor natural resources, the gifts of Mother Earth.
In the high Andes, there is a sacred tradition, Despacho or Pago a la Tierra, “Payment to Mother Earth,” It is a sacred ceremony performed by the Q’eros, direct descendants of the Incas who live in five communities at 4,000 meters above sea level. The Q’eros lived isolated in the rural and remote mountains until the 1970s, when they perceived it was time to visit neighboring towns of the Cusco region and share their practices.
Living in Cusco as an expat, you quickly integrate despachos into your way of life. For celebration, loss, for a new home, for a business, struggling or thriving, for a relationship, for health or healing, and especially in the month of August, as the entire month is dedicated to Pachamama in the Andes.
Despacho translates to “sending a message or care package.” The ceremony is both a symbolic and physical act of love that empowers and reinforces our understanding of the interconnectedness of all energy in the universe, all beings, elements, spirits and sacred places
I started out asking about how long and what we do with our feelings of gratitude, because the Despacho Ceremony takes time. It requires one to purchase supplies, contact and reciprocate economically (ayni - the Quechua word for reciprocity) to a Q’ero, and take a few hours out of one’s day to sit in ceremony. To sit on the earth, come together in a circle, listen to the wisdom of the Q’ero, close your eyes, reflect and extend your unlimited prayers of gratitude and hopes for the future into k’intus and the Despacho offering.
While this experience is beautiful, I have seen first-time ceremony goers be both captivated and lost in the experience, mostly because it is something they are not accustomed to. Mostly because, it takes time. It’s not a quick thought. It takes effort an internal gaze and dedication.
But at some point within the ceremony, I’ve seen each first-timer embrace their internal “a-ha moment.” When body, mind and heart align in a more empowered way, and there is an acceptance and understanding of all that was, all that is, and all that will ever be. A moment when there is a fluid joining to the essential unity we share with all that exists.
During the Sacred Elements Journey to Peru Retreat, we partake in a Despacho Ceremony with Q’ero Victor Chura Quispe on our Earth day at Samadhi Sacred Valley. It is both a mystical and practical way to identify and integrate our intentions for the journey, acceptance of the past and our dreams for beyond.
But what about right now? Amidst the insecurity and global pandemic? What could happen, how could our prognosis as a collective shift, if we all, in our own way, took the time to send our own message and care package to Mother Earth, our dear Pachamamita?
Up next on the blog is how to create your own Despacho, in honor and respect of the traditional ceremony. In the meantime, I encourage myself and all of us, to take more than just a moment, to pause and think of something we can do to give back to life, give back to the unconditionally generous Earth. Sing a song, paint a picture, meditate in nature, call an old teacher or mentor, plant flowers or a tree. Whatever you do, remember that your intention is the most important ingredient. And it is an enlightening reminder of one’s strength of spirit, to be able to give thanks during the rough times.
Be well friends. <3
