There are many paths to learning how to love

These days we live surrounded by things that ask for our attention: work, messages, to-do lists, screens, noise. And in the middle of all that, it's easy to put ourselves off until later.

I've found in spirituality a real space to see myself and listen to myself. And I feel this can be true no matter how each person defines spirituality, or which path they choose for their personal growth and the development of their consciousness.

If you're reading this, I'd guess something resonates. And I'm sure you're on this sooooo complicated path of self-discovery too.

A book that stays with you

Long story short… part of my very, very personal spiritual path has been reading an unspeakable number of books (psst… I don't connect with all of them, to be honest, and I don't finish all of them either). But every now and then an idea shows up that stays with you.

I recently read All About Love by bell hooks: philosopher, educator, feminist, and a many-sided woman who was one of the most important intellectual figures in the fight for social justice and critical education. It's a beautiful essay that invites you to question your definition of the (in my humble opinion) most important hot topic for all of us: love.

That abstract concept that lives in our minds 24/7. That we look for, give, receive and, one way or another, all long to experience at its fullest.

Love is a choice (and an action)

In short, her book explains very coherently and logically (I know, quite the contradiction with everything I've said about spirituality… lol) that love is a choice and an action. I know, groundbreaking, because every romantic movie we grew up with painted it as a passive feeling.

In the book, bell hooks draws on M. Scott Peck, who in his well-known The Road Less Travelled defines genuine love as:

"The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth."

What this has to do with Wanderer

And I couldn't help connecting it to everything we do at Wanderer.

Because if we understand love as a conscious decision to care for and support our own growth (and, very importantly, the growth of the people we love), then choosing experiences that help us grow, connect and be present can also be a way of loving ourselves. And each other.

That's the space we want to create at Wanderer.

A space where practitioners, with their own tools, knowledge and ways of understanding spiritual growth, can meet people who are ready to walk their own path: our beloved seekers.

Seekers might be people who know exactly where they're headed and just want a hand on their back. Or people who have simply found a mountain in their way and are barefoot. There's nothing good or bad about it: just different situations, and a huge number of different paths and people.

There is no single way to walk the path

That's exactly why we want to bring together practitioners with different perspectives, practices and paths. Because everyone resonates with different things.

• With some people, we just click.
• With some practices, we feel something we can't explain.
• Others simply aren't for us… and what a relief that so many unique options exist.

That's what we want to show on Wanderer: all those unique ways of exploring personal and spiritual growth. Every experience, every practitioner and every community as a small, safe corner for anyone looking for something that makes sense to them.

It might be a morning of yoga, a mountain walk, a cacao ceremony, a breathwork session, a conversation that shifts your perspective, a circle of strangers who quickly stop feeling like strangers, or simply a moment of silence.

What stays with you afterwards

From where I stand, what matters isn't always what happens during the experience, but what stays with you afterwards.

That small thing that helps you accept yourself a little more. That shows you you're not the only person going through it. That makes you feel accompanied. And maybe, hopefully, helps you love yourself even just a little bit more.

Because in the end, this earthly life is also about that: learning to accept and love ourselves. And holistic experiences can make that process a little gentler.

At Wanderer we genuinely believe these experiences have the power to open something in us and to nurture our spiritual growth, and that of others.

That's why Wanderer exists

A space to discover experiences that invite you to explore, connect and grow, and to meet people who share the same curiosity about living more consciously.

It's not about escaping your life. It's about making room to live it differently, your way.

I hope life keeps putting people and experiences on your path that nurture your growth, help you come back to yourself and remind you that growing is also a way of loving (yourself).

Discover your next experience on Wanderer.