Reflections on Body, Mind & Spirit: Walking the Camino - The Mental Experience
- Lisa Schaffer
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 26
My June Reflection - Part Deux
This newsletter is the second of my three-part series describing my pilgrimage walking the Camino de Santiago - the Way of St. James. Our last newsletter described the body or physical aspect of the 75 mile journey. In this newsletter we will focus on the mind or mental experience. As mentioned previously, my other newsletter titled Walking with Intention, Exercise for Resilience, Letting Go…is such a good fit for what the pilgrimage required - walking with intention.
How did my walking the Camino come about? Like most things, it starts with hearing about other people’s experiences. Then asking questions and then when opportunity knocks, you answer the call. This was the case for me.
I heard that my friend Maggie was planning a trip to Spain to walk the Camino. My face lit up when I heard this. I was so excited I sent her a text wishing her well and asked if she would write a guest blog about her experience. She graciously said she would write one and then said, “why don’t you join us?”
What?! I was just talking with another friend about how we were going to walk the Camino and then this text?!
I talked to my husband about it. His response: life is short. That’s all I needed to hear and I texted Maggie back to count me in. Thus my Camino training began. But was that really the start of preparing for it Physically? Mentally? Spiritually?
Mind
Preparation
The Navy SEALS train to be ready for anything so at a moment's notice they can spring into action and complete their mission. They also teach that mental preparation begins with the physical aspect. So my mental preparation for the pilgrimage had already begun quite some time ago.
As described in the previous newsletter, as soon as I had committed to walking the Camino, I immediately added a weighted vest to my training to get used to carrying extra weight. This physical act was placing my mind into what was ahead.
Intention
A common understanding in doing a pilgrimage is to set an intention for why you are undertaking a physical and spiritual challenge. Another way to think about it is what is your "why"? Giving much thought and consideration not only can help your pilgrimage to be more meaningful, it can also help lift you when the journey gets tough. I will share with you my three reasons or intention for walking the Camino de Santiago:
Because I can - I can physically walk long distances and I know that other people would give anything to do so but can't because of physical, financial, or time limitations.
For parents who have lost a child - I carried in my heart the pain that parents who have lost a child recently or a long time ago, will always have. Praying for them along the way, it was my intention to help lift the burden that they must always carry.
Listen to God - of course we can listen to God wherever we are at, however, I wanted to do so while doing a very small sacrifice.
Gratitude
One of the most powerful tools in the human arsenal - gratitude. I felt this so much each and every day walking the Camino. Truthfully it would have been more difficult not to feel how many blessings I and those around me have been given.
We met some wonderful people whom I am still carrying in my heart…Some started their pilgrimage in France and walked through the Pyrenees mountains - no small feat! Probably more so for them, having been on their journey for over a month, purpose and intention would be of the utmost importance.
Growth
One aspect of this pilgrimage was traveling a long distance to a foreign country with different languages - Spanish and Galician. That alone became an exercise for the brain - using a different language (trying to!) and navigating through the country. All to be expected for sure but not to be overlooked when it comes to brain usage and thus energy. Speaking of brain health...fun fact - Language learning is a mental workout. It engages your memory, problem-solving, attention, and even multitasking—all at once.
Given the circumstances we were presented with on the Camino, generally speaking it was not mentally difficult. I was so filled with joy, gratitude, and amazement that it really carried me along the 75 mile pilgrimage. When I would start to think of the weight on my back or the sun making things quite warm, I thought of my intentions for this pilgrimage, said a prayer for them, and gave thanks, so thankful to be able to walk the way de Santiago.
Challenge for you
Let's reconnect with feeling gratitude by remembering how it can really open our hearts and minds. Next time you find yourself struggling, what small goodness can you find in the situation?
Quote I’m pondering
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie
To your reflection and health,
Lisa Schaffer
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See my last newsletter Body, Mind & Spirit…
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