Reflections on Body, Mind & Spirit: Walking the Camino - The Spiritual Experience
- Lisa Schaffer
- Jul 29, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 1, 2025
My July Reflection
This newsletter is the third and final part of my three-part series describing my pilgrimage walking the Camino de Santiago - the Way of St. James. Our last newsletter described the mind or mental aspect of the 75 mile journey and the one before that looked at the body or physical aspect of my 75 mile journey. In this newsletter we will focus on the spiritual experience.
What is a Pilgrimage?
This is a great question. What is a pilgrimage? Something people did long ago? Yes and still do. Even as I write this newsletter there are people around the world on pilgrimage. As I write later, this is something that brings me hope. Before we get to that let's answer this question.
Everyone needs to answer that question for themselves. I like how author John Brierley explains it in his book, A Pilgrims's Guide to the Camino de Santiago - ..."there are hundreds of long distance pathways we can walk but only the camino has achieved world recognition for its historical and spiritual significance and, inevitably, such accolades bring greater numbers wishing to experience it's potential for physical and spiritual renewal..."
That is what the Camino was and is to me - potential for physical and spiritual renewal.
Pilgrim Passport
The pilgrim passport could be seen by many a pilgrim diligently getting their "stamps" for the day. Simply put, in order to stay at pilgrim hostels and to receive a "compostela" (certificate of completion of pilgrimage to Santiago) you need to provide proof that you have walked at least 75 miles of the route. Effectively pilgrims can obtain their stamps in churches, cafes, and even from a stand in the middle of the woods...speaking of the middle of the woods...
Awareness
God can make us smile...
There is a saying on the Camino de Santiago - the Camino will provide. This proved to be true for us. First day, first hour we were thinking, why didn't we get more water? How about getting our stamp?! No sooner than we were thinking that, there in the woods, in the middle of no where was a table set up with a woman selling water, bananas, and yes, she had a stamp!
Other experiences were feeling quite warm and then no sooner than you were thinking that a cool breeze would pop up for a few seconds. Feeling like you were losing steam? The beautiful sounds of birds singing sounding like they were in concert would give us a boost.
Things like these happened again and again. Oh, gratitude!
Churches
There were an abundance of ancient churches and chapels along the way. We were happy to enter a few of them, saying a prayer, lighting a candle, and admiring the beauty of something built long ago.
On perhaps the warmest day of our pilgrimage, we opted to go off the path and visit the Church of Vilar de Donas - a Romanesque temple that was built in the 12th century. Later it was donated to the Order of Santiago. Tombs of the Knights can still be found there.
Certain days it’s not open and when it is open, it doesn’t open until 2:00. We just happened to arrive when a group of singers, all nicely dressed in black pants, white shirts, and red ties, were using the ancient church to do a recording.
Oh, the Camino does provide!
The last church on our way to Santiago, was none other than the Cathedral de Santiago. It was a beauty to behold. We took a tour to which we found ourselves outside, high above the plaza (is this really safe?!). I attended an early mass and afterwards stood in line to go down in the crypt where the remains of St. James are buried.
Nature
One interesting observation was seeing all of us pilgrims walking for miles in the beauty of nature, cross into a larger town, only to recoil from the sounds of traffic (what's that awful noise?!) and air filled with exhaust. It's no secret of the benefits of being in nature which is a true gift.
Ralf Waldo Emerson would say that nature connects us to the divine. In nature, he describes how the natural world dissolves ego and grounds us in spiritual clarity.
Hope
Upon deep reflection of the privilege of walking the camino, one thing that stands out to me is having hope. This was tested as I re-entered into the non-walking, non-pilgrimage world, filled with atrocities against countries and children. There in my heart was hope. Knowing that there have been pilgrims for centuries and hopefully for centuries more, walking, praying, and helping one another. Let hope sink deep into our souls and bodies. We can all use more of that.
Challenge for you
Let us seek clarity on the potential for physical and spiritual renewal.
Quote I’m reflecting on
"Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9)
To your reflection and health,
Lisa Schaffer
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See my last newsletter Body, Mind & Spirit…
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