The Camino is a lot of things.  It is an adventure, a physical challenge, a religious pilgrimage, a vacation, a walk of grief and sorrow, a time of healing, and an opportunity to connect with others from different cultures.  But more than anything else, it is a spiritual journey of the heart, the mind and the soul.  That is true whether a pilgrim intends it to be or not.  It makes no difference what a pilgrims intention is in taking the journey, if you walk the entire journey you will be transformed in a meaningful and powerful way, making it truly a spiritual journey. 

When I returned from my 2022 Camino where I walked the full Camino Frances, I came home a different person.  The changes were not always obvious to others, but they were and are to me.  Since that Camino I have felt more peaceful, more joyful, more fulfilled, more focused, and healthier than I have ever been.  As I write this, I do so having arrived home from my annual wellness exam.  It has been 16 months since that Camino and at 74 my blood pressure is 110/68, I take no medications, and my doctor said I was in the top 1% for people my age.  There has been a seismic shift in my reality, and I am grateful. 

When I returned home from that Camino, within 5 months I had published 2 books.  The first was a compilation of my 3 Camino’s and is titled Heaven is Walking the Camino de Santiago.  Although there are some spiritual components to that book, I felt it did not go far enough into the spiritual and so I wrote a 2^nd book called Heaven is Walking the Spiritual Path.  That book is more about living our life as though we are walking a spiritual path every day, which I believe we are whether we are aware of it or not.

I think it is important to make a distinction between a Religious Path and a Spiritual Path.  You can be on a religious path and not experience the blessings of a spiritual path.  In my book Heaven is Walking the Spiritual Path I wrote: “What I have found regarding most religious movements is that they spring out of the experience of an individual and that experience becomes the path to salvation for those who follow.  That most often means there are rules of living that are adopted that the adherents must follow in order to receive the blessing of that path.  They generally come down to rules of behavior (10 commandments), rituals, daily disciplines, dress codes in some cases, and a muting of one’s personal thoughts and feelings that might be contrary to the teachings.  In other words, there are boundaries in place to control behavior and to keep the seeker on a narrow path.  There are people who seem to thrive in a more controlled environment for lots of reasons, and in fact, the majority of people seem to need a certain structure.  I am not one of those people because I have found that every spiritual path is unique and what might work for one, does not work for another.  We must find our own way, and others’ successes inspire us to do so.” 

A Spiritual Path transcends religion and is about who we are and our relationship to our inner world.  Religion can be a component of a spiritual path, but in my opinion is not necessary in order to be walking a spiritual path.  In the context of the Camino, spirit shows up in our perspectives and feelings along with our experiences, which are the catalyst.  We are following Spiritual principles when we trust there will be a bed for us and a place to eat at the end of long day.  It shows up in taking time to help a stranger, or bless someone who is snoring, or being amazed at a beautiful sunrise.  It shows up in letting go of the need to control another or feel hurt when someone decides to walk with someone else.  We are following a spiritual path when we suspend judgment, knowing that another’s negative behavior is a cry for help. 

Over a 30+ day journey the pilgrim encounters all different kinds of people and behaviors, and because when we are tired and challenged daily, we are confronted with our weaknesses and hurts.  Any true transformational process has a component of chaos attached to it.  We learn on the Camino to get by with minimal equipment and clothes, and we begin to see how cluttered our life has been.  Many mornings when I walked alone there were tears of release, of past feelings, of regrets and of appreciation at the opportunity to feel deeply the essence of my true nature.  When life becomes simple, then healing becomes real.  There is an inner path which opens to the power and the reality of transformation.  This is the beauty of walking the Camino de Santiago.  The longer you walk, the more powerful and intense is the experience.  Where in our cultures do we have this opportunity?  As I wrote in my book: “As you take on the qualities of kindness, compassion, joy, love, peace, and enthusiasm, you will become a magnet for good things and have meaningful moments, loving relationships, and success in accomplishing your hopes and dreams without hurting others.  You will live with a peaceful heart, a loving heart, an open heart, and an understanding heart, and you will realize just how happy you are while accomplishing much in the world.” 

Buen Camino