Before my mom and I set off on our 'Camino de Santiago' adventure we prepared physically. We researched how much ( or, more accurately, how little) to bring on the journey, plotted our path, and practiced walking with our backpacks. This was all well and good, but I had forgotten to prepare for one of the fundamental aspects of a pilgrimage: meditation.
Meditating is often associated with a seated position. It takes place in an environment one selects for its tranquility. When we picture meditative walks there is the scene of a leisurely pace and a warm day with a calming breeze enveloping the meditator. A pilgrimage is filled with drastic changes in temperature, an uneven pace, and many distractions. It can be difficult to find stillness in movement at the best of times; add a heavy backpack, swollen feet, and a downpour of rain and it can seem like a lost cause. With some pre-pilgrimage practice, I believe I might have been able to put more intention and thought into some of the steps I took while on the pilgrimage.
While the Camino has come and gone for me, I have now been attempting to hone my walking meditation skills. At the moment, I focus on one foot at a time as it lifts off the ground, moves forward, and once again feels the ground beneath it. It's nothing momentous but it feels like a good start.
*this post originally appeared on an old form of the bebepies blog.
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