Walking The Way

I just returned from walking The Camino Portuguese, starting near Porto and ending in Santiago de Compostela. I loved the sense of walking with history—with more than 1,000 years of countless pilgrimages taking place on this same path—and walking long stretches through towns, vineyards and rural countryside in silence.

Source: Steve Costa/used with permission

Several aspects of my journey speak to me of our money lives and are teachings I want to continue to cultivate at home. People of all financial means walk "The Way". It can be done on the cheap—3 euros a night for board and you can cook your meals in communal kitchens at the Albergues. Or there are guided tours that cost 1,000 times as much. Everyone walks the same path.

Signs of wealth, poverty and status disappear when we walk together. Almost everyone wishes one another a “Bom Camino” or “Buen Camino” as they pass. I felt safe, knowing help would be there if needed. There is a sense of all being in it together. We are all equal.

People have different motivations for walking. Some do it solely for the hiking or athletic challenge. Many are on spiritual journeys including some devout Catholics. Others are marking a transition in their lives or using it as an opportunity to grow closer with the friend or family member they are walking with. Many have walked several different Caminos for the camaraderie and friendships formed with people from many parts of the world. Each motivation has value. No matter what the motivation, there is an inner aspect to making the journey, whether acknowledged or not.

Source: Steve Costa/used with permission

There are continuous tears, embraces, and shouts of joy at the Obradoiro Square in front of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, the end of The Way for many. It is exhilarating to enter the square after walking for so many days and witness others arriving too. Some days I had an urge to push further, in order to say (even just to myself), that I'd walked a larger number of kilometers each day. I repeatedly reminded myself that I was walking The Way not to reach a goal other than listening deeply to my heart and body. Taking care of ourselves, without comparing our journey to others, is a spiritual practice.