Mental focus along The Way

[1BreathAtATime]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

 

[naplesdon]

One foot in front of the other and repeat....

 

[dbier]

Gracias a Dios.
Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison.
Señor, ten piedad.
Focus shifted based on my level of struggle.
You asked...

 

[mustang2actual]

Last year that was the same route I took - Leon to SDC. Then I bused over to Fisterre instead of walking. Looking back, several things were important. It was my first Camino, and all the research still did not prepare me for the fantastic introspection. One thing I did was to create a Camino playlist that I called “Songs of My Life.” It played only once , only a few songs here and there, otherwise it was quiet or I spoke to others on The Way.

There were some physical challenges too. The route profiles were accurate as were all the stories about walking downhill to Molinaseca or the steep ascent to O Cebriero. The night before O Cebriero a group of Spanish college kids asked if I was ready as they said it was well known as the most difficult day on the trail. Yup.

All along I met truly great folks, with a strong positive vibe. At Cruz de Ferro I left memorial cards for my parents and said a prayer thanking them for their guidance and love. It’s a great spot to reflect. Same with the small chapels and churches. Drop into a mass and you’ll leave with a smile even if it’s not your faith.

The quick snacks with coffee in the morning are great. But the Spanish tortillas are out of this world - try any food they offer you. The locals are very protective of pilgrims - if you need anything just ask. I’m heading back shortly to walk the Portuguese/Variante Espiritual. It’s a simply magical experience.

 

[Robo]

It varies.

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

I'm sure we are all different.
I tend to not plan or structure the emotional / spiritual aspect of my Camino.
If anything.......I just treat it as a journey of discovery and renewal.

I intentionally walk alone most of the time to avoid distraction and be alone with my thoughts and to increase awareness of my surroundings.

Things just seem to naturally unfold.
Perhaps triggered by the landscape (often) animals I meet, things I see.

No mantra, no specific focus.
No expectations.
In fact, maybe the opposite.

A relaxed walk, with that oft used term, "an open heart and an open mind"

With a blank canvas, perhaps it's easier to notice, to learn and to appreciate things as they occur.

 

[futurefjp]

Go with the flow of el Camino

 

[Bedspring]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

One of my favourite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, so it is rather odd that I did not read his book The Pilgrimage until after my camino. In it he describes various exercises, which you may find of interest. Here are the exercises, which out of the context of the book may seem rather odd, but possibly you may find something in them

https://idxed.yolasite.com/paulo_coelho_the_pilgrimage.php

If you are looking for the mental and spiritual, definitely stop at some donativos, particularly the smaller ones and Albergues, run by religious organisations.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Just focus on being there, on being in the moment. It gets easier every day.

Walk, wash, eat, sleep - repeat.
One breath at a time.....

 

[t2andreo]

I approach a Camino as an empty vessel. I allow each day, each step, and each observation, smell or interaction to fill that vessel.

In other words, I simply empty myself out, and allow all that the Camino provides to replenish my body, mind and soul.

It works for me. I have always returned a better person than when I first set out.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Silvermomma]

Before I leave I put stickers and write favorite quotes randomly in my blank journal. It’s great to come upon them unexpectedly while walking. You might also like the book “Returning from Camino” by John Shaia—there’s a chapter to read before you start. Buen camino

 

[NYSE]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

I focused every day on reaching Santiago. I saw a few drop out due to injury and time constraints.

 

[Maurice Frank]

I have adopted a practice someone else on this forum introduced me to: each day I walk in memory of or in honor of people in my life. I begin with my parents, my siblings, my wider family, my spouse, and my many friends past and present. Each day I remember and think about my relationship with whoever is my focus that day. By focusing on one person or small numbers each day this usually lasts for two to three weeks. This is one aspect of my Camino introspection.

This is a practice I can also do at home on long walks.

Buen Camino to you 1BreathAtATime

 

[TomCole]

It varies.


I'm sure we are all different.
I tend to not plan or structure the emotional / spiritual aspect of my Camino.
If anything.......I just treat it as a journey of discovery and renewal.

I intentionally walk alone most of the time to avoid distraction and be alone with my thoughts and to increase awareness of my surroundings.

Things just seem to naturally unfold.
Perhaps triggered by the landscape (often) animals I meet, things I see.

No mantra, no specific focus.
No expectations.
In fact, maybe the opposite.

A relaxed walk, with that oft used term, "an open heart and an open mind"

With a blank canvas, perhaps it's easier to notice, to learn and to appreciate things as they occur.

That’s been my experience. I’m currently on the Camino Portuguese and I’m continually bringing myself to what is present. It has been remarkable. And I also agree with another poster to just keeping “one foot in front of the other”.

 

[JustOneGuy]

In my career I have had to go on quite complex and lengthy "adventures" for work.

In these situations I have learned one thing: that even if you prepare very carefully for these adventures, you rarely think about what will happen immediately afterwards.

That is why it is more the day after the end than the day the adventure starts, i.e. the return to your normal life, that requires attention...

 

[Dani7]

I had no expectations walking my maiden camino Frances last year. Each day was a fresh new adventure and a daily opportunity to live in the moment with gratitude. No mantra except for the harder mental or physical days « you’ve got this Dani, one step at a time! »

 

[PiesIrlandeses]

I found that merely sharing - meals, landscapes, nature, life stories - with fellow humans, all complete strangers - sometimes long conversations, sometimes complete silence - to be the essence of the Camino.

 

[Katykay]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

‘Climb every Mountain’ went through my mind time and time again. The song of course. That’s life isn’t it! Buen Camino.

 

[1BreathAtATime]

One of my favourite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, so it is rather odd that I did not read his book The Pilgrimage until after my camino. In it he describes various exercises, which you may find of interest. Here are the exercises, which out of the context of the book may seem rather odd, but possibly you may find something in them

https://idxed.yolasite.com/paulo_coelho_the_pilgrimage.php

If you are looking for the mental and spiritual, definitely stop at some donativos, particularly the smaller ones and Albergues, run by religious organisations.

I adored that book as I have adored all of the books by Coelho that I have had the pleasure of reading. Thank you for the reminder. My question was partially prompted by a friend who just returned and she had three very distinct brains of mind that she focused upon during her pilgrimage dividing it into thirds. It was amazing for her.

 

[1BreathAtATime]

I have adopted a practice someone else on this forum introduced me to: each day I walk in memory of or in honor of people in my life. I begin with my parents, my siblings, my wider family, my spouse, and my many friends past and present. Each day I remember and think about my relationship with whoever is my focus that day. By focusing on one person or small numbers each day this usually lasts for two to three weeks. This is one aspect of my Camino introspection.

This is a practice I can also do at home on long walks.

Buen Camino to you Breathalyzer

You, sweet friend, are one of the inspirations for this question. Yesterday I hiked I hiked in Brevard and DuPont Forest with a woman that just completed her first Camino. She also used specific mantras, one for the start one for the middle and a different one for the end. It was extremely impactful for her. I will most definitely be devoting days to my most special friends, of course, including you!

 

[1BreathAtATime]

In my career I have had to go on quite complex and lengthy "adventures" for work.

In these situations I have learned one thing: that even if you prepare very carefully for these adventures, you rarely think about what will happen immediately afterwards.

That is why it is more the day after the end than the day of the adventure, the return to your normal life, that requires attention...

I found following my first silent retreat at a meditation center the same to be true.

 

[hikentravel1234]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

I like to start just as the sun starts to rise (or even earlier if it is real hot. I found walking, as the sun rose, to be magical. The first hour (or 1 1/2 hours) I gave thanks for another beautiful day--and was a great time to be spiritual or contemplative.
Even if I'm walking with someone, I try to walk behind about 10-20 meters, in order to have that alone time to start my day.

 

[hokiebobwise]

I walked with gratitude and my rosary. Whn not in prayer I focused on the Spirituality of nature. I would approach a hill and admire the land and give thanks. I would approach a "tunnel" and thank the trees for growing over the trail to provide shade. And, yes, I hugged many trees as part of giving thanks. I also walked in silence, to hear my feet ctlrunchimg on the path. Very peaceful, for me, and therapeutic.

 

[Godot]

Good question, and something I thought about prior to my first Camino in May 2024 (Norte)

My experience was that I was most often consumed by the physicality of the walk on a daily basis - the literal process of putting one foot in front of another for hours on end in all sorts of weather on all sorts of geography. I'm not saying this was a bad thing (it was an important reason for me doing the Camino). Only when I actually physically stopped did I have the mental capability to contemplate and appreciate the world around me, whether for one minute or one hour. I typically walked alone and prefered it that way

I had no expectation of great revelation or personal insights (I'm 62 and to a large degree I think I am what I am) but I did come away with a greater awareness of who I am and how I react in different circumstances - for better or worse. I like to think that the Camino eroded some of the sharper more prickly sides of my character over the course of the walk. And I intend to go back and continue that process on the basis that it's a marathon not a sprint

 

[JustOneGuy]

I had no expectation of great revelation or personal insights (I'm 62 and to a large degree I think I am what I am)

Please, please please: don't ever say that We can change, and change, and change, until the last breath of our life. But to do so, it is essential that we never think that we are no longer capable of doing so.

For the record, I am 65 years old, not exactly a child ... . If we were yet kids, and in the same kindergarten, I would look at you with an air of superiority and "wisdom"...

 

[vwzoo]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

I imagined all those walk before like in the middle ages in search of hope, guidance forgiveness and all they went through to do this. I would tell myself they had no albergues, just the clothes on their back. They found strength emotional, spiritual and physical and were able to do it and I could too.

 

[David Tallan]

Responding to "I'm 62 and to a large extent I think I am what I am":

Please, please please: don't ever say that We can change, and change, and change, until the last breath of our life. But to do so, it is essential that we never think that we are no longer capable of doing so.

True indeed. But one of the benefits of age is the ability to accept ourselves for who we are. That doesn't mean we can't and don't change. Accepting those changes is part of accepting ourselves for who we are.

For me, "I am what I am" doesn't mean I can't or won't change. It just means I don't have a huge drive to, unless that change is a natural extension of who I am and what my values are.

 

[Godot]

Responding to "I'm 62 and to a large extent I think I am what I am":

True indeed. But one of the benefits of age is the ability to accept ourselves for who we are. That doesn't mean we can't and don't change. Accepting those changes is part of accepting ourselves for who we are.

For me, "I am what I am" doesn't mean I can't or won't change. It just means I don't have a huge drive to, unless that change is a natural extension of who I am and what my values are.

Thank you David. That's exactly what I meant. You put is clearer and more succinctly than I did

 

[1BreathAtATime]

In my career I have had to go on quite complex and lengthy "adventures" for work.

In these situations I have learned one thing: that even if you prepare very carefully for these adventures, you rarely think about what will happen immediately afterwards.

That is why it is more the day after the end than the day of the adventure, the return to your normal life, that requires attention...

I found following my first silent retreat at a meditation center the same to be true

Good question, and something I thought about prior to my first Camino in May 2024 (Norte)

My experience was that I was most often consumed by the physicality of the walk on a daily basis - the literal process of putting one foot in front of another for hours on end in all sorts of weather on all sorts of geography. I'm not saying this was a bad thing (it was an important reason for me doing the Camino). Only when I actually physically stopped did I have the mental capability to contemplate and appreciate the world around me, whether for one minute or one hour. I typically walked alone and prefered it that way

I had no expectation of great revelation or personal insights (I'm 62 and to a large degree I think I am what I am) but I did come away with a greater awareness of who I am and how I react in different circumstances - for better or worse. I like to think that the Camino eroded some of the sharper more prickly sides of my character over the course of the walk. And I intend to go back and continue that process on the basis that it's a marathon not a sprint

Well said. I'm 60 and in some ways can relate. At the same time, I'm not fully enlightened and perhaps take myself and the pain I've been through too seriously. I see the Camino (for me) as something that sort of pulls at me -- maybe to heal from trauma, maybe to chill out, maybe to .....

 

[1BreathAtATime]

I imagined all those walk before like in the middle ages in search of hope, guidance forgiveness and all they went through to do this. I would tell myself they had no albergues, just the clothes on their back. They found strength emotional, spiritual and physical and were able to do it and I could too.

This really touched my heart. Thank you <3

 

[mustang2actual]

I like to start just as the sun starts to rise (or even earlier if it is real hot. I found walking, as the sun rose, to be magical. The first hour (or 1 1/2 hours) I gave thanks for another beautiful day--and was a great time to be spiritual or contemplative.
Even if I'm walking with someone, I try to walk behind about 10-20 meters, in order to have that alone time to start my day.

That’s what inspired me to take this photograph yesterday. Lovely dawn.

 

[Amused212]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

Early on I would stop in churches to get off my feet and rest. I started to notice that I felt a sense of peace and quietude in these churches - particularly the small ones. Soon I began stopping in all the small ones I could find. I would breathe slowly, say a small gratitude prayer, then focus on just being. I would only stay a few minutes but it recharged my soul. Note: when it was hot, the churches were cool, at O Cebreiro it was rainy and cold outside but the church was warm - the Camino provides.

 

[happypilgrim]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

Really, I just walked. Put one foot in front of the other. Staying present and grounded. "Mental focus" just kinda happened naturally. I didn't use matras of planned what/how to thing or what to focus on. I just walked and whatever awarenesses came to me did so. Buen Camino!

 

[Colokid]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

I completed CF, my first, in May. A powerful expericence that I will always feel blessed.
My mantra was to start each morning with lyrics of Morning Has Broken/Yusuf, Cat Stevens.

Buen Camino/Con Bendiciones

 

[PhilB]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

I totally understand what you are asking. I am currently on Camino Norte which is notoriously very difficult (true in every way) but beautiful. Only last night I asked my fellow peregrinos that very same question - what is your mantra or approach in getting through the toughest sections? Answers varied from reciting poetry, making up new versus in poems, counting, playlists (sparingly) and rehearsing phrases for the evening diary or blogs. You will work out what works for you. Handling a 5km ascent of a hill requires more than just “one foot in front of the next” - that is the outcome not the mantra or approach. Good luck and beun Camino.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Really, I just walked. Put one foot in front of the other. Staying present and grounded. "Mental focus" just kinda happened naturally. I didn't use matras of planned what/how to thing or what to focus on. I just walked and whatever awarenesses came to me did so. Buen Camino!

Yes agree with this. Thats what works for me. All different of course so maybe start walking and see if you need any specific tools to focus. You may not do.

 

[happypilgrim]

Handling a 5km ascent of a hill requires more than just “one foot in front of the next” - that is the outcome not the mantra or approach.

For you, and that is fine Putting one foot in front of the other, staying present and letting whatever comes up come up is indeed an approach and served me well on the Camino (include the most physically challenging stretches). The outcome of that is getting to wherever you are going. Every day is different and what one's mind, body and spirit may need to move forward day to day will be different.

 

[Karl Oz]

I leave soon (11 days) for my first Camino that I first heard about over twenty years ago and felt one day I would go. I will have a bit under a month in Spain (starting in Leon and hoping to walk to the ocean). I find my thoughts turning to the spiritual and mental side of things more and more.
If you walked with a focus or altering focus as the pilgrimage time line progressed, I would love to know what mantras or focuses you may have walked with.

These will emerge as you walk, I think.