El Camino de Los Angeles: The Way of the Angels

My plan was to spend my birthday (today) in Alaska watching the Northern Lights. My plan was to go to Greece and Malta in May, to swim in the Mediterranean and indulge in the cuisine. My big plan was to walk El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in October, the 500-mile, centuries-old pilgrimage across northern Spain, staying at albergues (hostels) along the way. I have been craving the solitude of walking meditation, to better separate my “monkey mind” from who I really am. Heck, the goal was to get closer to who I really am. My plan was to spend the next six months training for that walk.

But as Dr. Carolyn Myss teaches: “if you want to make God laugh, tell him YOUR plans.” Spain closed the Camino a week ago. It may not reopen until 2021.

Like you, I find myself, #SaferAtHome, with all plans cancelled, all trips postponed, all outings curtailed. Or are they?

The benefit of walking the Camino is to lean into solitude, to reflect on purpose, meaning, and service. In the words of the pilgrims, to get closer to God. I see it as an opportunity to quiet the voices in my head, to connect with nature, strangers (recognizing there is no such thing), and the Divine. Instead of preparing for Spain, I am here, with endless time on my hands . . . and plenty of solitude. I could be upset at the disruption of my plans or I could see this as a gift. I can start my pilgrimage right here, right now. Just start walking, exploring neighborhoods, looking at the trees and flowers, and clearing out the chatter in my head. Just start walking, being at one with the trees and flowers, and separating myself from the chatter in my head. Just start walking, focusing on purpose, connection, and acceptance. Just start walking. One foot in front of the other.

It’s a matter of attitude. And gratitude.

We can all be more intentional in this time of “safer at home”. What allows you to open to joy, inner calm, and greater compassion? For me, it’s walking. For you, it might be meditation, or listening to spiritual teachers on podcasts (a few of my favorite teachers at the end of this post), or yoga, or cooking, or creating, or running, or writing, or reading, or anything that puts you in flow and allows you to quiet the mind, that tormentor that always says you are not enough. We are enough. Always.

Over the next few weeks, as I walk, I will work on diminishing my ego, making it my practice to be less judgmental, not just of others, but of myself. I can accept that these are challenging times, with high anxiety and boredom, and be kind to myself and others when we struggle. I can be more tolerant of those who are scared, hoarding items because they are so afraid. I can see that tendency in myself and work to let it go. Importantly, I will spend some time working on the inner critic that body shames me daily; the one that says thin is more important than healthy. I can try to connect my inner purpose – learning acceptance and compassion – with my outer purpose, whatever that may be in this phase of life. I can lean into joy, seeing my connection to all that is, through the beauty and wisdom of nature. This is my practice as I walk the neighborhood, ever mindful that I am on El Camino de Los Angeles, a pilgrimage. This is my new plan. I hope God agrees.

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As always, I welcome your feedback. Please become a member so you can add comments to this post. Thank you for your time.

Teachers:

· Oprah Winfrey

· Tara Brach

· Eckhart Tolle

· The History Chicks

· She Explores

Photo Caption: Ronda, a village in southern Spain, founded by the Celts in the sixth century BC. It played an important role in the empires of the Romans, Visigoths, and Berbers. Today, it's a charming trip outside of Malaga. I had the best gazpacho ever in Ronda.