#hercamino Women’s Group Camino
Having made the decision to walk Camino de Santiago my announcement was met with mixed reactions. Most of my women friends were inquisitive and happy for me. Yet their fears were raised about doing something so unfamiliar.
On my return despite resonating with my stories the most common response was
I WOULD LOVE TO DO CAMINO BUT…
I am not courageous like you.
Courage does not come naturally. Feel the fear, trust your intuition, and do it regardless. Women have been told that WE CAN’T this is where the relentless monkey mind rises from. The mind chatter that holds us back. If you want to live courageously you must challenge and tame the monkey. WE CAN we always could… it just takes the first step. Being with a group is a step toward developing the courage to do things your way.
I could never go alone.
Being herded like a sheep, following flags, eating to fit an agenda locked into a group is everything women had expressed they hated. Yet for most, going alone was not an option… so they go nowhere.
#hercamino Women’s Group is about being with a group of women who inevitably all have different needs. Women who want to walk their own Camino yet not be totally alone. Our women’s group has been developed so you are not locked into anything other than getting to your next destination. You are free to join activities or not, you are free to walk in your rhythm. Eat when you are hungry and sleep when you are tired, there are no musts. This gives you the freedom to develop courage while having support. One step at a time.
What if I get lost?
Not paying attention had me lost despite the yellow arrows. These times have become part of my Camino stories. I wasn’t lost for long, in fact, I didn’t even know I was lost! Once a shepherd rounded me up and sent me in a different direction. Another time a very kind man walked me back to where I was supposed to be. At the end of the day, I walked a few extra km, but I did not perish. It was late, and I was tired… but I survived. Statistically more could happen to you if you stay at home. Moreso, if you never venture out and see just what you are capable of you will never know. Doing Camino with #hercamino Women’s Group offers you the opportunity to challenge your fears, and we will know if you don’t arrive at the end of the day!
I can’t share a bedroom/bathroom with strangers
Many will burden you with their storyline of a “Real Pilgrim”. In their view, if you are not suffering with a load on your back, and challenging yourself to tolerate shared space you are somehow inferior. I tried... and realised quickly, that unbearable snoring, being woken at 5 am by people with no respect, or sharing bathrooms with those whose standard of cleanliness was questionable, was not enlightening at all. Daily you will encounter conversations and time getting to know people from other cultures. Listening to and reflecting on other stories was a very profound way of learning and healing. Sharing a meal or afternoon drinks was so much fun and enlightening. Witnessing and enduring the daily routines of others certainly was not. Having a clean comfortable bed, your own bathroom and space for self-reflection will not limit your Camino experience.
I will get too emotional and won’t cope.
The emotional response to walking Camino de Santiago is real. The richness of the land in every way is humbling and inspiring, yet importantly the spiritual energy is what has people from all over the world walking Camino de Santiago. A primitive Spiritual path that pre-Christianity, and since man could communicate, is recorded as a pilgrimage. Today’s scientific knowledge of movement and releasing memories held in the cells of your body coupled with conversations that provoke thoughts are just two of the reasons that this is real. #hercamino Women’s Group has support available pre, during and post-Camino for your emotional and spiritual well-being.
Our participation as guides is for you to let go and allow the spirit of Camino to be your ally each day.
If you still have doubts please contact us
Buen Camino!
“Go out in the woods, go out. If you don’t go out in the woods nothing will ever happen and your life will never begin.”
– Christina Pinkola Estes
