I have often mentioned that one of the lessons learned from my Camino was to listen to my body, to work with it instead of in spite of it. Perhaps I should clarify that this is one of the lessons I am learning . . . I’m not yet practicing it well.

I am in my third week of a yoga class.  I highly recommend anyone planning a walk on the Camino to consider doing some yoga as part of your training. I wish I had. It can help condition and stretch muscles before putting them through such a grueling workout. And it can help to center you to be more aware of your body and its needs.

This morning I was in the last moments of the class, relaxing into calming poses. I was thinking about a workshop I’m developing and a phone call scheduled this afternoon.  “Uh hem,” my body whispered.

“What?” I asked, returning my attention to the class.

“I’m here. I need your attention,” was its response. With that, I knew I was being called out for not keeping my promise to listen to my body. I was oblivious to what I was doing.

“You’re right,” I said to my body. I closed the door to my work and gave full attention to right here, right now. That’s kind of a mantra I use when I’m working on being present and mindful of the moment I’m in.

Reflecting on it later, I thought about how letting my mind drift to other things while doing yoga or any stretching, is like a parent thinking about other things when a child is pouring his heart out. Or the spouse with a nose in the newspaper – or cell phone – when someone is trying to share something important. How sad. And it’s the same thing here.  My body is telling me how good a move feels, or is showing me how I can turn my head further to the side now, or is warning me to slightly bend my knee so I don’t lock it, but I’m not paying attention.

I had ignored my promise to listen to and work with my body. I had stopped giving it attention and was taking it for granted.  Instead, I was mentally wandering somewhere else. Disconnected. I think that’s part of why I had foot pain when I walked my Camino. I pushed without regard to what my body was saying when I was training for the walk. That was two years ago. As I’m learning to listen and pay attention now, however, I’m seeing good results. Sometimes I am completely pain free for several days. I am learning. I am appreciating what my body is saying to me. Together, I know we’ll get stronger.

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This post is from my series called Unpacking the Camino. That’s the Camino de Santiago, a trail across northern Spain which I walked in 2019. You can read about my journey in Keep Walking, Your Heart Will Catch Up.