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Wellness on the Camino de Santiago: Benefits for your mind and body

What good things can the Camino de Santiago bring to your personal well-being? We tell you how it can help you improve your quality of life

Bienestar en el Camino de Santiago: Beneficios para tu cuerpo

Bienestar en el Camino de Santiago: Beneficios para tu cuerpo

The routine and obligations put us to the test every day, both physically and mentally, until we are exhausted. That's why when the holidays arrive so many of us do not just look for physical rest, if we do not find peace of mind and reconcile ourselves with reality. The Camino de Santiago, we say it from experience, is a real balm for those who dare to go, a place to retire a few days to heal the spirit, get fit or recover lost time.

If you are looking for a place like this, you are in luck, you will not be short of the reasons to give this adventure a chance. To give you that last push you are looking for before packing your backpack, we have divided into five the benefits that the Camino de Santiago in our opinion can contribute to your personal well-being.

✔️ Enjoy immersed in nature and breathe fresh air

On the Camino de Santiago we are permanently in contact with the environment, breathing fresh air, which is very healthy, especially for those of us who live trapped in the city all year round. In many stages of the Camino (depending on the time of year and the stretch) we will practically walk alone and we will have access to corners that we would never visit if it were not this way. You will cross forests, you will discover amazing views, you will be able to enjoy unforgettable sunrises; Do you need more reasons?

✔️ Reconcile with physical exercise and get fit

It is evident that the Camino de Santiago requires an unusual physical effort, especially for those of us who are not used to walking so long distances in our day to day life. That is why it can be a golden opportunity to reconcile with the practice of exercise, get fit and feel healthier. Not only do we talk about the pilgrimage itself and the time we spend going through the stages, but also the previous time necessary to prepare ourselves physically (about four weeks). With the preparation and the subsequent pilgrimage we will have unknowingly put the first stone of a healthier life, if we had completely abandoned the practice of exercise.

✔️ An experience in which the moment is lived

Our routine and way of life forces us in many occasions to live in the future, always predicting the setbacks that can come and anticipating them, always planning. Irremediably, this way of living life sometimes takes us away from the present and deprives us of enjoying the moment, a luxury that will not be returned on the Camino de Santiago. Pilgrimage only fits in our head the path we must travel; the thoughts are focused on the moment, on the conversation we are having, the slope that we have to climb or the landscape that we have just discovered. The Camino de Santiago takes us to the present and reminds us of the moment in which we live.

✔️ An opportunity to make up for lost time with others

You travel alone or in company, the Camino de Santiago is a perfect time to share with others, be close or totally unknown. If you travel in a group, with your family or your partner, you can take advantage to recover the time that we do not enjoy on a daily basis to chat and strengthen our relationships, open up, laugh and enjoy sharing. If you travel alone, it is best to do so with an open mind; You will discover that listening sincerely and opening up to others without complexes or prejudices is a very beneficial therapy. The Way of St. James makes us all the pilgrims equal, it siblings us and pushes us to help each other; It is what we call the "spirit of the pilgrim."

✔️ Time to reflect and start giving value to what really matters

If something gives us the Camino de Santiago it is time; time to put our thoughts in order and get away for a few days from the dizzying routine in which many of us are involved. On the Camino we have no greater commitment than to put one foot in front of the other until we reach our destination, away from the mobile phone, the commitments, the meetings; finally time to dedicate it to us and to reinforce our mental and physical well-being. The Way also has the power to clear our minds and remind us of the meaning of expressions such as "quality of life" or "money is not everything"; walking we will remember what really matters in this life, if we have forgotten it along the way.

These are some of the benefits that the Camino de Santiago can bring to your well-being; If you have already decided to visit it this year, here you will find some essential experiences of the Jacobean route that you should not miss. Enjoy it, pilgrim!

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