Reflections on a spiritual retreat.

I don’t suppose there are many people out there who have to do a spiritual retreat each year as part of their job.   Fortunately for me, I do, and this year I decided to go to a Benedictine Monastery.

Why am I telling you this?  Well because you often here hikers say that a thru hike is all (well mostly) in the mind.  Zach Davis even wrote a book, Appalachian Trials, about it.

I thought it would be a good idea to take my spiritual break just before I head off to the AT.  In hind-site that was probably not a good idea as I’ve got a few time sensitive deadlines at work that might have been affected.

I think what was helpful though was spending a few days in silence, away from TVs, phone signals and the noise of day to day life.

The 3 thirds of the Camino

I think there is something to be said about this idea though, that it’s a mental game.  Because one thing you have on any long hike is time.

On the Camino there is a concept that the first third is physical, the second mental and the third spiritual, and I’ve found this to be true of the other long walks I’ve done, to a greater or lesser extent.

I remember well on my first Camino having the time to think about every thing that had happened in my life.  I poured over my soul and put some demons to bed.  It was hard and at times it hurt.

When you have nothing to do but put one foot in front of the other, you can’t help but reflect.

Since that first long walk, the mental part of hiking has been less difficult, after all, you can only beat your self up about something once, unless you don’t learn and make the same mistakes again.

But there are other mental challenges.  Are we nearly there yet?  Remind me again why I’m doing this? I miss x,y or z.

Learning to be alone

One thing hiking teaches you is to be comfortable on your own.

Im lucky, I quite like myself now.  I don’t mind being on my own and can entertain myself for a few weeks walking in the wilderness.

But I’m glad I was able to get away, spend a few days mostly in isolation, just to remind myself how it feels, before I hit the big old AT.

Chances are, I won’t even be all that alone in the big green tunnel, but even so, like a good scout it always helps to be prepared!

You can read my full reflection, which is not aimed at a hiking audience, on my fb page, which should be linked? I hope! but if not it’s Craigen’s Hiking Adventure.