Peace through Movement
A break from the more science centered blogs.
As this publishes, I will be setting out on a thirty mile walk. About 500 people and I will walk from Jax Beach to St. Augustine for the Baby Steps Camino over the next 3 days. The idea of pilgrimage is not a new one, but rather an ancient one. Throughout human history we have moved and in our movement, we have found peace and contentment. This camino draws it’s inspiration from the Camino de Santiago, which in it’s most popular form is a 500 mi treck from St. Jean Pied De Port in Southern France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and our Florida section is actually now considered a part of the pilgrimage and counts as part of the 100 mile requirement that is the minimum one can do and get an official “Compostela.”
This pilgrimage is hosted to support Holy Family Hospital - a women’s and children’s hospital in Bethlehem. It is the only major women’s hospital in the West Bank and cares for women and children regardless of their religion and their ability to pay. It is largely paid for by The Holy Family Hospital Foundation in America and a similar foundation in Europe - both charities sponsored by the Order of Malta. The Order of Malta is a religious order founded prior to the crusades in order to care for Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem. Even then, they cared for people regardless of their religion and ability to pay. I strongly believe in this organization and strongly support their mission of making maternity care a priority. Their neutrality in religious disputes is world renown and the foundations work hard to make sure they have the ability to care for everyone who arrives.
What does one do on pilgrimage? My answer has always been think alot. This pilgrimage along the beach is filled with beautiful sights and sounds, but also difficult terrain and long days. The peace I have found each time I’ve been out walking is incredible. The time to embrace both movement and peace that comes from emptying the brain of all the treadmill of thoughts is so refreshing. There is the first day that feels easy - when legs are the most rested and beach is at it’s easiest, the second day - the hardest terrain and the most barren landscape and the third day - when you come of the beach and walk through a beautiful wide avenue of lush greenery just before arriving at the end point - The Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. I still think of it as the place my brother and I would run through the old town cemetery playing tag and trying to make out the tombstones - my grandmother lived on Villano Beach 6 months of the year when I was a kid and we would go to church at Prince of Peace on the weekends we stayed there. It reminds me of the ups and downs of life and how if we keep moving, the next phase always comes.
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression or just feeling restless, I encourage you to try movement. I wish you the peace that I have found in that movement.