Valerie Brown

Pilgrimage: The Art of Being a Person

Pilgrimage: The Art of Being a Person

I’ve walked El Camino for the last 22 years, and at first, traveling in general was about checking off a list of places and experiences from my bucket list. I wasn’t ready for a spiritual awakening.   But wait: It’s said that no one is ready for the Camino, but the Camino is ready for you!

On my first Camino, I spent what felt like an eternity confronting my well-developed inner critic that drove me relentlessly to excel in school and work while wrecking my relationships and wellbeing. I realized what got me through a successful corporate career would not bring me to the sense of self-acceptance and self-compassion I craved. I had to find another way.  

That was an unexpected moment of spiritual awakening and clarity that led me to create Walk in Beauty Pilgrimage as a way to offer a safe, brave, and nurturing space to heal, challenge, and transform. 

I was ready.  

I’ve been offering Walk in Beauty Pilgrimages since 2015 and I’ve learned that leading this pilgrimage is more about creating community and connection and less about how far or how fast a person might walk. It’s about working with people to learn and relearn social skills, like disagreeing without annihilating the relationship; revealing vulnerability at an appropriate pace; being a good and generous listener; knowing how to ask for and offer forgiveness; and being open enough to see things from another’s point of view.  

This is the art of pilgrimage; this is the art of cultivating connection; this is the art of being a person and a pilgrim.Follow me on social media as we walk the last 100 km of the French Way, but gently….

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