An Awakening Walk: 500 Miles to Self-Love and Acceptance on the Camino de Santiago

138 Pages·2018·1.35 MB·English

by  Johnson

You’ll find yourself swept along as Jennifer shares her compelling, brutally honest, tumultuous, yet
somehow peaceful and uplifting inner and outer journey on the walk of the Camino de Santiago in
Spain.
Jennifer writes with a subtle (almost tongue in cheek) style as she shares her quest to release her
struggling with her own personal demons. This is sprinkled and spiced with choice spot-on quotes from
numerous spiritual masters; quotes which can inspire us all.
We can identify with Jennifer’s inner emotional, psychological and spiritual gymnastics during her 35-
day grueling search for self-acceptance and self-love. We can empathize and find our own answers as
we walk with her.
—Priscilla Slagle M.D., Private Practice of Psychiatry, Nutritional and Functional Medicine, Inactive
Honorary Assistant Clinical Professor at the Neuropsychiatric Institute, UCLA.
Jennifer describes her profound spiritual search on the Camino with grace and vivid detail—I felt as if
I were walking it myself. And her story inspired me to explore my own existential questions at this time
in my life. I highly recommend this book for its rich spiritual boost, as well as an experience of the
mental and physical challenges presented by a Camino pilgrimage.
—Carolyn Conger, PhD Teacher, author, Through the Dark Forest
In this gripping spiritual memoir, Jennifer shows us how to let go, to surrender, and most importantly,
to love and accept ourselves. This book is so much more than a walk on the Camino. It is a brutally
honest and vivid account of a powerful outward journey and an equally powerful inward one—where
the end is only the beginning.
—Debra Poneman, bestselling author and founder Yes to Success Seminars, Inc.
This is such a beautiful book. Jennifer Johnson is authentic, bold and inspiring. I found myself feeling
that I was with her on this journey—facing my own fear, self-doubt and insecurities—and they were
melting away with every day, with every step she took. I love the prayers and spiritual insights. As I
read it, all I could think is “When we are connected, we are capable of accomplishing so much more
than we think we are.”
—Lisa Natoli, teacher, author, Gorgeous for God
Anyone who has ever contemplated walking the Camino de Santiago should read this book.
Anyone who has ever questioned “why” should read this book
Anyone who has ever doubted should read this book.
Anyone who has dabbled in A Course in Miracles should read this book.
In summation, everyone should read this delightful quest to becoming the true person we all are, which
is LOVE.
—Meredith Shay
What a moving memoir of a spiritual journey walking the Camino de Santiago. Jennifer Johnson shares
her struggles and her search for lasting happiness with beautiful honesty and vulnerability. I found
myself crying and laughing along with her and cheering her on to keep on walking.
—Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Chicken Soup of the Woman’s Soul and
Happy for No Reason
www.winnjourneys.com

An Awakening Walk
© 2018 Jennifer Winn Johnson
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is intended to be educational and of a general
nature. It does not constitute therapeutic or other professional advice for any specific individual or
situation, including the choice to travel to Spain to participate in a pilgrimage on the Camino de
Santiago. The author and publisher are in no way liable for any misuse of this material. Some names of
the people I met on this journey have been changed.
Printed in the United States of America
Cover Design: Claire Flint Last
Editor: Jessica Bryan, www.oregoneditor.com
Luminare Press
438 Charnelton St., Suite 101
Eugene, OR 97401
www.luminarepress.com
LCCN: 2017963061 ISBN: 978-1-944733-56-8
I dedicate this book to every woman who has struggled with self-image.
May we all be at peace.
I am filled with gratitude to All of my friends and family who supported me
along the way and encouraged me to “keep walking.”
Rachel Resnick and “writers on fire” for your coaching and getting me to the
first draft.
My editor Jessica Bryan, I knew you were the one for me the first time we
spoke.
All of the towns and people along the way that support The Camino de
Santiago.
My fellow pilgrims
The great teachers and authors who are quoted in this book.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Preface
Arriving in Barcelona
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Day Eleven
Day Twelve
Day Thirteen
Day Fourteen
Day Fifteen
Day Sixteen
Day Seventeen
Day Eighteen
Day Nineteen
Day Twenty
Day Twenty-One
Day Twenty-Two
Day Twenty-Three
Day Twenty-Four
Day Twenty-Five
Day Twenty-Six
Day Twenty-Seven
Day Twenty-Eight
Day Twenty-Nine
Day Thirty
Day Thirty-One
Day Thirty-Two
Day Thirty-Three
Day Thirty-Four
Day Thirty-Five
After The Camino
Recommended Reading
About the Author
Prologue
“I ,” R , - -
T IS BECAUSE YOU ARE HEAVY APHAEL SAYS SO MATTER OF FACTLY IN HIS
heavily accented English. It stops me in my tracks. I am confused and think I
must have misunderstood. No one, a stranger, much less a fellow pilgrim,
would ever say such a thing to someone they had just met.
We are walking on a wide, open, grassy path in the countryside. Crossing a
short bridge, I am mesmerized by the rushing water, which is loud and
powerful and surrounded by yellow and red wildflowers and huge purple
hydrangeas.
Raphael is walking with me to practice his English. He is sixty years old,
recently retired, and has a wife back home. He has always wanted to walk the
Camino. We walk a few miles, alternating between words and silence. The
path is quite lovely, very tranquil and quiet, lined with giant trees that provide
much-appreciated shade. There are no other pilgrims in sight. We come to a
hill and stop to rest for a few minutes to catch our breath. The decline is steep
and rocky, which is not my favorite. I take it slowly and carefully – my
walking sticks my constant companions.
“This downhill is harder and hurts my feet,” I say.
“It is because you are heavy,” says Raphael.
I’m confused. Did he just call me heavy? No, maybe he meant the way I
was walking was somehow heavy, and his meaning has been lost in
translation.
Raphael suggests I take my shoes off and rest. “You are heavy and you
need to reduce so your feet will not hurt so much.” This time there is no
mistaking it. He’s calling me heavy and I am shocked and dumbfounded.
He knows he has hurt me and proceeds to tell me how much weight he has
lost since starting the Camino.
“So why haven’t you lost weight,” he says.
At this point, I want to punch him in the face and scream, “You have no
right to say anything about anybody’s body unless you are asked for your
opinion.” After this, I just want to walk alone, isolate myself, which is my
habit, and process what just happened
He speaks first, “If I said something to hurt you, I am very sorry. I have
disturbed your Camino and understand if you would like to walk alone.”
I don’t know why, but I stay with him. Perhaps this experience will prove
to be a valuable healing, a deep letting go of long-held illusions and
emotions.
We are quiet. As we walk, I channel my pain into the simple movement of
my body, making it up steep hills strong and fast, as if to say, “Look! Look at
what this heavy body can do!”
We continue on, chatting a bit, but mostly we are quiet, listening to nature,
the birds, the rustle of leaves, and a far off cowbell. The clouds and shade are
gone now and the path turns to asphalt under blazing sun, which hurts my
feet even more. It seems to go on forever – how much farther will we walk?
There is nothing in sight, except more road.