The Walking Mentorship, Day 2 No One Walks in Your Shoes

The Walking Mentorship, Day 2 No One Walks in Yur Shoes Joo Perre Viana is the mastermind behind theWalking Mentorshipprogram, an innovative one-week experience that helps people face their personal andprofessionalchallenges while taking a120-kilometer (74.5-mile) hike alongthe Camino de Santiago.The purpose of this methodology is to help gain perspective on what is important (both personally and professionally), update ur reality maps, and create an action plan for the future, Viana says.On Sunday, August 28, Viana embarked on his latest hike.Over the course of this week, he will be updating us daily about the journey he and his participants are on. Read the first post in the serieshere, and the second post here.- Ed. Note.730AM The daylight came totell us that it is time to start our new routine.Leaving Ourenseisquite a challenge probably one of the reasons why very fewpeople start walking the Camino from this particular spot. I once heard someone say that there are two route variants One is difficult, and the other one is very difficult.After leaving the hotel, we walked until we reached the old Roman bridge, where we used the open-air garden to stretch our bodies (key for success in any walking exercise) before we crossed the river Mio.Thefirst part of the day provided us with theright setting to tackle and wrap up the different exercises each participant received prior to the startofthe program, after we crossed the bridge about 400 meters up the hill the Camino divides.Nobody said the way to happiness iseasy. We took the very difficult variant.The steep climb to get out of the valley, a 300-meter ascent spreadover four kilometers, wasdone in silence. We contemplatedthe river view, the fresh morning air, the sun coming out behind the mountains, and the omnipresent big blue sky.As we started gaining perspective into our lives, we reached our first stop of the day the tiny chapel of So Marcos da Costa.With a breathtaking vi ew, it was the right place and the right time to drink water and rest our feet. Enjoying Ourense from up above helped us to recover our energies. The gigantic stone tables werealso the perfect setting to write our first notes in oursurvival kits our important walking companions.The day evolved, and the group started gaining itsunique dynamic. After our first climb, another important piece of the puzzle wasdelivered to each one of us We all understood that we werehere to help each other, but we also came to understand a very powerful metaphorNo one can walk in your shoes.The simple questions we have to face while climbing challenge us to gain perspective into our own lives, both professionally and personally. What is going well? What is not going well? What is home for me? What does work mean to me?Again and again, we connected the dots of our lives, step after step, kilometer after kilometer, listening to our bodies adjustingto our new routine.The next six kilometers took us throug h a beautiful forest that invited us to begin adifferent type of exercise. We walkedin pairs and shared our feelings and findings from the first part of the walk with one another.Once we reach the Old Guardians millennial oak trees that are impossible to miss we stopped again mainly to rest our eyes and listen to what nature continuously tell us.After a few more kilometers, the route turned left to Tamallancos. From there, we walked all together, recharged by the knowledgethat todays journey was almost over.Our final stop wasat Via Stellae, a precious place (the Private Pilgrim hostel) run by a very special family.After showering, a light lunch, and awell-deservednap, the evening fell on us with a warm breeze that seemed to whisper to us that we were moving in the right direction.Around a simple table, we recovered the pleasure of casual conversation, where sharing and listening highlight the flavors of the day. The only technology I could see from my seat was the blinking light o f an airplane deep in the dark sky.My feet are sore. Indeed, no one can walk in my shoes, but my heart beats at a familiar rhythm. It is the sound of pure happiness.Tomorrow, we continue to walk.Ultreia et Suseia,JoaoPhotos from Day 2Joo Perre Viana foundedtheWalking Mentorshipprogram.