{"id":359,"date":"2016-10-25T15:03:43","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T20:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/?p=359"},"modified":"2016-12-16T08:37:24","modified_gmt":"2016-12-16T13:37:24","slug":"simple-living-essence-theway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/santiagoinlove.com\/en\/simple-living-essence-theway\/","title":{"rendered":"Simple living, essence of the Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among all that made the success of the Camino<\/strong>, a rising value of our society: going back to simplicity and the essential<\/strong>. Austerity is somehow sad. On the contrary, simple living is a tendency that is experienced with joy and awareness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One may or may not be conscious\u00a0of it, but going on the Camino means\u00a0to commit oneself to a journey at the heart of simple living<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Simple living, what is it?<\/a> \u00a0 ~ \u00a0 A lifestyle at the heart of the Camino<\/a> \u00a0 ~ \u00a0 Yes, but…<\/a> \u00a0 ~ \u00a0 Seeking simple living<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Simple<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Simple living, what is it?<\/h2>\n

\"sky\"Simple living is\u00a0a lifestyle<\/strong> that states it is possible to\u00a0live well and be happy with very little<\/strong>. In today’s\u00a0world and in our Westerner societies in particular, it’s\u00a0an idea with a strong political positioning<\/strong>! To suggest that consumption, money and competition bring neither satisfaction or peace of mind, it’s to\u00a0go against the flow<\/strong> of nowadays dynamics…<\/p>\n

Simple living is an attitude and a life ethic<\/strong>. It’s to prefer\u00a0intellectual and spiritual\u00a0<\/strong>enrichment<\/b> to accumulation of wealth. To chose\u00a0harmonious and cooperative human relationships<\/strong> rather than competition and individualism. It’s to\u00a0center one’s life on sane values<\/strong> for oneself and the surrounding world.\u00a0To\u00a0be aware<\/strong> of one’s belonging to the world and of the place one is taking within it. However, don’t mix things up! Simple living\u00a0doesn’t means living like an ascetic<\/strong> or a monk!<\/p>\n

To put it clearly, simple living is… 1) To\u00a0be aware<\/strong> of what is essential, fair and sane in Life. 2)\u00a0Live accordingly<\/strong> to this consciousness,\u00a0simply and respectfully<\/strong>. 3)\u00a0To be happy and have a joyful heart<\/strong> about living in such a way!<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A lifestyle at the heart of the Camino<\/h2>\n

To set off on Saint James’ pilgrimage is a process that\u00a0totally corresponds<\/strong> to simple life dynamics. The pilgrim leaves his-her “normal” life and strips\u00a0him-herself\u00a0step by step, to the point s-he reaches the essential and lives off it with joy.<\/p>\n

\"SimpleGiving up on\u00a0superfluous\u00a0starts with the preparation and management of one’s\u00a0<\/strong>backpack<\/strong>… Sobriety is required to avoid to take tons of stuffs on one’s back! One has to think about everything s-he wishes to take. The idea is to\u00a0sort out the true essential<\/strong> and the “essential” that only answers a fear\u00a0to lack something<\/strong>. The pilgrim lets go on material and the (fake!) safety it assures him-her… Simplicity is also\u00a0an inner attitude<\/strong> that is shaped step by step. The pilgrim soothes his-her thoughts, heals the wounds life gave him-her and rediscovers the simple joy to\u00a0be<\/em>. Obvious\u00a0consequence of this outer and inner bustle, the reduction of pilgrims’ belongings! As Santiago comes closer, backpacks get empty, as if by magic! When s-he arrives (almost) without anything, the pilgrim knows then that\u00a0simple living isn’t a discomfort to dread but a sobriety to seek and enjoy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Life on the Camino is a\u00a0practical and steady application<\/strong> of simple living. The values pilgrims find and enjoy there are theirs. To reduce consumption and the importance of money, to give value to human exchanges and solidarity, to rediscover and cultivate the joy of a simple life… The Way make it easy to learn (learn again!) to be, be well and be satisfied with very little.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yes, but…<\/h2>\n

Right now, you certainly die to tell me that\u00a0such a vision of pilgrims and of the Camino is quite idyllic<\/strong>. And yes, it’s quite true… Nowadays, the Way really seems to lack of simplicity<\/strong>. The popularity of the Camino made it a place like any other in our “ordinary” lives. One can\u00a0avoid sorting out unnecessary stuffs<\/strong> thanks to bag transportation; have\u00a0services equals to those in daily life<\/strong> in accommodations and restaurants;\u00a0keep in constant touch with “the world”<\/strong> thanks to technology. It’s even possible to do without the weariness of a long journey by foot. Today, one can\u00a0use up a pilgrimage as\u00a0a tour-operator<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"distrib\"The most famous routes are very easily marked by a lack of sobriety<\/strong>. The Camino Franc\u00e9s and the Le Puy route are good examples of the abundance and the unnecessary excesses that flourish on the Ways… On the Camino Franc\u00e9s in particular,\u00a0it may be very difficult to travel in simplicity<\/strong>. The environment, the atmosphere and the others pilgrims’ ways and wishes can indeed be\u00a0at the very opposite of simplicity<\/strong>! Values, sobriety or even links between people can\u00a0be mistreated there…<\/p>\n

Of course, any pilgrim leaving his-her comfort and going on the Camino will have a\u00a0taste of\u00a0a more simple life that his-her daily one<\/strong> and will enjoy it. However, all that\u00a0surround him-her will make it\u00a0difficult to grasp the full depth of true simplicity and the joy that goes along\u00a0it<\/strong>. After having done popular Caminos,\u00a0some pilgrims are surprised<\/strong> to discover the simple, peaceful and eventually rough and Spartan nature of the other routes of Saint James. Could this be a proof of the lack of simplicity of the popular Caminos?<\/p>\n

Despite this quite dark assessment, a conviction makes me believe that simple living on the Way is not just an utopia.\u00a0Living the Camino in a simple way is\u00a0always<\/em> possible<\/strong>, whatever the chosen route! Simple living is a lifestyle that first rises within ourselves<\/strong>. If this is well established, no one nor any excessive environment may ever take it away!<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Seeking simple living<\/h2>\n

Easy to say, but simplicity is\u00a0not an easy exercise<\/strong>. It’s a true process that can take time. Before being happy with the essential, one first has to\u00a0have widen his-her consciousness and tamed with the “very little” of a simple life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

True simple living only exists when one enjoys to live off very little. This implies to\u00a0overcome fears<\/strong> (lack of abundance, comfort)\u00a0and the laziness<\/strong> (easily do and have, now) that run and define our “normal” lives.\u00a0To live off very little is feared and depreciated in our societies<\/strong>. Those who live this way are often forced to do so and suffer from\u00a0it. As a consequence, we\u00a0associated that material abundance = happy life<\/strong>. On the other hand,\u00a0the habit to satisfy our needs without any effort\u00a0<\/strong>(or\u00a0visible<\/em> effort)\u00a0is a distinctive feature of our daily lives<\/strong>. Quite hard to renounce it, as living simply\u00a0may ask\u00a0some kind of effort<\/strong> we’re not used to anymore! Sobriety demands\u00a0some letting go!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"norte1\"Going on the Camino is an experience that\u00a0ease the transition to simple living<\/strong>. Out of necessity, the pilgrim go back to what is essential<\/strong>. S-he\u00a0experiments the virtues of a more simple life without suffering from a loss. S-he rediscovers the value of efforts and the satisfaction that goes with it. It’s then only up to him-her to let go of his-her habits ans fears, to open his-her eyes on everything that is around him-her.\u00a0Almost despite him-herself, the pilgrim of the Camino\u00a0observes the joy of a simple life and the abundance of the “very little”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Gratitude and seeking simplicity<\/strong> are the signs of\u00a0successful\u00a0simple living… Before one tries it, sobriety seems difficult and austere. After one have lived it,\u00a0going back seems impossible<\/strong>! Isn’t the nostalgia of the simple life on the Camino one of the reasons of the post-Santiago depression that hits so many pilgrims?!?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And you, can you imagine to live a more simple life on the Camino? Do you feel you have experimented simple living while going to Santiago? Do you miss it since you’ve returned? \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Among all that made the success of the Camino, a rising value of our society: going back to simplicity and the essential. Austerity is somehow sad. On the contrary, simple living is a tendency that is experienced with joy and awareness. One may or may not be conscious\u00a0of it, but going on the Camino means\u00a0to …<\/p>\n

Simple living, essence of the Way<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[235],"tags":[109,250,195,196,197,257,44],"yoast_head":"\nSimple living, essence of the Way - Santiago in Love<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To live simply and be happy, to find the essential again and be satisfied of little... 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