Walked: 32.7Km.
Today I recorded myself in a walking meditation and transcribed it with minimal edits. It's strikingly different from yesterday's transcription. I want to weave these two strands together, allowing complex thoughts to emerge yet simplifying them through awareness. I'm enjoying these experiments using my voice.
I want to meditate as I'm walking. I want to empty my mind.
I want to complete the sentences in my thought before speaking them out. I want to take full breaths before speaking my sentences.
I want to stand straight and be aware of my strides. I want my arms to swing naturally.
All this is happening already.
I want to increase the space between my thoughts, so that I notice them better as they arise.
I won't speak about anything random that comes up to my mind, I will put these thoughts apart. Perhaps I will say some of the things I think, when they are relevant.
I will take what is useful and discard what is not useful.
And I will keep on recording even if I'm not speaking, because when I transcribe this, the silences will be removed. I will keep on recording even if I'm not speaking.
I will transcribe this completely unedited.
Do thoughts have any value? It would seem that sometimes they do, but most of the time they don't. The problem isn't having thoughts. The problem is believing you are your thoughts.
I used to have a Sufi psychologist who would call mental chatter radio ego. I thought it was a very appropriate analogy. The background chatter is there, but you don't have to believe it.
It's a broadcasting station with its own agenda.
Long walks in desolate places allow you to hear yourself.
But wasn't I supposed to ignore everything I think?
It's like when you have something to do and you don't write it down, so you constantly remind yourself so you don't forget. There seems to be a degree of attention that you have to place on your thoughts.
I've been alone in this walk, almost always sleeping alone in the albergues. Not many people walk in August. And still, I feel less alone than I was feeling in Barcelona.
I'm starting to think about what I'm thinking and by doing this, I'm recursively increasing my mental activity. I must forget that I'm recording myself.
I'm worried about what will happen when I encounter more people. I'm about 10 days away from that, I shouldn't worry about it. By then I'll have all the solitude I need.
I'm walking next to an irrigation canal. I love looking at water, moving water. The water is rushing downstream, but it's not turbulent, it's still, yet moving.
Yes, that's what I'm seeking. To be still, yet moving.
I'm telling myself, I'm not concerned about my future. Everything has always turned out alright. And yet, by telling this to myself, I reveal I am concerned about my future. Otherwise, I wouldn't be thinking about this.
[long silence]
I think I've quieted my mind enough. I will stop recording now.
Today I had no embarrassing thoughts that I could notice, thank God. And while we are on the topic of God, today I wrote an email to reserve a spot at the next albergue (actually a residence for athletes where pilgrims can stay). I wrote "I will arrive tomorrow", but I felt arrogant writing that, so I added "primero Dios" (God willing), and it felt right. I don't know what's going on with me, que sea lo que Dios quiera.
In today's video you will see me following the irrigation canal. Shortly before arriving to my destination town I hit a solar farm which entry was impossible. Backtracking would have taken me a long while, so I climbed hill to go around the solar farm, gashing my leg in the process. Once up the hill I saw there was no way around the farm, I had to climb down a sandy cliff to the road or backtrack risking my legs again. I decided to climb down the sandy hill. I thought I had taken a senseless risk, but then I faced real risk by following the yellow arrows. The road was very narrow with almost no clearance on the shoulder to avoid cars. But this is the official camino! Crazy!
I also encountered some aljibes. In medieval times these lands were occupied by Muslims who I assume have cultural knowledge of conserving water. They carved ducts into the rock which directed rain water into cisterns for water storage. You can also see me removing a piece of metal to reveal a hole dug into the rock. That was a silo used to store grain. The hole would be covered with a large stone and sealed with clay.