Anxiety, faith, pre-Camino jitters

[David Hough]

Actually western medicine seems to know quite a lot
about the benefits of exercise and wellness feelings.
Here's the first page I found on the subject with
google:

http://www.soyliving.com/healthissues/exercise.asp

My own theory is that many long-distance hikers,
whether on the camino or, closer to my home, on
the Pacific Crest Trail, are fighting depression
in a natural way by literally walking away from it.
I think most are unconscious of it.

An additional factor at this time of year that I get
more acutely aware of as I get older is seasonal
affective disorder:

http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/27.cfm

This is particularly acute for persons ending a
through hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, typically
in September.     Fortunately for me, my camino
ended in June!


--- Sally Haden <hadense1948aHOTMAIL.COM> wrote:


> However, I am attracted by the Camino because it
> offers a very strong
> physical element, a lot of "doing", which I hope
> will take away the internal
> wondering and worry and faithlessness. It is a very
> grounded path. It looks
> good to me.

> It makes me wonder if our nervous systems, muscles
> and brains know a lot
> more about "trust" and "confidence" (the definitions
> of "faith" that Richard
> pulled out of his dictionary) than conventional
> western medicine could
> imagine?!


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