The necessaties including the luxuries
This is not an exhaustive list, rather a review of the critical things I needed to maintain my health and vigour. For my Camino I opted to book accomodation ahead and have main luggage transported each day meaning I was carrying a day back with an average of 5-6 kgs. But the Camino is all about reducing our baggage and on this note it became apparent very quickly I didn’t need most of the clothes I had brought. This gave rise to an interesting reflection, what are our basic needs, and how it feels to use everything you have without surplus ‘stuff’ cluttering our lives.
It brings freedom, pure and simple.
I have an enduring image in my mind of a photo of Steve Jobs sitting in a room on the floor in his lounge room, in what we would call an unfurnished room. What if we could strip away our excessive ‘stuff’. Does a decluttered life lead to a decluttered mind?
1. Yoga Mat. So a Yogini does not travel without her yoga mat is a given but let’s revise the yoga mat. I use a rubber mat, and for this journey I cut it in half. Figured I just needed my torso supported and given many of the rooms are quite small and don’t support a full yoga mat. In fact the bed is often the choice for supine asanas.
2. Massage oil for feet each night and a small ball and/or two rollers for deep tissue work for feet. I just used two cuts off a plastic pipe, measuring 25 ml diameter.
3. Clothes, yes you’ll need them but I am finding I only need two pairs of clothes. My walking ones and night time ones plus a jacket for warmth, wind (spell check wrote wine) protection and rain jacket. But I’m feeling now I could have forgone my gortex rain jacket and opted for a poncho instead. As unlike where I live, when it rains it can pour for hours, here so far the rain is lighter and doesn’t last that long. And given it’s hot you dry out in between. A rain cover for back pack is warranted as well (and it doesn’t weigh much). A pair of sandals for the evening.
4. Critical addition (see picture) this handy device to boil the water for jal neti and make yourself a cup of herbal tea in your room, this I classify as a luxury which gives me pleasure every day. I brought my travel cup. In the post about diet and nutrition this little device again comes into its own.
5. Massage oils and essential oils. My essential oils of choice were frankincense, myrhh and lavender. The lavender was wonderful for the plane trips and the other two oils for healing any rashes or any stress conditions on the body.
6. A good fitting back pack with the ability to carry 3liters of water comfortably.
7. I use a UV steriliser pen for sterilising water when required. For the most part drinking fresh mountain flowing water from the fountains is fine but in some of the villages I found the water quality questionable.
8. Walking poles to reduce stress on body. My walking poles became an extension of my arms and were invaluable.
It brings freedom, pure and simple.
I have an enduring image in my mind of a photo of Steve Jobs sitting in a room on the floor in his lounge room, in what we would call an unfurnished room. What if we could strip away our excessive ‘stuff’. Does a decluttered life lead to a decluttered mind?
1. Yoga Mat. So a Yogini does not travel without her yoga mat is a given but let’s revise the yoga mat. I use a rubber mat, and for this journey I cut it in half. Figured I just needed my torso supported and given many of the rooms are quite small and don’t support a full yoga mat. In fact the bed is often the choice for supine asanas.
2. Massage oil for feet each night and a small ball and/or two rollers for deep tissue work for feet. I just used two cuts off a plastic pipe, measuring 25 ml diameter.
3. Clothes, yes you’ll need them but I am finding I only need two pairs of clothes. My walking ones and night time ones plus a jacket for warmth, wind (spell check wrote wine) protection and rain jacket. But I’m feeling now I could have forgone my gortex rain jacket and opted for a poncho instead. As unlike where I live, when it rains it can pour for hours, here so far the rain is lighter and doesn’t last that long. And given it’s hot you dry out in between. A rain cover for back pack is warranted as well (and it doesn’t weigh much). A pair of sandals for the evening.
4. Critical addition (see picture) this handy device to boil the water for jal neti and make yourself a cup of herbal tea in your room, this I classify as a luxury which gives me pleasure every day. I brought my travel cup. In the post about diet and nutrition this little device again comes into its own.
5. Massage oils and essential oils. My essential oils of choice were frankincense, myrhh and lavender. The lavender was wonderful for the plane trips and the other two oils for healing any rashes or any stress conditions on the body.
6. A good fitting back pack with the ability to carry 3liters of water comfortably.
7. I use a UV steriliser pen for sterilising water when required. For the most part drinking fresh mountain flowing water from the fountains is fine but in some of the villages I found the water quality questionable.
8. Walking poles to reduce stress on body. My walking poles became an extension of my arms and were invaluable.
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