Fr Junray Rayna | Silence and sound: a pilgrim's reflection

Walking the Camino de Santiago is not just a journey of miles; it’s a profound exploration of the self and nature. In our latest episode, Dan Mullins speaks with Father Jun Ray Rayner, who shares his transformative experiences on the Camino Norte and the lessons learned along the way. Father Jun Ray emphasizes the importance of silence during his walks. He writes: This discipline of listening, he notes, not only enhances his connection to nature but also fosters deeper interactions with the people he meets. By forsaking music and podcasts, he opens himself to a new way of being present, exemplifying how silence can lead to insight. "For the first two hours of my morning walk, I try to walk in silence. And in that silence I begin to hear... the rest of creation becomes a symphony."

Shannon Carroll lost her journalism job to AI. That day, she decided to walk the Camino de Santiago to try to find direction in the next phase of her life. The article she wrote on her return was published in the Wall St Journal - an amazing story of discovery, understanding, love and light. This interview is delightful, full of insights, humorous stories and reasons to keep our hearts and minds open to the possibility of what's around the corner if we keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Bronwyn Ayla is an energy healer, a licensed acupuncturist, with 28 years in practice, and has trained more than a thousand practitioners since 1998. Her work brings together ancient traditions of healing, spiritual practice and a deeper understanding of the body and ourselves. In this week's episode we discuss energy, healing, walking, dancing, motherhood and the language of life's love. You can find Bronwyn here

Australian pilgrim Bronwen Whyatt returns to the podcast after walking the Way of Vezelay in France. The pilgrimage winds its way from Burgundy to St Jean Pied de Port. If the idea of a pilgrimage that's a little quieter than pilgrimages in Spain appeals to you, you'll love this episode. You can find Bronwen here

The Canadian born, US based pilgrim Amy Wiseman returns to the podcast to discuss her new book 'Antsy Pants: A Restless Pilgrim's Road to Santiago. This is a great chat about realising you're stretching yourself too thin and that being kind to yourself is a gift worth giving. Amy's book's back cover says it's a 'memoir about the kind of transformation that only comes when everything goes wrong in exactly the right way'. You'll love this interview AND the book. Find the book here

American pilgrim Mitchell Chavez and Italian pilgrim Giorgio Avondo are living in Georgia and have been exploring the Way of St Nino, the ancient pilgrimage in the footsteps of St Nino. Nino was a teenager who spread Christianity across eastern Europe and is venerated in Georgia and beyond for her extraordinary commitment and piety While the Way of St Nino is not waymarked, pilgrims are discovering the amazing relics and holy sites along the routes leading to St Nino's final resting place in Bodbe. You will love this incredible story.

You are going to love this interview!!! My guest this week is writer, global educator, and avid pilgrim Mercedes Diane Griffin Forbes. A year ago, at age 49, Mercedes walked 500 miles across Spain on the Camino Francés—a journey that transformed her perspective on aging, resilience, and personal growth. Now, one year and several trails later, she’s with us to reflect on the long road, what pilgrimage really teaches us, and why turning 50 is just the beginning.

Australian pilgrim Geoff Crawford walked the Camino and his pilgrimage became about so much more than simply getting from one place to another. Geoff set out with a purpose, raising money for the Black Dog Institute, but along the way he discovered that the Camino has a remarkable way of challenging your expectations, stripping away the unnecessary and making you pay attention to the people and moments right in front of you. Geoff takes us through some of the memorable encounters and experiences that shaped his journey: the friendships forged with fellow pilgrims, walking for a week with his son, meeting an Iranian pilgrim, losing his phone and confronting some of the tougher days on the trail. We talk about the Meseta, the Cruz de Ferro and the emotional approach to Santiago, as well as one particularly powerful question posed by an Irish pilgrim: “Do you love yourself?” It is a question that stayed with Geoff long after the walking was over.

In 2017, Kirsten McHugh and her husband Jack walked 800 kilometres from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. For Kirsten, the Camino came after years of shared adventures, some crazy schemes, business ventures and, most significantly, Jack’s battle with cancer. The walk became an opportunity to step away from the stresses and complications of everyday life and reconnect with each other — and with the things that really mattered. In her memoir Seekers, Sinners and Me: Walking Love and Gratitude, Kirsten tells that story with remarkable honesty, warmth and plenty of humour.

What happens when you set off to walk the Camino de Santiago carrying a broken heart, a camera and a question that may be harder to answer than any physical challenge on the trail: How do you forgive someone who has hurt you deeply? In 2015, American filmmaker and screenwriter Erin R. Dooley walked roughly 550 miles across Spain on the Camino Frances following the painful end of her twelve-year marriage. She had wanted to walk the Camino for years, but this time she wasn't simply looking for adventure. She was looking for healing — and she deliberately made forgiveness part of her pilgrimage. Erin took a camera with her, initially unsure what she would do with the footage. What emerged was a deeply personal documentary and, eventually, her book A Way to Forgiveness. Along the way she spoke with fellow pilgrims about betrayal, anger, reconciliation and forgiveness, while documenting her own emotional journey. The physical hardship of the Camino became a mirror for what was happening inside her: as her body grew stronger, she began to feel stronger emotionally too.In this conversation, Erin and I talk about what forgiveness actually means — and what it doesn't mean. Is forgiveness about letting go for your own sake, or is it ultimately something you do for the person who hurt you? Can you forgive someone who hasn't apologised? And can you forgive without reconciling with them? Erin's answers are thoughtful, challenging and deeply grounded in her faith. You can find Erin and her books here