Camino Divina—Walking the Divine Way: A Book of Moving Meditations with Likely and Unlikely Saints

by Gina Marie Mammano

Inspired by the ancient spiritual practices of lectio divina and walking meditation, camino divina helps you explore whole new worlds inside yourself as well as re-view the natural world around you by combining mindful walking with inspiring phrases and spiritual exercises. Includes introductions to twelve spiritual luminaries and their work.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2016

Reviews

[Jeanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a difficult review.

Having some practice with group relaxation techniques used in team building and just before exercise or group therapy sessions (from my Psych. rotation years)- I thought I would get more out of this book.

As opposed to it being a step toward relaxation and awareness, it became about 1/2 way through the book, almost the opposite. Perhaps I know too much about reactive relaxation through other methods (like muscle tightening and/or breathing techniques etc.)? They work better.

Regardless, this book was not for me. Repetitions and mantra of one word, and all kinds of other practices seem to work in group or by observation, but IMHO, not well in print. Some of these pages sounded so silly they made me laugh, made me tense, did not calm or flow to a one thought peace (a non-think).

The intros of those Saints lives! That was the 2 star part, instead of a one. And yet, even there, my definition of saint and hers are not on the same steps of values to our context meanings. They just don't seem to be similar. Her saints accept all as it is in their own introverted reality. My saints are role models toward active extroversion. They are born to act, not just be.

My saints hold moral "open eyes" but their trust does not extend to this world's reality as these people she has picked. Other than Hildegard- who was a woman for all ages and although walled up in childhood (literally entombed alone in a walled hut as the "prayer" source for her village)- did end up becoming dominate and entwined in her own real time and events toward everyone's well being and earthly health. NOT just the spiritual.

Gina's saints are people with all trust and expectation of goodness peaceful and nearly non-reactive under all earthy circumstances. My saints are far more realist to human nature and to simplicity while making visibility and progress in the world. They don't preach, they act well with role modeling for the "teaching" portions of their lives. Like Theresa of the Child Jesus (Lisieux). It's a different "simple" way.

Some of her models of/for thought are more poetry than they are meditation. The feather one worked. But being aware and walking to just observe and nothing else, is not wordy and literal for most people, IMHO. And this makes it MORE so.

These methods could be taught, but don't work for me in print direction at all. They only annoyed; brought strange giggles and distractions. I do not meditate on such emotive overload concepts and flowery hyperbole, in the first place. Simple, simple, simple is the way to go for me. Following a wave on a lake, seeing the colors in the swirl by the tree root etc. Not long passages of lyrical concept.

Me thinks Gina Marie is a vast overthinker.

[Tara Tetzlaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this book, but I had difficulty connecting with the author’s own accounts of how this process worked for her. If you like reading other’s accounts of their own spiritual practice this is a great book for you—-but if you’d rather be doing it yourself, this may feel tedious and frustrating .I did really enjoy her selection of saints and would have appreciated a little more on their writings.

[Rick Kam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Camino Divina Walking the Divine Way is a delight to read. I found Ms Mammano's language rich offering depth and clarity to meaningful ideas. As an instructor in the field of corporate education, and with some three decades of experiential education experience in wilderness and non-wilderness settings, I appreciate the physical and meditative quality of this book. While reading this book is, as I said, a delight for the mind, I found it impressive as a gateway to experiencing the synergy of body-mind integration. Those of us who walk to think, who walk to work out complex ideas, who wish to tap the body's vast resources for making meaning of the full world we inhabit, will find Camino Davina a wonderful companion.

[Artemisia Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melding body, mind and spirit, Gina Marie Mammano takes inspiration from a variety of "likely and unlikely saints" to visit and move through sacred places she knows and loves in contemplative wonder and discovery. Camino Divina provides the reader with a copious abundance of entry points on their own meditative wanderings through space, time and memory in a way that is rich and satisfyingly welcoming.

[Melinda Griffith]

This is not a book to read and give away, but a book to pull out yearly and revisit.