The Ignatian System

The Ignatian system is based on a very simple insight that our experience has meaning, especially our inner moods and deeper experiences. To be able to see clearly, however, we need to be able to stand back and reflect on our journey. Seeing clearly then helps us find a direction or a path forward. It is like getting to a high point on the trail where you can see your previous journey and plan the future with great clarity. The key is getting out of our heads, away from anxiety, old patterns and fixed ideas and moving from the ego, or self-centredness to our best selves, which is what God wants. This is not as easy as it sounds though as the ego has strong defences and resists attempts to break free from its clutches. Freedom is only possible through connecting to a higher love, and the Camino journey is the organic process of letting go of our old life or patterns and waking up to a new reality.

Excerpted from Contemplating the Camino: An Ignatian Guide by Brendan McManus SJ (pp. 8-9)