The Most Important Journey – a Health Pilgrimage

A journey to mark a friend’s milestone birthday led us to the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile system of trails that wind through some of Europe’s most stunning landscapes in Spain and Portugal. The epic pilgrimage is widely regarded as the trip of a lifetime and a rite of passage for travelers who experience the vistas, villages, historic sites and hospitality from local proprietors.

Everyone has a different reason for traveling to Camino de Santiago.

For some, it’s a spiritual trek, and for others it’s a hiking adventure and a way to connect with nature. Some walk these trails as an act of self-discovery. They’re looking for something within as they cross expansive pastures and tread on ancient land that has hosted kings and queens, Roman armies and pilgrims from around the world. The trail can be just as much a culinary journey with 100 km of restaurants and cafes to explore.

I went into the trip with no expectations. My purpose was simple: to support my friend.

What I discovered on the Camino de Santiago was a freeing sense of space that allowed my mind to wander. Ultimately, I found myself asking this question:

What if we treated our health as a pilgrimage?

Then came more questions.

What if we treated health and wellness as the ultimate journey that starts at birth and lasts a lifetime? (Because actually, it does.) How would we prepare? What supplies and support would we fortify ourselves with for a successful mission? What checkpoints would we expect to arrive at along the way? What decisions would we make? What outcomes would we experience with this mindset?

I believe if we looked at health in this way, our everyday lives and health outcomes would be drastically different than what we experience today. Treating health as a pilgrimage reframes choices like what we eat, how we move, self-care, and the importance of community and supporting each other.

​​​​Basically, it’s a holistic approach—acting as nature intended.

Consider the times of hunting and gathering, a lifestyle that is still prevalent in parts of the world. Being one with the land, foraging for what the earth offers, connecting with community—these practices don’t steamroll into modern, common conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression.

I went on this trip with my friend with no idea what I’d find on the Camino de Santiago. And lost in the beauty and the simplicity of walking without the everyday noise, what I found was a game-changer. Self-awareness and space opened doors to thinking differently about all sorts of things, including our role in stewarding our own health and wellbeing.

So, as employers, how can we support our people in their health pilgrimage? What does this look like?

It doesn’t have to be complicated. The little-big things move us to do better for ourselves, to show up in the healthiest way possible, and to serve as a positive influence for others around us to do the same. Try something simple like encouraging involvement in the Step It Up Challenge to promote workplace wellness, promote camaraderie and a culture of wellness.

Also, think about the way your organization communicates health benefits. It plays an integral role in whether employees will choose a wellness journey. This includes the messaging we use to explain available resources, promote routine primary care to mitigate E.R. visits, and the importance of knowing your numbers as a benchmark to improve health.

Gain more ideas on January 29 and 30 at The In-Value-Able 2025 Conference at Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland. Get in on tactical breakout sessions, hear from nationally recognized leaders, and connect with peers and vendors. Make this conference a destination in your organization’s overall health pilgrimage.

Reflecting back on the trip, we stopped at a museum that shared artifacts and stories, the history of this pilgrimage. One exhibit highlighted the motivations for conquering the trail. “From the 15th century onward, it was used as a way of knowledge” with pilgrims “making the journey for cultural, ecological, sporting and esoteric reasons, with others seeing it as a chance to meditate or pure escapism.”

Ultimately, all of these motivations tie to our health and wellbeing—mind, body, spirit. How will your organization invite employees to join the health pilgrimage? We look forward to hearing about your journey. ​

About Health Action Council 
Health Action Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization representing mid-and large-size employers that enhance human and economic health through thought leadership, innovative services, and collaboration. It provides value to its members by facilitating projects that improve the quality and moderate the cost of healthcare purchased by its members for their employees, dependents, and retirees. Health Action Council also collaborates with key stakeholders – health plans, physicians, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry – to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the community.