THE NEED FOR CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
INTEGRATION
The Camino de Santiago can be a deeply transformative journey. It may bring a sense of peace and clarity of mind, raise new questions in some, awaken inner changes in others. For many, it's intense, moving, and difficult to explain.
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The Camino is like a seed - a sprout of change that initiated within us as we were were walking. However, if we don't give it space and attention, it can fade into a beautiful, but distant memory.
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That's why the process of integration is a key step in the post-Camino experience. It allows that seed to grow into an intrinsic and fundamental element of our being, producing a lasting and permanent change.
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At daur, we guide pilgrims in the first steps of their integration processes: we offer a space dedicated to grounding and introspection, and we facilitate activities to encourage a conscious re-connection to the walk, using various tools such as writing, art, body movement. The use of multiple expressive languages can help different aspects to emerge, beyond the most rational part of our mind, encouraging a more comprehensive and authentic exploration of self.
THE STORY BEHIND DAUR
Daur is the Celtic name for oak and is the ancient root of the word door. The oak tree, also known as the Tree of Life, represents strength, wisdom and rebirth.
It is often pictured with the branches and the roots connected to each other, symbolising the relation between heaven and earth, body and mind and the cyclicality of life. Also, in Celtic mythology, the oak tree was considered a doorway between this world and the otherworld.
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The door itself has a strong symbolic valence: it is an allegory of transition, crossing from one state to another. The door stands for the beginning of the new, while at the same time embodying the idea of the end.
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Likewise, the guest house daur stands as a threshold, a place of endings and beginnings, the gateway between the Camino de Santiago and the post-Camino. Between the journey you've completed and the life you're returning to after the Camino.
All this, held between the solidity of the mountains, the power of the waves and the vastness of the open sky.
YOUR HOSTS AT DAUR RETREAT
Founder, Workshop Facilitator & Peregrina
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Ilaria Dal Maso
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Ilaria is a master student in Applied Neuroscience at King's College London. She uses her knowledge on the brain functioning to bridge science and spirituality, trying to reconcile western medicine with eastern philosophies. She's very keen in exploring various tools to promote mental health, with a specific focus on the connection between body and mind.
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Born and raised in the countryside in the north of Italy, Ilaria worked in the financial industry for 10+ years. Pushed by a profound questioning of her life purpose, she quit her corporate job in 2022 and she went on a sabbatical. During this time, she got more familiar with different spiritual practises and, among other things, she walked the Camino di Santiago. A life-changing experience on her self-discovery process, that ignited in her the desire to support other 'peregrinos' in their inner journeys.
Yoga practitioner since the age of 16, piano player and ballet dancer for over 10 years, Ilaria is creative with a very pragmatic side. She loves being outdoors, concerts and exploring religious sites.
Yoga Teacher, Physiotherapist & Peregrina
Nadia Glarey
Nadia is born and raised in the Italian Alps where she lived until her early 20s. Deeply passionate about nature and her mountains, she became ski teacher at the age of 19. She graduated as Physiotherapist in Turin in 2011, before starting travelling across Asia (India, Nepal, Thailand), Mexico, New Zealand.. it is during this period that she began to approach yoga and meditation practises, with a focus on the body and mind connection.
In 2018, she became yoga teacher in Kerala, India, and a few years later, she successfully accomplished a Master in Meditation and Neuroscience at Udine University. Expert hiker, in 2022 she walked the San Francesco way in Italy, connecting Assisi to Rome for 300 km and in 2023 she accomplished her dream to walk the Camino de Santiago.
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Nadia is a constant researcher in the mental and physical wellness world, she loves cooking and after several cooking classes around the world, she recently started to approach macrobiotic with curiosity and passion. Finally, she loves wearing the ‘peregrina’ shoes, always ready to listen and to welcome others’ stories and to share her own experience.