"Perhaps faith, prayer or religion, which we find in different ways, brings a sense of humility. But it is also a journey to oneself, to self-improvement and self-discovery," says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arsenia Ivanova, actress, PhD in Theatre Studies, lecturer in Stage Speech. We are talking about humility, our own path to it and the possibilities it opens up for everyone on the eve of Easter - a time to reflect on the highest spiritual values and their significance for us, the world around us and the times we live in.

Years ago, Arsenia Ivanova fulfilled one of her most cherished dreams - to make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. The route, known as El Camino, is a network of pilgrimage paths leading to the altar of St James, son of Zebedee, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where his remains are buried. St James was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ and the brother of John the Theologian.

"A seeker, when he decides that he needs something more, goes on a kind of pilgrimage. Some go to Tibet, others to Everest, to India, to ashrams... For me, it was never a question of which to choose," says Arsenia Ivanova, adding:

"Humility - that's the word I thought about all the time during and after my journey, maybe even before I started, when I decided I had to do it. You need some kind of humility. Perhaps faith or prayer or religion - whatever it is for us - brings a sense of humility. But it is also a journey into yourself.

I knew I had to do something and understand who I am as a whole. But when you walk these 817 km, you meet a lot of people and you realise that nobody cares who you are, what your profession is, what your achievements are, how famous you are... You realise that you are a tiny person compared to the vast universe! It was an extraordinary experience! If spirituality, religion or faith is about finding out where you are and who you are in this great cosmos, one way is to walk the Camino".

Arsenia Ivanova explains that a person who walks the Camino has his or her own reason for being there - spiritual, religious, personal or even for sport, adding: "Whatever the reason, the path changes you!"

"You don't experience catharsis, at least I didn't. Actually, your mind clears - no good, no bad, you're just a blank page. And when I came back to Bulgaria, I told myself that I would never be a bad person, that I would be more humble and a bit calmer. And it happened! It really happened!

• The Bulgarian El Camino, the pilgrimage route from Veliko Tarnovo to Rila Monastery, starts on July 1

There are also pilgrimage routes in Bulgaria, and Arsenia Ivanova says she would walk the ones related to the life of St Ivan Rilski. She is convinced that traditions and spiritual values should be passed down through generations, because they are an opportunity for self-knowledge, but also for a deeper connection with our loved ones. She says Easter was special to her and her mother, and today she passes on the love and respect for the holiday to her daughter: "There is light in this day, more than in other holidays. There is also something that illuminates us from within," says Arsenia, explaining that young people need our support to find their spiritual path.

Young people of the new generations - Alpha, Z and Millennials... since I have been working with young people, they are incredible beings. Their souls are different from ours, even from the souls of 30-year-olds. They're different because they live in a technological world and they're deprived of certain things that if we, the older generation, don't share with them, they may find it difficult to access. 

But they have the desire, the drive, even the boundless curiosity. Many of them have a drive for spirituality, and many are talented - not just in the arts. They approach everything with enthusiasm, they are much quicker than we are and much more reflective. - Associate Professor Ivanova tells us, adding that the journey to the self is the path that is necessary for the young, for us and for each individual.