It’s no secret – I love walking in nature! I find that it clears my mind, energizes my body, and calms my spirit. Do you find yourself trying to hit a target heart rate or get from point A to point B when you walk? To achieve the benefits of mindfulness, you may need to shift your focus! Mindfulness provides a host of mental and physical benefits. It especially helps you deal with stress in a healthy way. Here are some steps to walking mindfully.
What do you see?
Notice your surroundings. If you are in an urban or suburban area, always be aware of cars, people, etc. around you. Safety first! Notice what’s around you – whether its window signs, other people, trees, water, birds, flowers, or anything else you pass. You don’t need to think about it, just notice it. Do this for another 30 seconds.
What do you hear?
Notice the sounds around you for another 30 seconds. Don’t judge or think about them, just notice everything you can hear. Do you hear cars, airplanes, birds, people, or something else?
What do you smell?
Next spend 30 seconds noticing any smells. Smell is strongly linked to memory, so your mind may want to automatically bring up memories linked with those smells.
What do you feel?
Notice anything you feel on the surface of your body, whether its sunshine on your shoulders, a cool breeze, rain drops, or anything else. Do this for another 30 seconds.
Don't judge your thoughts, just be aware of your surroundings.
As you continue to walk, notice how all these different things may come to mind. Don’t judge your thoughts, just be aware of what is being brought to the forefront of your mind. Notice your walking gait. You may notice that you may want to slow your gait to get all the benefits of mindful walking. If you find yourself worrying, or your mind wandering, gently bring it back to the sensation of walking and the sensations around you.
This practice is most easily done in nature, but you can do it in urban areas as well. You can break up these segments into city blocks. Nature offers fewer distractions, so can be more conducive to mindfulness. However you decide to try this, enjoy it! I would love to hear how its working for you in the comments below!
This practice is most easily done in nature, but you can do it in urban areas as well. You can break up these segments into city blocks. Nature offers fewer distractions, so can be more conducive to mindfulness. However you decide to try this, enjoy it! I would love to hear how its working for you in the comments below!
RSS Feed
