MINDFUL WALKING

Can you remember an experience of walking where all your senses were immersed into the experience?

Where there was no mobile phone in sight and the feeling of the breeze gracing your skin, the warmth of the sun and the connection to the ground?

My morning routine involves walking around a lake which takes around 17 minutes. I am surrounded by a view of beautiful tress, gorgeous home gardens, the tweets and chirps of multiple birds, the quacks of ducks, the call of wading birds, floral colors of all varieties, the warmth of the sun, the whisper of the wind and the skyline of Dubai Marina in the near distance. Very rarely, a beautiful brown and turquoise bird flies by and I am in awe, my heart fills with elation and I believe I have witnessed grace and been sent a message from the universe.

Sometimes I love to walk earlier that usual, in the hope that I’m the only one outside enjoying this experience, on other days, I appreciate fellow walkers, all in joyous action of their daily walks, from a simple smile, the glance of eyes to a bouncy “good morning”; my morning walks will me with joy and connection.

Mindful walking is a form of mindful action, it is when we truly connect to the experience without any interruptions or distractions. When distractions are removed, we can connect with the full process of the activity.

Mindful walking is about truly being in the experience, so that the joy of the experience is fully felt. It is not an operational action which is done for the sake of it but conscious, very conscious.

Some amazing things from happen when we are fully immersed in an activity and become at one with it. From light-bulb moments to pure clarity, when distractions are put away, moments of joy and connection occur.

In the words of David Fontana:

“Pilgrimages of mind or walking meditation – bringing moments of illumination in which the sense of relationship to the rest of existence suddenly stands out with startling and unexpected clarity.”

Simple steps to become a mindful walker:

1. Leave the mobile phone at home
2. Leave any expectations at home
3. With each step, feel your feet caress the ground and notice the connection
4. Look around you, notice the things you would normally not see from a simple flower to a flying bird
5. Breathe in and out consciously
6. Take some water

Walking reaps other benefits from releasing happy hormones, exercising to absorbing vitamin D. Whatever inspires you to become a mindful walker, I wish you a pleasant and connected experience.

“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”

Thich Nhat Hanh