Hey guys! Hope you’re alright! For this post, I’ve decided to talk about mindful walking!
You might be wondering what is mindful walking exactly? Fasten your seatbelts! I’ll be talking about it now!
Mindful walking is simply taking a walk while being aware of the walking process.It is basically taking a walk whether at home or in a local park, but doing the walking by being aware of the “ walking” process. This activity is done in the first weeks of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course, which I had the opportunity to experience myself back in April. It’s effective, in the sense that it makes you grounded with the solid Earth we all stand on. It makes you aware of your surroundings, the ground you walk on. It’s very beneficial for people suffering from general anxiety disorder too! When you shift your focus from yourself and towards the activity you are doing, you’ll feel calmer. As an anxiety sufferer, I love taking a walk for my mental health. When I do this mindfully, and being aware of the steps I’m taking I feel much calmer compared to taking a normal walk around the neighborhood!
How can we practice mindful walking, then?
The first step is to walk gently like you don’t want to hurt the ground. Be aware of your steps. How do your feet feel? Do you feel your socks or your sneakers while walking? Do your feet want to rush or do you want to walk slowly? Be aware of all the sensations. The main thing is to “ remember” to shift your attention from your thoughts to the walking process itself. You don’t have to do it perfectly, never pressure anything. Whenever you feel like you are lost in your thoughts gently bring your awareness back to your feet. It’s that simple.
“Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
26 responses to “mindful walking for beginners”
I love this as I am an avid nature walker who could easily give this a try. What a really interesting concept — thank you for sharing!
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What a great meditative idea. When I was a dog walker, I felt myself more in touch with nature as ever because I really thought about my walking as I went, along the lakeside, surrounded by trees – it definitely is something to be doing as it has many health benefits. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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I'm so glad you loved this little post Molly! It'll make a difference, trust me 🙂
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Yes, exactly! You are very welcome 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment Miriam!
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Oh I love this. Going out for walks in nature is my favourite thing to do but I can't say that I have ever paid that much attention to the actual walking side. Definitely something I want to try.
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I'm so glad you loved it! 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
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walking is one of the best ways to clear your mind and feel refreshed!!thank you for sharing this penny xxxjessica | http://www.overdressedblogger.com
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exactly Jessica! You are welcome my lovely, thank you for your lovely comment xx
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This is a whole new experience! I love walking and exploring so this is definitely a way to take it to a new level I want to give it a go xx
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Hopefully you can have a chance to try it Gemma! 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment x
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I find this really interesting. I’d never considered this before but can see how effective it would be.
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I recently got into mindful walking as the park near me as a QR code with a guide to listen to. Its the closes to meditation I can do without being distracted and it is very calming. I use some of the techniques when I am feeling overwhelmed. Thank you for sharing.
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Wow, that sounds very cool, I love that idea! Thank you so much for reading and commenting x Penny
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What an interesting excercice, beautifully written.
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Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate your lovely comment x Penny
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Mindful walking sounds like a great way to exercise and practise mindfulness. Thank you for sharing tips on how you can do this.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
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You are very welcome, thank you so much for reading Lauren! x Pen
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Great quote! Thanks so much for sharing tips on mindfulness while moving.
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You are very welcome, Sue! Thank you so much for reading x Penny
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I love mindful walking. It’s very calming and sometimes gives me ideas to write.
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I’m pleased to hear that it helps you with your creativity, thank you so much for reading Fadima! x
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I love this! Going on walks in general is always something that helps calm me down so I think this will be even more beneficial – being more aware of your surroundings sounds so beneficial! I love that quote too. Thank you so much for sharing Penny x
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Exactly! Walking definitely calms me down too. Thank you so much for reading. x Pen
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I’ve been practicing mindful walking recently and it’s such a beautiful experience. Being present and noticing all the sensations around you is so calming and grounding. I can’t wait to do more of it now that the weather is warming up! I also love that quote by Thich Nhat Hanh! I’ve been thinking about it a lot, especially during walks! Thank you for sharing!
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Mindful walking is such a lovely way to connect with one’s self and one’s surroundings! There is nothing pressuring about it and the mindset it puts me in is welcome and grounding.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
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You are very welcome Jaya, thank you so much for reading x Penny
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