I thought I would share a brief excerpt from an article I wrote about mindful hiking that (excitingly!) was recently published in Mindful Magazine. The following extract includes a short, simple exercise that you might like to try next time you head out for a hike (or walk) in nature –
“Hiking with friends while enjoying great conversation and laughter is one of my favourite activities. But unless we make a conscious effort to stop every now and again and really pay attention to where we are and what we are doing, we can miss a tremendous amount. Stopping and consciously engaging our senses when out hiking not only calms and grounds us – relaxing both mind and body – but it also deepens our connection to the natural world.
Spending time in nature has healing and restorative power. Being outdoors increases well-being, helps alleviate stress and anxiety, promotes creativity, assists with recovery from mental fatigue, helps restore attention, boosts the brain’s ability to think, and engages the senses.
While a regular seated meditation practice is a very important part of my life, I also find opportunities to practice mindfulness in other ways. Short, simple mindfulness exercises incorporated into an activity such as hiking are an easy, enjoyable and surprisingly effective way of being more mindful.
Next time you head out for a hike why not make it a mindful hike by incorporating a few of the following simple exercises?
Exercise: Stop Before You Start
Before setting off on your hike take a few moments to allow yourself to come into the present moment. Close your eyes and in your own time take three long, deep breaths. Allow yourself to make an exaggerated sighing sound on the exhalation and see if you can let go a little more with each out breath. Gently hold your attention on your breath and, after each exhalation, allow your next breath to come when it’s ready. This short pause between breaths can be very calming. Once you have taken three deep breaths, allow your breath to resume its natural rhythm.
Take a few moments to tune into the sounds around you, and pause. Notice the sensation of air on your face, and pause. Bring your awareness down into your feet, and pause. Really feel the connection your feet are making with the earth beneath you. Allow yourself to feel grounded, connected and supported. Allow yourself to become really aware of where you are.
You might say silently to yourself, ‘For the duration of this hike there is nowhere else I need to be; no one else I need to be pleasing; nothing else I need to be doing. This is my time. Time I’m giving to myself to recharge and reconnect with nature.’
When you are ready, gently blink your eyes open and re-orient yourself before setting off on your hike”
