Yesterday i talked about how a mundane activity like eating can turn into an exciting and mindful experience, if we only try.
To give another example, I focused today on a mindful walk...
Into nature...
I guess not everybody is as lucky as i am, and has nature so to say at his doorstep. And to be honest, letting your mind rest on a mindful walk is rather difficult in a n urban area. So i will say that unless you are a monk with years of mindful practice on his back you will want to find your mindful walking path somewhere in the nature, somewhere quiet. The woods are a great place for that. For the city dwellers i would recommend a park...
10 minutes should do...
What i found out is that a mindful walk doesn't have to be long. It can, but it doesn't have to be. I would recommend somewhere in between 10-30 minutes.
no marathon either...
Don't rush. Do the opposite! No, not dragging. But walking at a normal pace and stopping once in a while. Focus on the steps while walking, and focus on the surroundings when pausing.
while walking...
As said, while walking the focus lies on the steps. Are there any sounds generated by them? Does the sound change when walking on another surface? How do the legs feel? How does the body feel in general?
...and while pausing
The focus is shifted to the surroundings. The trees, the wind the sun and so on. You might hear birds singing, or maybe the wind is blowing through your hair. Take a deep breath, and feel the tingling in your body.
Then the focus is shifted back to the steps, and the cycle starts over.
Bonus Tip: Where i live is summer now, and it gets really hot during the day. So i try to go on a walk when it cools of a bit so my body is already in a relaxed state, which also helps the mind relax. I do this once a week.
I encourage you to try it out, and let me know in the comments how it felt :)
This is part of the 30 days writing challenge by @dragosroua. I combined this with a mindfulness challenge. My goal with this is to improve writing & english skills as well as becoming more self aware.