Ancient Greece’s most famous physician, Hippocrates, reportedly said, “Walking is a man’s best medicine”. A woman’s too!
This month I wanted to write about the benefits of walking and how we can be mindful when we walk. Whether we use walking as part of our daily routine, to exercise our beloved pets, or keep fit, we can do it in a way that keeps us in the present moment.
Before I begin on the tips and techniques of walking mindfully, I wanted to take a moment to think about what walking has meant to us and how it has been a necessity for humans for generations.
A ‘Walkabout’ for the First Nation people of Australia was the transition from childhood to adulthood. Philosopher Henry David Thoreau left his busy city life in Massachusetts in search of solitude and silence and spent the next two years living on the edge of Walden Pond taking long meditative walks in the woods. One of my favourite quotes of his:
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see”
I like this quote as it reminds us we have a choice, we cannot control others or situations but we can choose our perspective and make the decision to ‘see’ or respond to something in a positive way or a negative way.
I needed to draw on this quote in the summer while walking up Lochnagar in the Cairngorms. I had recently recovered from Covid and was feeling very low on energy but for the majority of the ascent, I was stuck in my own head being critical about my lack of momentum and slowness. I was lagging behind my husband and two tall teenagers who appeared to be skipping up the mountain with ease. It didn’t help that they were reassuring me Queen Victoria had once climbed the mountain – I kept thinking, ‘how was it possible in her swathes of skirts and a corset, when I couldn’t manage in walking gear?’
When we reached the ‘false’ summit I claimed I could go no further, and took myself off to sit on a rock away from my family who patiently waited for me. After a few breaths and a moment to ‘just be and look’ at what was in front of me, I returned to them and apologised. My long-suffering husband, (his words, not mine!) suggested I eat something and that all would be well. He was absolutely correct, we made it to the summit and I experienced the most amazing scenery on the descent, although I was overtaken by a man literally wearing a baby.
I’ll circle back here to the beginning where being mindful when walking can help us be in the moment and connect with our surroundings. Whether you walk around the local park or climb mountains, there is always time to notice that insect or plant and then observe the colours, texture, or movements.
Stay in this moment as long as you can.
I encourage you to try this on your next walk, and if it helps, you can journal about what you have seen and congratulate yourself on walking mindfully.
