I love walking with my friends. A big group of us are entered to walk a marathon through the beautiful Motatapu Valley in a couple of weeks. Motatapu Off Road Marathon Walking 42km is no wander in the park so we have all been getting out for some serious walks, the longest being 27kms last week. On this most recent occasion there were 4 of us, we walked for 4:45hrs with about a half hour rest, averaged 6km per hour and took in the sights of the magnificent Clutha River from both sides. As is typical of these walks, we talked a lot. We swapped talking buddies and talked non-stop. I don’t think we solved any world problems but we had a blast. There is something quite therapeutic and walking and talking (there is research to back this up too). So I am excited about ten of us walking for 7-9hours and I wonder what the topics of conversation will lead to.
In contrast, I did a walk last week on my own. I am used to going for an hour walk by myself but not a long one, however I felt drawn to getting out there to experience some solitude during my busy week. It was amazing. I just loved it. I felt extremely rejuvenated afterwards, irrespective of a big blister on my heel. It was a completely different experience and one I am eager to do again. I walked for 4 hours, climbed to the top of Mt Grandview which was 9km up a farm track with a vertical climb of about 950m. I was awarded the most stunning views of Lakes Hawea and Wanaka, the mountains, the farmland and towns and the biggest sky ever.
Why did I love this walk on my own so much? My usual walks involve walking and talking so are very much a ‘doing’ activity. This time I gave myself more of a chance to ‘be’ and less of a focus on the ‘do’. By ‘being’ I felt I could connect to where I was, be more mindful of myself and therefore be very present. I found myself using all senses much more, and smiling while I walked. I stopped to listen to the sound the wind in the grass made. I was entranced by the fluidity of the hawk as it flew overhead, and its call when it met a friend in the sky. I laughed at the bumblebees and the cicadas as they bashed into me as they flew clumsily past. I talked to the lazy cows as I quietly past them in the scrub. I lay down in the grass and closed my eyes, relishing the warmth of summer on my skin, and the soft breeze cooling me down.
I was connecting with nature, with the sights, sounds, smells and feeling of the world around me at that moment. I felt calm even though I was a bit puffed at times going uphill. But I felt relaxed and just focussed on the here and now. My entire walk just felt like a giant breath of fresh air, literally and metaphorically. My thoughts mostly stayed very focussed on the moment. When I did let them wander, it wasn’t about what I had to cook for dinner, and what jobs I had on this week, or what I could have done better the week before. My thoughts weren’t ruminating about the past or the future. My mind felt really open and my thoughts were easily focussed on my new business idea (Well Nature – watch this space) and about my activity goals for the upcoming year (walking, swimming, biking, skiing – watch this space). I kept having clear yet creative ideas, which often doesn’t happen in the humdrum of daily life, or when walking and talking with friends.
So this feeling of calm, creativity and mindfulness has stayed with me, days after this walk. I am still revelling in the good vibes it created, and planning another solo walk soon. Then yesterday I was at the library and found a book by Hugh O’Donovan called ‘Mindful Walking – walk your way to mental and physical wellbeing.’ I am up to page 18 where he writes ‘mindful walking is in fact a meditation that brings this ‘doing’ and ‘being’ together in a very natural, easy and balanced way.’ I think he will have a few gems to share in his book.
So turn your device off and go for a walk alone. Be in nature, connect with the world around you. Wake up your senses. How does it make you feel? What do you think about?
NB: Oh and you don’t need to go for an epic walk up a mountain. Just wander through your local park, by the river, or any green space close by. Although a mountain view is breathtaking, just like filling up your soul with awe.