Mindful Walk

This audio is designed to guide listeners through an intentional sensory walking experience. The guide begins by helping you structure your walking route before prompting you to slow down and notice the connection between your feet and the earth. As you walk, you are encouraged to systematically shift your awareness to the surrounding environment, observing various plants, visual textures, ambient sounds, and bodily sensations.

Transcript

This is a mindful walk practice. If you can, This would be great to do outside, Perhaps with headphones on. If not, You could listen and maybe just take some notes to take with you on a walk. So before you go, Plan where you're going to go. It'll be. Just less than 10 minutes. So rather than as you're going out thinking, I'll go this way, I'll go that way and just have a general idea of where you're going to go. So you don't need anything for this practice, Just yourself. Okay. So again, If you can, Just slowing your pace of walking down a little bit, Just so you can really take in the different senses that are happening inside your body and all around. So just start by feeling your feet on the floor. As they hit the floor. That sensation. Really connecting with the earth beneath. And now getting a sense of your body. Just feeling your body moving. Feeling your arms swinging. Legs walking. Perhaps you can drop your shoulders a little bit to walk a little bit straighter. How does that feel? And just checking the temperature of your body. Maybe how busy your mind feels right now. Just letting it be. And just bringing it back to the practice. Now we're going to move the focus onto what you can see around you. So just allowing that big sense of environment around you. Perhaps just looking up and around. Feeling that connection of what's around you. Making sure you stay safe and aware. What do you notice? Perhaps you notice some thoughts coming up about liking and disliking. And now narrowing your focus to something in nature. It might just be a fleeting attention as you walk past. But really look at the plants. The leaves. Maybe you can see some berries or some flowers nestling in bushes that you've never seen before. Looking at the colours. And the textures. And if you can stop and really investigate this part of nature, Then do. And touch the leaves. Anything else that's there. You might see a bee or another insect buzzing around. I did this on my way home from the school run today, And I noticed lots of tiny little flies in my face. And my immediate reaction was, I don't like that, And batting them away. And then I thought, Hang on, These are just parts of nature trying to survive just like we all are. So let go of that judgment. So just being aware of that liking and disliking. Okay. And a really good one on a mindful walk is to look up. The trees that you might not normally notice or appreciate. Notice how they're moving in the breeze. Perhaps glistening in the sun. Just feeling a sense of enjoyment. From them. Just shifting focus now back to your body. How's that feeling now? How's the mind? Has your temperature increased a little? Perhaps you have some niggles that have started since you've been walking. Just noticing them. Relaxing your body just as you walk. Letting your shoulders just fall away from your ears. Relaxing your face. What do you notice about your breath now? Perhaps the rhythms changed. It's got a little quicker, The movements. Where do you feel that? You might want to take in a few bigger breaths just to increase the oxygen. In your system. And as you do, Can you notice any smells? Perhaps you want to stop at the side of the road. At a plant or a flower and take that smell in now. If you're listening to this on headphones, You can probably hear the sounds that I have in my general environment. Which is machinery, Birds. If you're listening without headphones, Just tuning into the sounds around you at the moment. And again. Just having a last look all around you, Taking in the wider environment. Before bringing your focus inside your body. Feeling how your body's moving. Feeling your feet on the floor. And then gently letting go of the practice. Perhaps you want to go home and write down some of the things that you noticed that you wouldn't normally. Welcome.