I'm so happy to be joining you for your walk today.
Let's start by just arriving.
Take a moment to feel your feet on the ground,
The rhythm of your heels and your toes making contact with the ground.
Notice the texture beneath your feet,
The distribution of your weight,
And the way that your body subtly sways from side to side as you balance through your walk.
Take a slow deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth,
And then return to your natural breath.
As you're walking,
Let your eyes stay soft and relaxed.
You don't need to look at anything in particular,
But allow your surroundings to come to you.
Notice the light,
Notice shadows,
Different colors,
Things that are moving.
Allow yourself to perceive your surroundings with ease.
Maybe you hear sounds that are nearby or far away,
And just note,
I'm hearing,
These sounds are happening.
Allow this open awareness to settle your nervous system.
You don't have to solve any problems,
You don't have to judge anything,
You don't have to change anything,
You don't even have to take notes or remember.
Just receive the information and keep walking.
Allow your surroundings to come to you.
Now gently shift your attention inward.
Feel the rhythm of your steps in your body,
Through your heel,
Your sole,
And your toes,
How you step on one foot and then the other.
Notice how your legs are so strong and how they're supporting you.
Your muscles and your joints are so coordinated,
They're all working together to move you without you really having to think about it.
And scan your body as you move,
Your ankles,
Your knees,
Your hips.
Feel yourself stand tall in your walk with your spine rising upward.
Feel the energy in your body,
But also notice if there's any tension,
And see if you can soften it just a little with your next exhale.
Acknowledge how amazing it is that your body has this built-in sense of where it is in space,
And tune into it,
And keep walking.
Now bring in a gentle sense of appreciation or gratitude.
It doesn't have to be anything big or dramatic unless you want it to be,
But let's tune into the things that are simple and real.
Gratitude for your feet and your legs for carrying you.
Gratitude for your lungs for breathing,
Supplying you with oxygen and energy without instruction.
Your body for adapting to your surroundings and your environment moment by moment.
Or maybe you feel gratitude for something that is in your environment,
In the place that you're in.
Maybe it's the air.
Maybe it's the quality or the crispness of the air.
Maybe it's the ground,
The space you're moving through.
The colors of the sky.
Whatever it is,
Because there are so many things to be grateful for,
See if you can feel that gratitude as a physical sensation within your body.
Maybe it's warmth.
Maybe it's a feeling of ease or softness.
And by really focusing on and feeling that gratitude,
We subtly shift our brain chemistry to support emotional balance and resilience.
So with every step,
Practice that feeling,
That true physical feeling of gratitude.
And as you continue walking,
Let the awareness of your surroundings,
The awareness of your body,
And that feeling of gratitude all come together.
And you don't really need to do anything.
You're not fixing anything.
You're not solving a problem.
You're not trying to achieve anything.
Just walking and noticing and appreciating the movement and the moment.
Take a deep breath in and a slow breath out.
Allow your surroundings to come to you.
Allow the sensations in your body to come to you.
Allow that deep feeling of gratitude to come to you.
And carry that quality of attention with you for the rest of your walk and for the rest of your day.
Have a good one.
