Mindful Walk For Reconnection

In this mindful walking practice, you'll engage all five senses to deepen your connection with your surroundings. By exploring your senses of touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste, you’re encouraged to notice small details and find beauty in the ordinary. Whether in nature or the city, this walk inspires creativity while inviting gratitude, presence, and a renewed sense of wonder.

Transcript

Welcome to this Mindful Walk for Reconnection.

I'm Marianne DeCleer and thanks for joining me here today.

As you prepare to go out for your walk,

Think about where you'd like to go.

It could be anywhere,

Around your neighborhood,

Your garden,

Around where you work,

In a park,

In the city or the countryside,

While running errands or even just around your block.

Wherever it is,

Know where you plan on starting your walk.

You don't need to take anything with you on your walk but if you like,

Feel free to pack a notebook and a pen.

It may be something with which to take some mindful photos if you're feeling inspired.

You can also bring a snack or a drink if you choose.

When you're ready,

You can start walking and begin by noticing your movement as you bring your attention to the feeling of the ground under your feet.

Notice what surface are you walking on and how does it feel through your shoes?

Continuing on with the sense of feeling,

Notice the temperature of the air.

Can you feel different temperatures on different parts of your body?

Is there a breeze?

Can you sense the wind flowing through your hair or over your face or ears?

Can you feel the air elsewhere on your skin?

What else can you feel on your skin?

Maybe you tune into the feeling of your clothes,

The dryness or the moisture in the air.

Or anything else that you can physically feel on your skin.

Continue on for a while and stay focused on all the physical sensations.

You may also choose to use your fingers to reach out and touch various textures along your walk.

You could run your hands through some grasses,

Branches or leaves.

Reach out and touch some bark.

Or perhaps you'll find a fence that you explore with your fingertips.

Continue tuning into this sense of touch.

And if you like,

You can pause this track and note down everything you're physically feeling.

But you can also simply take the time to notice with your body and mind without writing it down.

Enjoy your sense of touch.

And now I invite you to open your ears and listen to the sound of your breath.

And now I invite you to open your ears and begin to listen to the soundscape around you.

You may start with the noise that you're making as you walk,

With your footsteps and perhaps the swooshing or the rustling movement of your clothing.

And then begin to bring your attention further out and listen to the sounds in your environment.

There may be sounds of nature,

Such as the wind in the trees,

Maybe some running water,

Birdsong,

Buzzing insects or other animals.

There may also be human noises of voices,

Laughter or singing.

Playing.

Perhaps you'll also notice the sounds of motors,

Vehicles or machines.

So in a moment,

Pause this audio and tune into all these sounds.

Notice how far away they are without really needing to analyze anything.

Just be the observer of these sounds.

So press pause,

Tune into all the sounds around you.

And if you like,

You can write down everything that you're able to hear and enjoy your sense of hearing.

Tuning now into your sense of sight and really opening up your eyes to everything around you.

What can you see around you in the moment?

Look up.

What does the sky look like?

Can you see the sun?

Where is it in the sky?

Are there clouds?

Can you see the moon?

If so,

What phase is it in?

Look around you.

Notice the colors and shapes that are standing out to you.

Become aware of any patterns.

Stop to notice the different visual patterns as you feel inspired.

And take some time also to notice and appreciate the quality of light.

Notice where the light's coming from.

Tune into the shapes of the shadows on the ground.

Think about the season you're in and look at the signs of the season around you.

The ancient Japanese calendar has identified 24 seasons of about 15 days each and 72 micro seasons of about five days each with names such as first camellia blossoms,

Spring winds thaw the ice,

And insects awaken.

So look around you and notice the signs of the season today.

What micro season are you in?

And what would you call this micro season?

Continue to look around you.

Is there anything that's particularly catching your eye?

And notice the details.

Is there anything you've never noticed before?

Really follow your curiosity here.

And if you like,

You can pause this audio to rest your mind.

Write down everything you're noticing with your eyes.

Or perhaps this would be a moment for some mindful photography of shapes,

Colors,

Patterns,

Shadows,

Light.

Take a moment to enjoy your sense of sight.

I now invite you to breathe in through your nose and tune into your sense of smell.

What can you smell right now?

You might be able to pick up the scent of the earth or surrounding vegetation.

Depending on the time of year,

There will be different things.

Depending on the time of year,

There will be different things to notice.

Perhaps wild blackberry bushes or the sweet smell of fallen leaves or spring blossoms or summer flowers.

There may also be scents that are human-made,

Such as aromas of food or coffee or perhaps lingering perfumes wafting in the air.

There may be even odors of machines,

Cars,

Garbage.

Tune into the smells without any doubt.

Tune into the smells without any judgment.

What are the layers of scents,

Odors,

Perfumes,

And aromas that you're picking up with your nose?

If you like,

You can pause this audio to write them down or simply tune into them and enjoy them.

Enjoy your sense of smell.

I now invite you to tune into your sense of taste.

So maybe you brought a snack or a drink along that you can taste.

And if not,

Maybe there are some lingering tastes on your tongue and if not,

Maybe there are some lingering tastes on your tongue.

Or maybe you've had the good fortune of walking past some wild strawberries,

Blackberries,

Or even a tasty mound of mint.

It could also be that you pick a plate of grass or some clover to nibble on.

Notice the flavors in your mouth.

And if you like,

You can pause this audio to write down everything you can taste or else you can simply tune into them and enjoy your sense of taste.

And enjoy your sense of taste.

Continue to walk and whenever you feel inspired,

Stop to take in your environment through your five senses and do so as an objective observer without any judgment.

Your five senses are how you connect with this world.

Feel gratitude for your senses.

We're now going to go deeper into the sense of sight because if you think about it,

We must see hundreds and thousands of objects every day.

But how many things do we actually see and pay attention to?

How many things hold beauty for you?

Because even mundane,

Ordinary objects can hold beauty if we tune into them.

I call this exercise unseen beauty and I invite you to begin to pay close attention to the things you would normally not even notice.

It could be moss growing on a concrete wall.

It could be moss growing on a concrete wall.

The chipped paint of a park bench.

Rain gems on a feather or in a leaf.

A doorknob.

A recycling bin.

Anything at all that you would normally walk past.

Start to focus and look at the things around you in a new way and see if you can't spot something of poetic beauty in the ordinary,

Mundane,

Or even what would be typically considered ugly.

Yes,

I'm inviting you to see beauty in the ugly.

And if you're inspired to try out some mindful photography,

You may want to find the expression of that unseen beauty through your camera lens.

Zoom in close up.

Notice the texture of the fallen pine needles on the ground.

See how the drainpipe contrasts against a wall.

Notice how the chipped paint has an interesting,

Almost organic pattern.

Some metal in a concrete wall might become a piece of abstract art in your eyes.

A roll of wire fencing might become an interesting sculpture from your viewpoint.

Torn posters on a bulletin board might become a colourful,

Abstract texture.

Continue to walk and notice the unseen beauty around you.

And pause to take photos if you feel inspired.

This can take some training,

You know.

This can take some training,

You need to focus on what you would normally not look at.

Give thanks for this beauty.

And allow yourself to be enchanted.

And speaking of being enchanted,

As you continue to look on,

I'd like to read you a passage from a book called,

Enchantment,

Reawakening Wonder in an Exhausted Age,

By Catherine May.

She writes,

Our sense of enchantment is not triggered only by grand things.

The sublime is not hiding in distant landscapes.

The awe-inspiring,

The numinous,

Is all around us,

All the time.

It is transformed by our deliberate attention.

It becomes valuable when we value it.

It becomes meaningful when we value it.

It becomes meaningful when we invest it with meaning.

The magic is of our own conjuring.

If we wait passively to become enchanted,

We could wait a long time.

But seeking is a kind of work.

I don't mean heading off on wild trips just to see the stars that are shining above your own roof.

I mean committing to a lifetime of engagement,

To noticing the world around you,

To actively looking for small distillations of beauty,

To making time to contemplate and reflect.

To learning the names of the plants and places that surround you,

Or training your mind in the rich pathways of the metaphorical.

To finding a way to express your interconnectedness with the rest of humanity.

To putting your feet on the ground every now and then,

And feeling the tingle of life that the earth offers in return.

It's all there,

Waiting for our attention.

I love that so much.

It's all there,

Waiting for our attention.

Continue to walk and pay attention.

Actively look for small distillations of beauty.

You're aware.

You're noticing.

You become aware that you are noticing with some practice.

And whatever you see,

Whatever comes your way,

Is a reflection of you.

It's a beautiful messenger inviting you to keep on noticing.

And your consciousness develops and helps you to live with more clarity.

As you tune into your surroundings,

You are reminded of the inherent beauty and interconnectedness of the world,

Offering you a multitude of reasons to give thanks.

The warmth of the sun's rays on your skin reminds you of the nurturing power of light,

Bringing vitality and energy to all living things.

The gentle breeze that caresses your face reminds you of the unseen forces that shape your existence.

And as you pass by trees swaying in the wind,

You can express gratitude for their steadfast presence,

Providing shade,

Oxygen,

And sanctuary for countless beings.

In the city,

You may encounter architecture,

Infrastructure,

And cityscapes standing as testaments to human achievement,

Inspiring gratitude for the marvels of engineering and design.

You may meet strangers and give thanks for the rich tapestry of human stories that make up your community.

Share a smile or say hi.

There might be vibrant street art,

The aroma of diverse cuisines,

And the lively sounds of music and conversation that invite you into gratitude.

It's in these moments of noticing that you can fully appreciate the abundance and generosity of nature and humanity,

And all that is around you.

All that you are fortunate to have in your life.

Feel full of delight and wonder as you sense this gratitude at the core of your being.

I invite you to anchor all the pleasant sensations that you're currently experiencing of wonder,

Delight,

Enchantment,

And gratitude in your body with a breath.

I'll explain it first and then I'll guide you through it.

So in a moment,

You'll take in a deep breath through your nose,

Filling the chest and the belly with air.

Then you're going to hold your breath for a moment as you bring all the pleasant and positive sensations of delight and wonder to mind.

And then you'll exhale slowly through your mouth to spread these positive sensations throughout your whole body.

Here we go.

Take a deep breath in through your nose,

Expanding the chest and the belly.

Hold your breath and bring all the pleasant sensations of delight,

Delight,

Wonder,

And presence to mind.

And exhale gently through your mouth to spread these sensations through your whole body,

Anchoring these feelings within.

And then you can take a normal breath and know that these sensations are anchored in your body.

Think about activating them in your everyday life.

This guided portion of the walk is coming to an end,

But of course you can continue to walk as much as you like to leave you with an optional creative activity to consider.

So once you're back from your walk,

You may feel like you'd like to creatively respond to all you have experienced.

And I'd like to suggest a few options that are easy to do,

But by all means follow your own curiosity if something else comes to mind.

So one idea is that you could color in a circle,

Creating an intuitive mandala.

It doesn't need to be symmetrical,

It could be however you like it.

You could also make an illustrated chart of your five senses and list everything you encountered along your walk.

And you could even do little doodles of your walk and everything you encountered.

And you might also feel inspired to write a short poem,

Perhaps something like a three-line haiku,

With five syllables on the first line,

Seven syllables on the second line,

And five syllables on the third line.

See if any of those tickle your fancy and inspire you to write a poem.

By all means,

Feel free to do something else.

And as you finish off your walk,

I invite you to reflect on your experience today.

What did you learn?

How do you feel?

Did anything surprise you?

Thanks so much for going on this mindful walking journey with me today.

Know that it can be repeated anytime,

Anywhere.

It can be longer or shorter,

In the city or in nature.

And remember,

It's all there waiting for our attention.

Reviews

I really enjoyed listening to this
meditation while walking around downtown Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Lots of unfamiliar things to stimulate the senses and form good memories. Thanks for the inspiration.

Thank you. This really helped me see things differently