Welcome to this reflection on walking with awareness.
Together we'll explore what happens when we slow down.
Feel each step.
And let the world around us become our teacher.
Instead of hiking to get somewhere.
We'll practice wandering noticing.
Pausing.
And letting the color,
Smell,
Sounds,
And movement of nature.
Bring us back to the life that is already here.
When we walk with awareness,
We don't walk to get our steps in.
We don't walk to conquer a trail.
We don't walk to arrive somewhere quickly.
We walk as a way to come home.
Maybe you've felt this before when you're outside,
Just a real.
Feeling of homecoming.
We come home to you.
Our bodies,
I think to our true natural nature.
And we come home to this moment.
I am recording this outside right now in one of my favorite quiet spots and I'm hearing bird song.
And that was nice,
Right on cue.
I'm hearing raindrops hit the leaves and the ground.
And just a minute ago,
There was a woodpecker as well.
So often when we're outside.
We're still rushing.
Our feet are moving and our minds are somewhere else.
And I noticed on the way up here this morning even thinking about recording this that I was rushing at times and it was really hard to Slow down.
Practicing awareness while we walk.
Invites us to another way.
A slower way.
A gentle way.
A way of walking where nothing has to be.
Accomplished.
We can set aside all of ours.
Agendas and just.
When we walk slowly and with awareness,
The walk begins to change.
We begin to notice what we normally pass by.
We might notice the color of the moss.
Or raindrops sitting on a leaf.
We might notice the smell after the rain.
During the rain,
As is the case right now.
Or the sound of gravel or dirt beneath our feet.
We might notice the moment.
Of a bird arriving on the branches.
Or you might notice the way light streams through the trees.
When this happens.
Walking becomes wandering.
A hike often has a goal.
But wandering is different.
Wandering gives us permission to be led by awareness and noticing.
To stop when something catches our eye.
To be with a beautiful flower.
To watch the slow movement of water.
And to stand still and listen and watch the wind pass through the trees.
This kind of walking isn't about going farther.
It's about becoming more present.
It's not about covering ground.
It's about connection and grounding.
And there's something healing about walking this way.
And because it's a mindfulness practice.
We're not trying to fix ourselves.
And we're not trying to become more spiritual.
We're just allowing ourselves to be here.
To be fully here.
With our bodies,
With what we're seeing.
With our feet on the ground.
With nature all around us.
The earth is always speaking,
But We're often moving too quickly to hear it.
Walking with awareness helps us to listen.
Not only with our ears but with our whole being.
I want to add one more thing as I conclude my walk,
And that is.
.
.
I invite you to consider consciously breathing.
As you walk.
You can.
Slow down and match it to each step.
Or just as you're cruising along.
Be conscious of your breath.
Observing and hearing.
N.
Just using your senses as you walk along.
This just became apparent to me.
I was reminded of it as I finish up this walk.
Just breathing,
Observing,
Connecting,
Listening to birdsong,
And being conscious of my breath at the same time.
The next time you're out,
I just want to invite you to stop if something catches your attention.
You might even set that intention before you go out.
And when you see something beautiful,
Just stop and be with it.
Stand still underneath a tree.
Get close up and watch the water hit a puddle.
Observe a patch of light passing through.
Some leaves.
On a clear night go out and stand underneath the stars.
Maybe lay on a lawn chair and just watch the stars.
And allow yourself to.
Connect with it.
It'll happen.
It'll reach out to you.
You don't have to force it.
And maybe this is what the path.
Teaches us.
And this way of being out in nature.
That we can move through life less violently,
With less force,
That we can respond instead of reacting.
That we can take one step at a time.
That when something touches our hearts,
We can pause.
When we're outside like this,
Inevitably we'll pause.
Remember and become aware that we belong to something that is larger than ourselves.
Bigger than our thoughts.
As you move back into your day.
May you walk with awareness.
May you feel each step and the ground beneath you as holy and sacred.
May you slow down enough to notice what is already here.
May you stop when you notice something beautiful.
May you wander instead of hurry.
May you let the colors,
Smells,
Sounds,
And movement of the natural world.
Restore something natural in you.
And may every path remind you.
That you are held by the earth.
Welcomed by this moment.
And invited one step at a time.
Back into wonder.
Thank you for being here.
Namaste.
