‘Every day I walk myself into a state of wellbeing and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk oneself away from it’. 

Soren Kierkegaard

Autumnal gifts

I am writing this having just arrived back from my daughters’ wedding in Gdansk,
The beauty of the occasion was enhanced by the riotous colour of the trees turning all shades of red, orange, and yellow. It was natures perfect backdrop to a joyful and loving weekend.

On coming back home and into work I’ve had a number of leaders describe to me how they are yearning for the up-coming Autumn half term in England. It got me thinking of a newsletter from three years ago where I mentioned how James Eldon, Principal of Manchester Academy Moss Side had recently tweeted his thoughts on the half term week describing it as ‘a shimmer of rest, a seven day hibernation, especially in the context of what we’re constantly dealing with’. He encouraged us to ‘gather your acorns now’.

Where better to gather our acorns this autumn half term break, but in nature.

So the invitation in this newsletter on the eve of half term is to use some of the coming week to take a walk. To get out into nature, and deliberately allow the rhythm of the natural world to restore your attention and bring you back to a healthy state of mind and body. Deborah Riegal tells us ‘don’t underestimate the power of a walk’, citing evidence that it can quiet our anxiety, keep our brain sharp, and maintain physical and mental well-being.

 In other words ‘gathering acorns’ makes a difference.

How Mindfulness can help.

For many of us, holidays are a perfect time for walking, for getting outside and into nature. We appreciate the opportunity to breathe more deeply and open up our senses to the world around us. But it’s a challenge as well. The pressure of plans unfinished and tasks to complete can mean we are still only partially present, and so not fully benefiting from nature’s restorative benefits.

Mindfulness can help by bringing us into the direct experience of walking. To focus on what we can see, hear, touch and smell, right now, in this moment.  Mindfulness also tunes us in to how we are noticing. Left unchecked our minds will immediately label our experiences as good or bad, we either like them or we don't. We like the sun shining through the leaves. We don’t like the muddy path and the wet socks, our mind starts berating us for coming out without the correct footwear.

Mindfulness helps us to come back to the direct experience by ‘simply noticing’. what we can see, hear, feel and smell. We are not trying to change anything, and we drop expectations. We practice simply ‘being with’ the experience, fully tuned into the present moment.

Here’s how ….. 

Take your body for a walk

We often walk, lost in thought, barely in touch with our bodies. Why not deliberately take our bodies for a walk? Feel every step as the feet meet the floor. Deliberately swing your arms letting your body find its natural rhythm. Feel heart beating, notice your breath as it deepens with every step.

Tune up your ears

Why not walk attuned to sound. Notice sounds close by, those far away and the silence between sounds? Follow a sound from the moment you hear it until it fades.  Resist the impulse to name the sound, to judge it as pleasant or unpleasant. Watch the mind when it conjures up memories and images and as soon as you find yourself lost in thought bring your attention back to sounds.

See as an artist

Gaze at the shapes that nature has created, as well as the spaces between the shapes, tuning into what the Japanese call ‘ma’, the negative space between forms that is just as important as the objects themselves. Be curious. Alternate looking up, looking around and looking down. Practice shifting perspective – what do you see close by, what do you see at the edges of your vision? Notice colour, the many shades of green or brown, the beauty of an autumn leaf, the perfect shape of an acorn.

Go further

Adam Dacey leads mindful walking practice in parks and the natural environment. He guides the practice in this video. You might like to have a go this half term, in your local park or green space.