Club Benefits
Walking trends are becoming more and more of a thing, especially as we dip our toes into springtime. So, have you heard of "awe walks" yet?
Awe walking is a mindful activity that involves outward meditation. By turning your attention to your surroundings and what you can see, smell and hear, the idea is that this can boost mental health and reduce tension, anxiety, or stress.
How to take an awe walk
To awe walk, you must be present and intentional, slow and mindful. Start by finding a place to walk that you can explore. It can be a familiar route that helps you feel connected, or a new one that inspires you.
The Mindful organization encourages you to start with the breath, guiding you to take an inhale for six seconds and exhale for six seconds. As you do this, stay aware of how the air passes through your nose and mouth.
Next, "Feel your feet on the ground and listen to the sounds around you." At this point, you can return to breath and begin shifting awareness to your surroundings; notice anything that makes you feel happiness, delight, or surprise. Continue with your breathing as you tune in to everything you see and the smaller, finer details, as well as the obvious.
During this time, slow your walking pace down so that you can focus on everything around you. Try to walk without a phone or earbuds present, as this will distract you. Instead, focus on what you can hear and stop when you want to. Let yourself become aware of smells, colors and conversations.
Here's what happened when I started awe walks
Like color walking and phone-sober walks, the idea is to boost physical and emotional wellbeing, helping you to look outward and find the good in the world around you, which can be hard right now. Walking, especially mindfully, can boost creativity, reduce stress and help your body move into the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a place of calm.
I started with 30 minutes, but soon found the time went too quickly, so I increased it to an hour. My dog likes to stop and sniff a lot during walks, so I took the time to take a closer look at trees as they swayed in the wind or at the colors of berries on the bushes. Right now, we're entering spring, so it was a great opportunity to look at the blossoms and petals slowly floating to the ground.
I focused on slow breathing and the feeling of the ground beneath my feet, then went from the smaller details to my wider surroundings, like the clouds and the sky. I looked at how people interacted in my local park and how the rain sounded as it bounced off cars nearby.
The impact was immediate. My breathing slowed, and so did my mind. After an hour, I felt I was in a calmer headspace and more grateful to my surroundings than I usually would be, rushing around.
Those walking around me probably wondered why I was taking such a keen interest in every leaf I saw. But it felt good to look up at the sky or around me rather than down at my phone. The time also flew, and while I know many people don't have time for long or leisurely walks, you could easily do this for 15 minutes and focus on quality over quantity.
With my tech switched off, I could switch off.
Anyone who knows me also knows I've been going through a tricky time, and my daily dog walks have become pretty crucial to my mental health. During these trickier months, my walking routine has been less about the physical benefits (think rucking) and more about building mental stamina.
I haven’t found many mindfulness exercises work for me because, as someone who is neurodivergent, I struggle to sit and concentrate for long periods without any distractions. I liked that this activity involved moving around and being outdoors in nature. So if you feel the same way, I strongly recommend an awe walk to help bring some peace back into your day.
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