Do any of us go for too many walks? Obviously not, and if none of us are going for too many walks, it’s likely that most of us aren’t going for enough.

 

Some of us may feel we walk too much, but that’s not the same. That’s walking to somewhere: work, the shops, an appointment at the dentist. That’s walking as a form of transport. Not a walk.

 

Go for a walk and enjoy it.

 

I feel there are three ways of really enjoying going for a walk on your own. Obviously a walk with good company is a great thing too, but it relies on the company. A walk on your own is just that, and can be wonderful.

 

The easiest way to enjoy it is without a set route, and without a set way of thinking about the walk: just ramble, letting your feet and your mind take you wherever they want to go. Your thoughts can run wild, even if your shoes just pound the pavement. Each turn could lead to a new place, or a new idea. Run, or rather, walk with it.

 

Then there is a more intentional walk. Set out knowing the route you will take, and decide you want to think about a particular thing. It could be planning an event, or deciding between two investments. Bring some way of making notes – your folded zen tracker notebook will be perfect. You could instead choose to walk and notice more: engage your mind in its surroundings. Plan to see more, look for more, have the intention to focus on what is going on around you. All of these work.

 

The toughest walk is to think about walking itself, Thich Nhat Hanh-style, “arriving with every step.” I suggest you make this a short walk, it’s too hard to keep up over any kind of distance. One foot goes in front of another. Your arms move. Do your hips sway? Gently or widely? Your foot lands and rolls, heel to toe – or does it?

 

Try to use the same level of focus you would give your body if it were tired, when muscles would be complaining, joints aching, blisters forming on your heels, but do it without the pain, with enjoyment. Look around your body as you walk.

 

See if you can get as far as the shops, or wherever is the closest landmark you can pick out, without thinking about anything else. Good luck.