The wonder....of wandering...

I've been a bit stuck for inspiration of late.. the ban on travel plus the lack of prospect for travel any time soon is really starting to take its toll. For someone who is so strongly driven by #experiences and wants to get the very most out of every second life has to offer, the four walls of my house (as much as I love them and am grateful to have them) aren't really cutting it. But I wanted to reflect on something that is occupying a large proportion of my time right now... the one thing that is allowed.....#walking.... all 621 km of it (to date).

So what does walking have to do a blog on #responsible (or #conscious) travel? Quite a bit it seems. Walking is strongly connected with #wellness. Wellness, or quality of life, is an important facet of responsible living. Walking promotes #appreciation of the surroundings in which we walk. This may promote more #responsible #behaviours. Through being immersed in our environment, there is an awakening of its beauty, its fragility and an increased desire to preserve it for future enjoyment. For many I speak to, one notable benefit to come from this adversity, is a heightened appreciation for what is under our noses, the #simple #pleasures of life. I personally have never felt such a strong appreciation of the beauty of the changing of the seasons, sunrise, sunset and my natural and built surroundings. I know for sure that this is bringing about, for many, a reflection on, and a #reassessment of our #lifestyles. How will we be, when we re-enter the world as we knew it? Hopefully more mindful and compassionate.

But in the shorter term we are all doing everything we can to keep well, #physically and #mentally during one of the most challenging times of our lives. The reciprocal relationship between being in nature, promoting wellbeing and stimulating a heightened environmental #consciousness is well recognised. Substantial #wellness benefits are connected with walking (or being) in certain environments, as in the case for forest bathing, also referred to as #naturetherapy. Never heard of it? Have a look at this great resource from Forestry England. Forest bathing is a Japanese practice designed to aid #relaxation. The act of being #calm and #silent in nature can induce a #meditative state which helps you de-stress and improves your health. As someone who lives a short drive from Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England there is a wonderful opportunity on my doorstep.

There is another type of wellness walking I'd like to share. The Innerwalk. For this type of walk, the location is not as important, twenty five steps in a straight line with a clearly defined boundary (ideally a wall). I say, not as important, experience has shown me that it is incredibly important as it can be incredibly challenging to find the right place to walk, uninterrupted and unobserved! I say not as important in the sense that you don't want it to involve a pretty view or interesting scene, that is not the idea. The idea is to be there, on your own with your #thoughts. Innerwalk was founded in Koh Phangan, #Thailand by #Buddhist #Monk Prah Orlan. It is a form of practice that acknowledges the damaging effects that our fast paced contemporary lifestyles have on our minds and bodies. We are uncomfortable being with our thoughts and spend time trying to 'quieten the noise' or simply run away. This in itself brings more #discomfort. The #Innerwalk allow you to practice #listening, #observing and #connecting with yourself. In strengthening the observation 'muscle' it brings greater #clarity, #harmony and #ease. It absolutely does, I can vouch personally for that.

The practice, in non-covid times, would involve you walking back and forth for twenty five paces for four hours, non stop, every day for four days, in a covered hut in the Koh Phangan interior. Right now, it has involved my front room, a lay-by off the main road, a park, a school car park, a pub car park, the list goes on!! You walk, your mind wanders, you reach the wall, you wake up, you turn, you walk, you daydream, you reach the wall, you wake up...... you keep waking up. The 'waking up' muscle becomes strengthened and you enjoy increased #alertness. So simple, so amazing. This practice is framed with reflection, discussion, teaching and the most beautiful music. Two of the pieces that have particularly spoken to me are Rest in Natural Great Peace by Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche and Cultivating Joy of the Heart by Ana Hata. Both tracks encapsulate perfectly for me what the practice is all about. As soon as international travel bans are lifted, that'll be me, off to Koh Phangan. But for now, as with all other aspects of our life, this wonderful opportunity migrates #online. What an opportunity to connect with people from all corners of the globe and share in this #enlightening experience. Walking, for me, will never be the same again. I'm not going to say it will solve all of your problems, and it's not something you can do just the once and 'be cured'!. This is now, for me, enshrined as a #daily wellness practice. I'm already benefiting from greater clarity of thought, experiencing mental #flow (not friction) and with that is coming #creativity, but it is just the start..... Check out this video for more information.

Thanks for reading folks, stay well and safe and enjoy the walking!!