As soon as I step onto the dirt trail I feel a shift in my sprit. Something very symbiotic with the air in the forest comes alive and I begin to drink the air. I feel a deep thirst being sated as I move through the trees while breathing deeply. Like I am being nourished to the very core of my existence.
All of this love and vitality comes to me just by deciding to take a walk.
I live in a beautiful area of the Pacific Northwest and have the great fortune of living near a beautiful lake. I drop the kids off at school in the morning and - most mornings - I get to take a walk before jumping into the work day. 30 minutes is all it takes to clear my mind and engage with the natural world around me. It's a delightful experience rain, shine, sleet or snow.
I got to this point after spending months in depression. Sadness, anxiety, unresolved anger and all of my fears coincided with choices that I made that weren't the best for me. In my depression, it was difficult to just navigate the day at times. I knew I had a lot of tools to help myself, but the toolbox seemed like it was so far out of reach and I didn't know how to bridge the gap. Despite therapy and medication, I was still struggling.
So - I decided to just go for a walk. In the past, I would walk to lose weight or log steps. I like being in motion, but never really took a walk just to take care of me. I decided that since life continued to move me whether I was choosing to engage or not, I would actually choose one thing. And walking was the thing.
I began to take a walk among the trees and by the lake. I wasn't walking to hit a heart rate target or for a duration of time. I simply chose to walk as long as I wanted with the intention of taking care of myself gently. That one day began a series of days and walks that helped me move quickly through the fog to continue to make good choices for myself.
Every day presents a new opportunity for change. Even within each day, we might find an opportunity to make a different choice that can shift a perspective. One day of feeling something other than had I felt in the days prior, was all it took to keep me going. I walk for myself, for my health, for my sanity and for my attitude. And I will continue to for as long as I can. If there ever comes a time that I can't, I know that exercise and time in nature are the components to my happiest times. So I can reshape whatever it is to fit me if need be.
Taking a walk isn't the answer for everyone, but it worked for me. The key is finding one thing that you can do in your day to keep you moving forward on your path to your best life.
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