Cook & Chef Well-being
Mindfulness walking
Saturday, 6 May, 2023
Practising mindfulness always puts the body in the spotlight. Mindfulness walking consists of paying attention to the experience produced when walking.
Yolanda Cuevas, Psychologist and mindfulness expert at ekily
You can do it in nature, at home, at work...preferably alone. If you find yourself in a small space, try to walk with bare feet or just wearing socks and try to move more slowly, like a slow motion camera, to connect with the whole process: necessary movements, body parts involved, feelings...In general, observe how your body and mind behave when moving.
The steps are:
- Bare foot, stand up and balance yourself with your legs slightly apart. Keep your eyes semi-open, with a relaxed gaze and without looking at your feet.
- Take 3 deep breaths to activate the attention and purify the air. Be aware of your posture, your feet, their support on the ground, the weight in the legs and any other feeling, such as temperature and your own breathing.
- Start to walk slowly and in a connected way. Notice the movement of the feet, legs, body and feelings, deactivating the automatic pilot mode of being in a hurry. Observe the three phases of the foot leaving the ground, first lifting the heel, then the middle of the foot and then the toes; and then the same phases when putting the foot back on the ground. Observe that moment of movement in the air, the balance required and how the other foot holds the weight and keeps the body balanced. Meanwhile, the movement of your arms, your face and the rest of your body remain relaxed.
- When distractions appear in the form of thoughts, feelings, emotions...take note of them and in a loving way, return your attention to your body, the feelings and the movement, step by step, no longer paying attention to the mind.
If you do this in a natural setting, pay attention by alternating the steps described for 5 or 10 minutes with another 5 or 10 minutes of complete observation of the surroundings using the senses. Connect with what you see: the sea, trees, grass...with what you hear: water, wind, rain....with what you smell: sea, forest, moisture, flowers..and your body sensations: hot, cold, relaxation, tension....
I invite you to look for moments to connect with this mindful walking, deactivate the automatic pilot and activate paying attention to the body
