In this exercise simply stop and enjoy a few moments in silence as you consciously engage your sense of listening. Allow yourself to become really curious about what you’re looking at. Look for subtle details you might have missed at first glance. Gently observe its colors, shape, and texture. Allow your gaze to soften as you explore the object. Now look closely at an object that catches your attention, such as a leaf or the bark on a tree. Sit or lie down for a moment to absorb your surroundings. Look down-notice shadows, patterns, colors, and textures on the ground. Look up-explore the sky, the patterns in the clouds, the canopy of trees above. Start by turning around slowly and deliberately taking in the 360-degree view as you do. Sense Practices - LookĮnjoy a few moments in silence as you look around and consciously engage your sense of sight. By consciously holding our awareness in our bodies, without forcing anything, we can encourage the body to begin to soften and relax. That leaves just about 10% of our attention for our bodies. It is estimated that approximately 90% of our attention is taken up with our thoughts. Throughout your hike, stop every now and again and try one or more of the following exercises: Your body will start to relax and your mind will begin to settle. Making the effort to stop along the way and bring conscious awareness to your senses will not only bring you into the present moment and deepen your connection to your surroundings, it will also bring your mind and body back into a state of balance. Before setting off on your hike, take a few moments to allow yourself to come into the present moment (try the “Note the Pause between Breaths” practice), letting go of any thoughts or concerns that might be on your mind. As a result, we can carry the stress and tension of a previous activity, conversation, or train of thought over into what we are about to do.

Next time you head out for a hike, why not make it a mindful hike? Stop Before You Start Short, simple mindfulness exercises incorporated into an activity such as hiking are an easy, enjoyable, and surprisingly effective way of being more mindful. While a regular seated meditation practice is a very important part of my life, I find opportunities to practice mindfulness in many other ways. Being outdoors increases well-being, helps alleviate stress and anxiety, promotes creativity, assists with recovery from mental fatigue, helps restore attention, boosts the brain’s ability to think, and engages the senses.

Spending time in nature has healing and restorative power. I’ve since realized that, for me, meditation and being in nature are the two things that, without fail, calm my mind and relax my body. Around then, I started meditating as a way of relieving stress and anxiety. I didn’t know many people who were interested in hiking and I was too shy to join a hiking group. Later, during my twenties, I spent far less time in nature than I would have liked. It was a great adventure, one that cemented a life-long love of hiking and the outdoors. I was captivated by the breathtaking beauty of the ever-changing landscape-scrambling to the top of Cradle Mountain or sitting by the campfire at night under tall, majestic gum trees. I loved being far away from civilization, carrying a large pack on my back. Clair in Tasmania with my parents when I was 12. One of my most memorable childhood experiences was hiking The Overland Track, a six-day hike from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. It’s also where I feel happiest and most at ease. It’s when I feel an almost instantaneous sense of calm and peace, coupled with an intense awareness of being alive. Excuse the cliché, but mindful hiking is really about remembering to stop and smell the roses (or the eucalyptus, as the case may be). Stopping and consciously engaging our senses when out hiking not only calms and grounds us-relaxing both mind and body-but it also deepens our connection to the natural world. But unless we make a conscious effort to stop every now and again and really pay attention to where we are and what we are doing, we can miss a tremendous amount. Hiking with friends while enjoying great conversation and laughter is one of my favorite activities.

Walk in silence