Our imagination (as wild as it may be) can still have limitations and doubts about the possibilities of life. Hiking, or walking outside, has always been a way to pierce through the fear and anxious thinking. Whether it’s the momentum, the endorphins, the spirit of nature, the tuning out of anxious thoughts – or the combination of all – it can awaken dormant dreams and parts of ourselves we’ve hushed for a long time (like self care).
Out there the noise of the world, of opinions, of politics, of division, of self loathing, of fear, of low self worth, it’s swallowed up by the trees and the sky. We are left with silence or the faint sounds of the birds and wind – chimes that only further allow us to hear; ourselves.
If you are swayed by indecision, frantic about your path, worried about multiple directions, burdened by saying yes to so much – book yourself a few hours and take a walk outside. Leave your phone inside your bag. Forget photos. Forget decisions. Forget the to do list, it’ll be there when you’re back. Walk. And as the thoughts rise up and restlessness is still there in those first few minutes, just keep walking.
After sometime, watch as your mind shifts, as your body calms, as your shoulders drop. And then keep walking. And walk some more. And indulge in the beauty of the trees. Look out into the hills. Soak up the air. Wonder at the blue sky. Be grateful you are alive. And maybe while you’re walking a simple, very simple, answer will come. A direction. Or a clear moment where you know what to do. Or maybe, you’ll just realise, you haven’t have enough time to just be lately. And it’s just what you needed.
Whatever the case, our mind has the power to limit us and tell us that life is smaller or more scarier than what it really is.
If we allow natural movement and the grace of nature and spirit to touch us, there’s no limit to the beauty of what can happen.
Read more about this location: Amazing Albany
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