Nowhere Else You Need To Be

Before you start walking, take a moment and just breathe. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your weight balanced evenly between them. Fill your lungs with air, then let it out slowly. And again. You are here, in this moment, and for the next few minutes there’s nowhere else you need to be. This time is for you. Now, let’s get moving.

Pick a speed that’s slow and even, something comfortable. As you walk, feel the ground beneath your feet. Whether smooth or uneven, consider the way your feet and ankles adjust to the terrain. Feel the muscles in your legs work to move you forward, to propel you through the world, tensing and relaxing in turn. The way your knees bend as you move your leg forwards, and as you transfer your weight from one foot to the other.

Feel the way your core muscles engage to keep you upright and balanced as you walk. Your diaphragm and lungs, pulling air in and out, in and out. Feel the movement of air across your face. The temperature.

Walking can be a way to get us from one place to another, or a means of exercising. But right now, for just a little while, walking is a way for you to get in touch with yourself. Don’t think about your to-do list, about your plans for later. Don’t look back on how you’ve spent your day so far, on conversations or actions from earlier. Nobody needs anything from you at the moment. This moment is for you.

Look up. Can you see the sky from where you’re standing now? Imagine how much space there is out there. Take a deep breath. Fill your lungs with air, and then breathe out. Feel the flow of air in through your nose or mouth, the way your chest expands as you inhale. Feel it flow out again on your exhale.

On your next breath in, imagine that you’re drawing in air from that wide-open expanse of sky. Feel it, fresh and cool, sweeping up any worries or concerns. Breathe out and, as you do, release those anxieties. Breathe in again, feeling that air fill your lungs. Breathe out, releasing tension from your body.

What can you hear, as you walk? What’s the farthest sound you can make out right now? Traffic? Or birds? The wind rustling branches? Bring your attention in closer. Closer still. To the sound of your footsteps, the shifting of your clothing as you walk, your breathing.

Settle into your pace, and find a place to focus your attention. It could be the movement of your feet across the ground, or the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe. Explore the movement of your body through that process, the way it feels to move and breathe and walk through the world.

If there’s discomfort, acknowledge that. If it feels good to walk, appreciate that. For a little while, try to fully inhabit your body. Feel all the sensations on your skin, the fabric of your clothes, the movement of air against your hands and face. And while you’re feeling all of these physical sensations, look as well at your emotional state.

As you continue to breathe, imagine bringing in light with each inhalation. And as you exhale, keep releasing tension and anxiety. Breathe in light, breathe out stress. Breathe in light, breathe out fear.

And, while you continue to fill yourself up with light, and keep breathing those deep breaths in and out, maybe you could quietly thank yourself. You took this time today to be generous with yourself. To take a walk and pay attention to your body and your breath. That was a kind thing to do, and you deserve your own appreciation for it.

Smile to yourself. Keep walking. And keep breathing.