Lately I have gotten into the habit of taking long walks. It seems a great way to start the day and it’s relatively easy on the body and good for you to boot. Now I’m sure many of you have read all the associated health benefits so I need not list them here.
What I did want to share with you was the learning I have Peace gained since this practice has gone from being a once in a while thing to more of a habit; in fact if I don’t get my walk in, it seems something is missing from my day. Fortunately I live in a climate where there would be very few days that I would have to miss out.
When I first started to do my walks, my immediate thing to do was to pull my phone out and make a few calls along the way. You know someone you’d meant to catch up with, a standing call with someone near and dear and even a business call if it was required. Then one day I decided to switch that practice to just looking on my phone and fiddling around, looking at Facebook or Instagram, maybe catching up on an email or texting people. I found myself settling on a combination of both and thought to myself how very lucky I was to be a good multitasker !
One day I was up earlier than usually and decided to get my walk in. Well it was far to early to call anyone so fiddle around on the phone I thought. Here came the problem it was raining and cold. So if the water didn’t get my phone my fingers were going to freeze…besides, every try to balance an umbrella and play on your phone with both hands.. not so much fun! What would I do I thought…NOTHING to do on my walk?! Anyway I decided to just finish my walk and forget the phone. At the end of the walk I felt more refreshed that I ever have before. What had I stumbled on to I thought?
So I did it again and again until now I notice nature, I feel the air against my cheek, I see the sun, I hear the birds it’s amazing. I have discovered the power of nature in my backyard..And I didn’t need to go on an expensive vacation to do so; it’s right there .. Anytime I want. Again, I’m fortunate to live in an area that offers plenty of trees and animals. So that is my little way of finding some peace in the big city!
You know most of us don’t do the little things enough until they become the big things. For example, we don’t eat well until we have an associated health issue, we don’t slow down until we get a cold, we don’t listen to our kids until they are in trouble, we don’t spend enough time relaxing because we are waiting to retire and the list goes on and on. Why is it that we don’t do that? Why is it that you can’t cut yourself a break? Why is it that we wait until a multiple number of things is going wrong in our lives till we decide we need a dramatic correction when knowing that just doing the little things like taking a walk will put us one step closer to our center and towards peace?
Before you get into a highly agitated and stressed state, I highly recommend that you give yourself some time to be with yourself, after all that self is the most important one…make yourself feel happy and at peace and you’ve got the world by the tail so to speak. How easy it is for us to not do some daily practices that bring us peace. How easy it is to put ourselves last and then we run in need of therapy or a holiday. How easy it is to give yourself a daily holiday a daily dose of peace. Try it sometime all you have to lose is a little stress and a whole world to gain. What was it that the famous philosopher and holy man Bhagat Kabir said “in the mirror of my heart is my love, all I need do is to bow a little and take a look”
Namaste