Trails Talk: Can you hear them?
Trails talk.
Can you hear them? Come close. Let them speak calm into your busy life.
Easier said than done when you are the kind of person who has racing thoughts, great ideas, or a lot to worry about!
During many of our walks our minds are “time traveling.” We’re either thinking about the past (I shoulda, woulda, coulda) or we’re worrying about the future (the what ifs, or worst case scenarios). There’s nothing wrong with getting outside and working through an inner conflict, or pondering a work issue. We often gain mental clarity during a walk.
On the other hand, fear resides in the past and the future. Regretting a conversation we had, or worrying about a future event are anxiety provoking thoughts. And, most of our thoughts aren’t real! They haven’t even happened yet. We make stuff up. We create scenarios without having all the facts.
We have thoughts, we are not our thoughts.
And, luckily we can decide what to think, and when to think what we think!
That being said, fear does not reside in the present moment. When we rest in the present, we are living. Life is daily. Of course we need to plan, and remember, and learn, but if we spend all of our time in the past or in the future, we miss a lot of precious moments.
This is Rocket Man.
He time travels to the past and to the future spending most of his time worrying, scared, or stressed out about events he can’t re-live, or about events he’s made up in his head. Rocket Man writes his eulogy when he gets sick or injured. He’s convinced any ailment is cancer. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No.
When Rocket Man balances in the present moment, he feels no fear. He’s in the zone. He’s too busy staying focused on his own balance board of life.
Here are a few Tips from the Trail to get out of your Rocket Man suit the next time you walk in the woods.
1. Try playing this game alone or with your walking partner. Take turns accessing your 5 senses:
See 5 things you haven’t noticed before,
Hear 4 things,
Feel 3 things,
Smell 2 things,
Taste 1 thing.
2. On your next walk ( for many of you getting your dog out in the morning is a great time for this) see your common walking path with what’s called the Beginner’s Mind. The Daily Zen offers more details.
3. When you start your walk, ground your feet to the earth. Feel the soles of your feet and keep bringing yourself back to this place of groundedness.
4. If you are in the woods, look for the alphabet in the trees. See the snow creatures climbing out of rocks, and find pictures in the clouds. Look up, and look down. It’s amazing what’s all around.
5. And finally, play. Be present and feel your surroundings. When was the last time you made a snow angel?
I hope this offers you new ideas on how to live life daily.
Don’t get me wrong, it takes practice, practice, practice.
What a great task to master!
Happy trails today, Allison
