Walking in the Woods

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.
Angels whisper to a woman when she goes for a walk.” ~ Raymond Inmon

Walking is the most natural thing for humans to do, yet we do it so little. In the past I have gotten into the habit of walking every day for at least thirty minutes. Then long stretches will come when I get busy and barely get out once a week. It is a habit that seems easy to break. Yet when I am on my solitary jaunts in the woods I feel rejuvenated and happy. Why then do I not walk consistently every day? I don’t really know.

There are lots of excuses. I don’t have time. I’m too tired. It is too hot or cold. I don’t feel well. These are usually the times when I should be pushing myself to get outside and walk. I don’t seem to have much discipline when it comes to exercise. It often becomes a dreaded event when it should be looked at as a time to renew oneself.

When I finally do go out and walk under the trees or by the pond I feel energetic and happy that I am there. My senses come alive with the sounds and scents of the woods; plants, birds and squirrels. I forget all my other thoughts or worries and just breathe in the sights, smells and sounds of nature. Even in the winter, the constant crunch of my feet in the snow is like music to my soul.
I often think about problems or my plans for the day while I am walking. The unimportance of minor worries seems to become clear while I walk. Perhaps that is why people say, “Go take a walk and clear your head”. When I walk I seem to get creative ideas for my classes or other projects that I want to start. My oldest daughter often gets her ideas for stories to write after a long walk. The exertion of climbing inclines or crossing streams seems to be therapeutic as well. It gets your heart and lungs pumping and your legs moving – something we were made to do. I often use “exercise is good for my body’ as my motivation to get started but once there, it is the peaceful serenity of nature that holds me.

My goal is to walk every day and not rush through it, but use this as my time alone to meditate and ponder all the questions in my mind. It is a time to reflect on my life and put things into perspective ~ to think about what is truly important.