Pause, Breathe, Walk: An Autumn Reflection

There’s a route I often take. Out of my front door, along the main estate road, through a quiet gulley that leads to some quieter residential streets with houses overlooking the local park. From here I can cut through one of the smaller entrances and then the park opens up in front of me. It’s mostly open space, with wooded areas around the edges and a tarmac footpath that winds its way around the edges of the grassed playing fields. Usually it takes about an hour, but walking mindfully, an hour and a half can easily slip by.

What mindful walking means for me

Mindful walking starts when I begin to notice the enormity of the park, hearing the smallest rustle in the shrubs and trees, wondering which bird or animal made that sound. It’s the difference between walking with my earbuds in and being absorbed in a podcast or music to opening my up senses and myself to what is right there before and around me and feeling a part of something bigger than myself.

I am aware of slowing down. I feel like I walk slightly taller. I notice my senses tuning into the quieter but consistent rhythm of nature. My heart beats a little slower and I breathe a little deeper.

Sometimes, mindful walking means noticing my feet meeting the ground. Is it hard or soft? Do my steps thud, crunch on dry leaves, or squelch in mud following rain?

'Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.' - Thich Nhat Hanh

Why autumn helps

Autumn invites noticing. This year, the colours have felt especially intense. Colours of deep crimson burnt ochre, golden yellow, rich mahogany and blotchy yellow-greens.

What colours do you see?
What do you smell?
What sounds do you notice?
How does the air feel on your skin?

Even though I’ve walked this park many times, walking mindfully makes it always feel new. Sometimes I take a photo, sometimes I pick up an acorn or chestnut.

'Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.' - Lao Tzu

A moment I return to

'I notice my senses tuning into the quieter but consistent rhythm of nature.'

An invitation

Next time you go for a walk, I invite you to walk mindfully. Pause, notice, breathe. Open your senses to the colours, sounds, textures, and scents around you. Stand beneath the branches of the trees. Listen to the rustle. Be fully present with each step.

Walking mindfully lets us come back to ourselves.

This blog isn’t a set of instructions or a guide. It’s simply an invitation, to pause, notice, and connect with your own experience. As a person-centred counsellor, I value the space we create when we slow down and allow ourselves to be present. Sometimes, just opening your senses and walking mindfully is enough to come back to yourself and feel a little more grounded in the world around you.