A walk makes everything better.
Really though. Don’t you agree?
Have you ever noticed how the simple act of stepping away from whatever is bothering you…the anger, the frustration, the overwhelm, the sadness, the argument, the exhaustion…making the conscious choice to gift yourself a walk will magically change your experience for the better.
Sure there are lots of reasons why this is true.
The fresh air, for one.
Being in nature always invites magic and deeper connection to self, which inevitably gets us out of that stuck mindset and free from the overwhelm of heavy emotions or discord.
And then there’s the movement.
Energy is fluid. When we give ourselves permission to move our bodies, we also move the emotional energy in our systems and create space for shift, for new ideas, for inspiration.
I’ll share a little story with you…
It was a Monday just a couple weeks ago. The day started super peacefully, as I was home alone, both of my babes were enjoying a sleepover at Gramma’s house. They were stoked to have unexpected time with Gramma and I was stoked to have a quiet start to the week. Win win. Or so I thought…until it was time to pick up my girls and head to their homeschool PE class {that takes place at a park near a marina…dreamy, to say the least}.
Anyway, I show up at my mama’s to pick up my girls and take them to PE. They have a rad teacher who is super playful and kind…and I get an entire hour to walk, energize my body and soak up the gorgeous Cali sunshine. Sounds like an ideal way to start the day, right?
Well, things did not quite go as planned.
As soon as I arrived, I heard pre-teen complaining from my first daughter who was suffering so much from exhaustion and absolutely could not go to PE.
Then, the trickle down effect happened…and soon my second daughter was suffering because the pants I’d brought for her to wear to PE {the exact ones she herself requested!} were not working out…they were bothering her skin and making it impossible to get ready to go.
Oh my goodness. Two complaining children is not exactly how I wanted to enjoy this day.
Thankfully, I’d started the morning with sacred ritual ~ gratitude journaling, breathwork, gentle movement, mindset practices, EFT and a nourishing breakfast of fresh water, blueberries, toast and chai tea. I was filled up on loving goodness and ready to face whatever challenge came my way with ease and grace, from that powerful place of alignment.
Can I just say how grateful I am for the practices that keep me centered?
Truly.
And for my discipline of bliss, for committing to nurturing myself with these practices.
Because there have been mannnnnnnnny other times when I have forsaken my self loving care and have not been aligned, which resulted in facing my daughters’ resistance with frustration and stern words. Not pretty. And definitely not the way I want to parent my girls.
So, having that foundation of feeling centered in myself helped me face my daughters’ resistance with kindness, with enthusiasm, with tenderness.
Like I’ve said before, we create the weather for our families. The energy of the leader {aka Mama in this case} ripples out, so it’s important to choose this energy and let it be loving.
This makes all the difference. {And gives this story a happy ending. Yay!}
After much ado, both of my daughters were dressed and physically ready to go.
The twenty minute car ride to the class was probably the most challenging part. My first daughter hung her head as a demonstration of her exhaustion. And my second daughter howled in the back seat, extolling the horrors of wearing pants that didn’t feel good.
Instead of slipping into their despair and reacting with frustration, I was able to be present for them. I breathed {oh did I breathe!}, I listened to good feeling music, and I focused on the beauty around me…the blue skies, our bodies’ wellbeing, our privilege of a safe car to take us where we want to go.
And soon enough we had arrived. My first daughter by this point was willing to play, the rest gave her time to reconnect. My second daughter, on the other hand, was still harumphing. So, I let her choose between PE and walking with mama around the marina.
She chose the walk. {Children are naturally wise and their intuition is powerful…I believe it’s our duty as parents to help them cultivate and honor this inner knowing…and I am so grateful I did.}
Before we even stepped away from the car, her little hand reached out to mine, and we walked together around the marina.
The tenderness of this simple act always melts my heart and reminds me of what matters most. Connection. Love. Grace.
Of course, my lil’ love wanted to stop and admire the beauty around her…the flowers growing, the sunlight sparkling on the water.
And I was happy to oblige her. If I allow myself to be present, her delight and wonder always inspire me.
We walked hand in hand for quite some time, stopping to photograph the water and the sky and one another.
We didn’t need to discuss the challenge from earlier in the day. The connection with ourselves, with one another and with nature was enough.
This is all we really want anyway…that feeling of connection. That knowing that we are okay right where we are, loved and accepted no matter what.
Soon enough, my babe looked up at me and declared she was ready to join her PE class. I noted how powerful it can be just to take a walk and allow ourselves to feel soothed by nature. She smiled and agreed.
When we returned to her PE class, I shared with her teacher that a little walk helped…and her teacher commented, “Isn’t that true…for any time in our lives, really?”
And I affirmed, “Oh yes, so true. A walk can soothe us in any situation. Absolute magic.”
So I share this story with you to encourage you to honor the wisdom of your own inner child, to gift yourself a walk outside…every day or any day that you need a little reminder that all is well, that you are supported, that you are connected, and that you are loved.
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