Walking When You're Too Busy to Walk

Microseason No. 9, March 15-19

Carving out a quiet hour for my walking practice is like breathing. It’s oxygen for my mind, body, emotional and spiritual health.

Walks, for me, are an act of defiance in overly busy times.

It is especially during these seasons that I must walk.

I walk to be my true self and to make time for the things that help me flourish.

Fiddlehead ferns— beautiful logarithmic spirals— are beginning to appear along the trails now.

Whether I’m walking in times of perplexity, grief, or celebration, my favorite trails have been companions who give me exactly what I need on any given day. They ask so little in return— only my attention.

I love to walk as I hold a beautiful question in my mind. These questions change from one microseason to another depending on what’s happening in the rest of my life.

Walking has helped me to clarify my vocational discernment process. Several years ago, I used my walking time to map out a plan for returning to school. Now I’m practicing a new kind of nursing that fascinates and challenges me.

I’ve found solace and healing from major surgery. I’ve grieved the loss of loved ones.

I’m walking to manage the stress of being a frontline worker in a global pandemic.

The trails have always led me to see what is miraculous and life-affirming about every ordinary day.

I sleep much deeper at night on the days that I’ve walked. My dreams are more vivid and I wake up refreshed.

I am insatiably curious to investigate any new plant or forest creature I happen to notice. I’m always excited to get home and pull out my field guides to see what I can learn.

The gorgeous colors, shapes, and textures of the forest have inspired me to be bold about making art. I paint, draw, and take thousands of photos with my phone. I keep a small herbarium of pressed specimens collected from our wooded yard.

Right now I have so many fun, creative projects going— like this substack!

I am never bored.

These are just a few of the ways I appreciate the year-round practice of walking and savoring each microseason. Why not try it for yourself?

To borrow a wise old saying:

If you don’t have time to walk for one hour a day,

you should walk for two hours.