What do you get from a walk?

Hiking centers me. Brings me peace. I've said this before on many occasion. The rhythm of the foot steps and  of my breath and the clear air often brings me to a meditative state. It helps me work through lots of things in my life. Usually when I stop for a snack or at a vista I break that and for a small moment of my day I become awake and aware of where I am and whats around me. The more I hike the more I'm aware. These days I'm very present on my hikes. Each flower, the temperature of the air, the feel and direction of the wind. The softness of the cool dark mud or the smell of the rain soaked lichen on the rocks. Before these moments were all temporary and fleeting. Now they are the walk. Every step is one of intent. Every look and touch is chosen and deliberate. Each breath I draw in brings me closer to the mountains underneath and all around.

I get more peace and more joy out of every walk I take. Now hiking doesn't help me work through my problems or help me clear my head of them. I'll let myself give them the attention they deserve, but right now my thoughts are in the moment. Exactly here they need to be.

What do you get from a walk?

Spreading the love

I haven't got around to getting the photos off my camera from my last few little hikes so this post will be without pictures. I just wanted to draw attention to my buddy Honey Du's blog from his summer on the Colorado Trail.

http://amodestfolly.blogspot.com/

He's got some great photos and a love for wildflowers. But its his way of sharing life on the trail and in trail towns that is what really draws me in with his posts. I find when other people write about hikes it usually can be awfully boring, but thats not the case here.