There are many things I love about this time of year, but the one thing that stands out is the ease of spending more time outdoors and the emotional and physical rewards for doing so.
The days are longer. The flowers are blooming. The birds seem to have more to say. Even an ordinary walk around the neighborhood can easily be more this time of year.
Over the years I began to notice that not all walks leave me feeling the same.
Some leave me relaxed yet energized, inspired, deeply refreshed. Others feel more like doing something I'm "supposed to do."
The difference isn’t where I walk or how far I go.
It’s how present I am while I’m there.
Here's five simple practices I often use to get more from my walks and hikes. I hope you enjoy them!
- Look for nature’s patterns
When walking in the woods, I often slow down and notice the repeating patterns around me.
The veins in a leaf. The texture of tree bark. The spiral of a pine cone.
These patterns are known as fractals—repeating shapes found throughout nature. Researchers believe they help calm the brain and nervous system.
Instead of walking past nature, try spending a few moments really seeing it. You may be surprised by what you notice and how it makes you feel.
2. Take a deep breath and let out a long sigh
Every so often, I'll pause and take one or two slow, full breaths.
Then I release them with a long, audible sigh.
It’s one of the fastest ways I know to signal safety to the body and release tension I didn’t even realize I was carrying.
Simple. Free. Effective.
3. Alternate between near and far
One simple, yet surprisingly effective practice I learned years ago is to intentionally shift focus.
First, notice something very close—a flower, a pebble, a blade of grass.
Then lift your gaze to something far away—the horizon, distant hills, a cloud formation.
Moving between near and far encourages the eyes to relax and broadens your awareness of the world around you.
It’s amazing how expansive life can feel when we stop staring only at what’s directly in front of us.
4. Imagine being part of nature
This may sound a little unusual, but it’s actually the most grounding.
Sometimes I’ll imagine what it feels like to be a tree I notice, branches swaying effortlessly in the breeze. I'll feel what it feels like to be deeply rooted into the earth while expansive as I stretch upward.
While sometimes I might physically stretch my arms upward, but most of the time I simply feel this by imagining in my mind.
I'll feel what it might feel like to see a bird I see gliding on a current of air.
Or a squirrel darting confidently from branch to branch.
For a moment, I stop observing nature and allow myself to feel connected to it.
It is always an incredibly grounding experience and often also results in a sense of lightness, carefree and yet connected.
5. Walk without trying to get anywhere
Every now and then, try leaving your fitness tracker behind.
Don’t measure the distance. Don’t count the steps. Don’t worry about your pace or where you intend to go.
Instead, allow curiosity to lead.
Follow the path that looks interesting. Stop to smell and touch. Watch the bee flit from flower to flower. Sit on a bench if you feel so inclined.
So much of life is spent trying to get somewhere.
A walk can be a beautiful opportunity to practice simply being where you are.
As we move into summer, I hope you’ll give one or two of these practices a try.
The walk may be the same.
But the experience may be entirely different.
Slowly,
Julie
No need to hurry. This moment is enough.
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