Health&Wellness Magazine May 2016 | Page 13

May 2016

&

Mindful walking can help you connect to
your inner sense of peace and calm, manage
stress, increase spontaneity and enhance
mental focus, creativity and problem solving.

the mind to be all over the place, like a restless monkey jumping
all around. Our job is to train it to be our ally rather than our
master, and anyone can do it.
Harshly judging yourself for “failing” at the task of mindful walking is counter-productive. Rather, use these moments
as part of the practice itself, gently reframing “distractions”
(whether it’s thinking, planning, remembering, hearing sounds,
visual experiences or emotions) as “reminders” to gently guide
your awareness back to the present moment, back to the walking
and the natural world. It is traditionally said that we bring the
kindness and gentleness of “a feather touching a bubble” to these
moments rather than self-criticism, harshness and self-judgment.
You can practice mindful walking for whatever amount of time
you have available, either dedicating time specifically to that formal meditative activity or informally bringing mindful attention
to all of your walking – anytime, anywhere.
May you walk in beauty.
Resources

LOOK FOR US SOON!
Chevy Chase

How to walk (Mindful essentials). Thich Nhat Hanh (2015)
Instructions for walking meditation. Insight Meditation Center
http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/articles/
instructions-for-walking-meditation/

About the Author
Dr. John Patterson is past president of the Kentucky Academy of
Family Physicians and is board certified in family medicine and integrative holistic medicine. He is on the family practice faculty at the
University of Kentucky College of Medicine and the University of
Louisville School of Medicine, Saybrook University’s School of Mind
Body Medicine (San Francisco) and the Center for Mind Body Medicine
(Washington, D.C.). He operates the Mind Body Studio in Lexington,
where he offers integrative medicine consultations. He can be reached
through his Website at www.mindbodystudio.org.

630 Euclid Avenue Suite 105
Lexington, KY 40502 (Next to Euclid Kroger)
[phone]
M-F 8a–10p | S 8a–6p | Su10a–6p - MassageEnvy.com

Hamburg

2200 War Admiral Way
Beside Sportsman’s
[phone]

Nicholasville Rd
116 Marketplace Dr
In front of Walmart
[phone]

For a specific list of services, check
with the specific location or see
MassageEnvy.com. Each location is
independently owned and operated.
©2016 Massage Envy Franchising, LLC.

13