Just do this one thing while you walk to destress and reboot your mind to calm
Start your Mindful Practice as you Walk
You only need 5 minutes mindful practice a day to increase your wellbeing.
The ChapWell Method combines activities that recognise we live busy lives and managing our stress needs to be built into who we are, what we do and where we are rather than struggling to change things or cram in yet more activities in a busy day.
I specialise in developing bespoke packages for individuals, education organisations and workplaces to incorporate mindfulness and stress management into the day, every day, easily and effortlessly. www.chapwellmethod.com
Easy and Effortless Technique
I use this throughout my day allowing me to focus, discharge any stress and deal with what's happening now. I just wonder how much of your work or free-time are you using to unwind from work or a stressful situation?
First the usual safety reminders, do not do when you are in a busy, hazardous area, where you need to stay fully alert for your safety and others.
Walking Meditation - counting your footsteps in groups of 7 as you walk.
Feel your feet meet the floor/ground and count each step - one and so on up to 7 steps.
Now here comes the fun bit – when you reach step 7 keep counting and start at 2 and count each step to 8 (using multiples of 7).
When you reach step 8 take the next step and start at 3 until you reach 9.
Continue counting on each step starting at the next higher number and only counting 7 steps on.
Essential Point - If at any point you get lost, confused or hesitate YOU MUST start again at 1 to 7 and then 2 to 8 and so on. Not only does this keep your mind busy, in the now, away from building those stressful emotions but it also gives your mind a powerful message, it’s OK to make mistakes, I can sort it easily!
When you stop walking you focus on your ‘now’ and carry on with what you are doing, until you next walk! Just 5 minutes a day will help you to discharge some of that stress and impact on your well-being.
And that’s it; remember there is no competition in this and no judgements on how good you are at it. Forget judgements and allow yourself to become involved in the process. I haven’t managed to get past starting to count at 12 and it really doesn’t matter.
www.chapwellmethod.com Fiona Chapman, 07766671398, 01202 287301 fiochapman@aol.com Extracted from my forthcoming book - How to ‘Mind the Gap’ between Stress and Wellbeing, copyright Fiona Chapman