Hiking and mindfulness: tips for mindfulness walking

Mindfulness is the ability we humans have to connect with the present.. In English it is called "mindfulness"and refers to that power with which we remember where we are even though we are doing various activities.

While walking outdoors, for example, our mind wanders through thousands of thoughts. Mindfulness helps us to recognise what is happening in the present moment, even if we get distracted by remembering past events or making projections of the future.

Through this state of mind we avoid being affected by things that are not happening in the here and now, but focus on living in the present. How to achieve the "mindfulness"or mindfulness? We bring you some tips for you to practice it while hiking and enjoying the contact with nature.

Mindful hiking: walking with mindfulness

It happens to all of us that when we go out for a walk, our mind starts to wander in a myriad of subjects and gets lost. We think about what we will have for dinner, what we will wear for the weekend, about friends who are no longer around... and so on and so forth.

With mindfulness, however, we will be more aware of our inner selves and our surroundings while hiking. We will begin to notice the sound of breathing, to enjoy the smell of the plants, to feel the contact with the earth... in short, to take full advantage of every moment.

If you find it difficult to focus your mind for the whole hike. Start practising with small intervals of time, applying the following tips for practising mindfulness in hiking:

• Before you start walking, set yourself the goal of staying on track. conscious in what you are doing.
• In case you have a worry that has been torturing you for days, let her go for a moment.
• Relax with some deep breaths that help you to relieve the burden.
• You can focus on your breath and your breathing if you notice that your mind does not get tired of wandering.
• Pay attention to the steps you give and try to follow that rhythm consciously.
• Release tension letting the arms hang to one side.
• When you find it impossible to let go of those thoughts, stop for a moment and reboot your mind detailing what you see, hear, feel and hear in the moment.
• Inhale the good and exhale the bad. With your breathing you can fight against those thoughts that prevent you from concentrating. Every time you inhale, think of your body receiving good vibrations and when you exhale, assume that you are removing what is hurting you.

A healthy mind

It is not easy to apply mindfulness while hiking, but little by little you will learn the techniques. Before you know it, you will be strongly connected to every second of your route.

Freeing the mind with the "mindfulness"will help you to improving your mental and physical healthYou will stop tormenting yourself with hypothetical events and give way to new and enriching experiences. You will eliminate stress and enter a peaceful state of mind.

If you find it hard to concentrate on the present for a long time, you can do it for a period of 15 or 20 minutes.. It will be enough to cleanse that which hurts you through conscious walking.

There will come a time when mindfulness will become your natural state while hiking or doing any activity. Your mind will become quiet and you will be able to tune in to your surroundings.

Instead of suffering and worrying, you will hear the noise of the animals, feel the touch of the wind, see the colours of the mountains and smell the perfume of the flowers. Dare to practice mindfulness while you walk!

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