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Mindful Walking Meditative Steps for Well-Being by Marlaina Donato
T
he health benefits of walking, such as stress reduc- tion, improved joint mobility, lower blood pressure and increased oxygen, are well known, but walking or hiking
with a meditative focus offers some other unexpected perks. Mindful walking that fosters focus on each step can combat depression, anxiety and unhealthy food cravings by boosting neurotransmitters. Studies from the University of Exeter, in England, reveal that chocolate cravings and consumption are reduced aſter just a 15-minute walk, and a German study found overweight people that walked briskly for 15 minutes had less desire for sugary snacks. A 2016 study in Complementary Terapies in Medicine found
that meditative walking for 30 minutes three times a week reduced arterial stiffness and the stress hormone cortisol in a 12-week period. Individuals with Type 2 diabetes also had healthier blood sugar levels. Further, the group that employed mindful walking exhibited significant improvement compared to the control group that engaged in regular, non-meditative walking.
Mindful Me-Time
Like seated meditation, meditative walking fosters mind-body awareness that can nourish the spirit. “Some of the world’s greatest artists, like Johann Sebastian Bach and William Blake, were well aware of this, and spent much time on long walks exploring their inner worlds,” says Reino Gevers, of Majorca, Spain. Te author of Deep Walking for Body, Mind and Soul, he sees walking meditation as an invitation to tap into the bigger matrix of life. “Deep walking, also pilgrimage walking, is spend- ing time alone in nature to walk off the things that are weighing heavy on your shoulders. Tese could be hurtful and traumatic
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