An awe walk is a powerful technique to access the transformative feeling of awe.
Awe is similar to wonder. It happens when you see a stunning sunset or gaze at the sky full of stars. It’s amazing and sometimes overwhelming. You can’t believe you’re experiencing this.
It often involves a deep appreciation for the beauty and mystery of life. A connection to something greater than oneself.
Unfortunately, only a few of us truly recognize and see the awe in our daily lives. We are usually too busy with our hectic lives and schedules to notice it.
Our constant inner thoughts distract us from being fully aware of our present surroundings.
Let’s have a look at how we can experience this most wonderful feeling.
Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
What is an Awe Walk
An “awe walk” is when you go for a walk outside and pay attention to and enjoy nature. It is sometimes referred to as a mindful nature walk.
Gretchen Reynolds in The New York Times explains it beautifully: “You are looking out for small wonders in the world around you.”
During an awe walk, you pay close attention to your surroundings, noticing the beauty of nature, the details of the environment, and the interconnectedness of life.
This mindful and intentional connection with nature can lead to feelings of awe, which, in turn, can have positive effects on your mental well-being and promote positive emotions.
This feeling can help you feel positive and reduce stress and anxiety. It can also improve your connection with yourself and your subconscious mind.
How To Do an Awe Walk Step-By-Step
Engaging in an awe walk involves being open to the sense of wonder and amazement that nature can evoke.
We train our faculty of perception to be present in the moment and notice our surroundings in in a very careful and precise way.
It is in these quiet moments that we witness some of nature’s most wondrous things.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for an awe walk:
1. Choose the Right Setting
Select a natural setting that inspires awe for you. It could be a nearby park, a nature reserve, a forest trail, a beach, or any place with natural elements that captivate your senses.
2. Set Aside Time
Give yourself the luxury of time for your awe walk. It could be as short as 15 minutes or as long as an hour, depending on your schedule and preferences.
Taking your walk at sunset or at dawn to witness the dawn sky colours or a beautiful sunset can provoke a sensation of awe.
3. DISCONNECT!
Turn off your phone or put it on silent mode. The goal is to minimize distractions and fully engage with your surroundings. Be present in the moment.
4. Mindful Preparation
Before you start walking, take a few moments to center yourself. Take inventory of the thoughts you’re thinking. What are your worries and concerns?
Acknowledge those thoughts but allow them to be like a cloud passing through in the sky. It’s not here to stay. Resolve to leave your concerns behind during your awe walk.
Once your mind is cleared of any racing thoughts, take a few breaths and begin your walk.
5. Use Your Senses and Observe Details
Paying attention to your surroundings starts your walk. The goal of the awe walk isn’t to reach a destination but to enjoy the journey.
Take the time to observe the smallest details that usually go unnoticed.
Notice the patterns on the leaves, the sunlight filtering through the trees, the intricate design of a flower, and the shapes of the shadows. There is so much to notice and see.
Engage your senses fully. Notice the colours, shapes, and textures around you. Listen to the sounds of nature.
- What do you see? Is it a sunny or cloudy day?
- What do you hear? Can you hear the leaves rustling from the wind? Can you hear the birds chirping or the thuds from your footsteps?
- What do you smell? Do you smell the fresh, crisp air? Can you smell the leaves, the dirt, and the flowers? What do you feel? Is it cool outside or warm? What does the ground feel like beneath your feet? What is beckoning to you? Beckoning can come as a feeling.
Be enthralled with the little details. There’s so much abundance and many gifts in nature!
6. Feel a Connection
Allow yourself to feel connected to nature. You can cultivate a sense of belonging this way.
Recognize the beauty and abundance of the natural world, and contemplate your place within it. You are a part of it! A unique part of this mystery of life.
7. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude, as I’ve spoken about in my training, is a high success vibration. When you engage in the practice of gratitude, you elevate your vibrational frequency.
Express gratitude for this moment. Reflect on the positive emotions and sense of awe that may arise during your walk.
Feeling gratitude in one area of your life always produces gratitude in other areas as well. This is the mystery and wonder of the mindset of gratitude. The more you practice it the more you have to be grateful for.
8. Mindful Reflection
Towards the end of your awe walk, take a few moments to reflect on your experience. Notice how you feel and appreciate any positive emotions that have emerged.
The key is to be present and open to the experience, allowing yourself to be captivated by the wonders of nature.
Remember, It’s NOT about reaching the destination It’s about the journey.
How to Incorporate Awe Walks into Your Daily Life
If you live in a big city, or maybe you might not have a park close by. But there may be many trees that you can visit and sit under. The Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree and he realized his enlightenment.
Interestingly, you don’t even have to go on an awe walk just to experience awe in your daily life.
Sometimes you don’t have the opportunity to go out and be in nature. But that doesn’t have to stop you from engaging in this practice of being with nature.
The New York Times reported that “…short durations of viewing pictures of nature and green trees can help people to recover from stress”.
Isn’t that exciting news to hear?! This means that as long as you take time to look at and focus on a photo of nature and greenery, you will get to experience similar benefits as actually being outside in nature!
So really, there’s no excuse to NOT incorporate awe into your daily routine! If a walk isn’t accessible for you, simply look at a beautiful picture of nature to receive the benefits.
Benefits of Awe Walks
Taking a leisurely walk and observing nature can be transformative. You can feel amazed when you allow yourself the luxury to just stroll along and pay attention to your surroundings.
Stress Relief and Wellbeing
It can release stress and lift you out of a depressing time. It can help when you feel overwhelmed or are feeling sad or sorry for yourself. It calms the nervous system, reduces anxiety, and fosters a sense of well-being.
One study found that people who took awe walks felt more upbeat and hopeful than walkers who did not.
My wife has a secret place where she likes to go when she is “Out of sorts” as she calls it. A place where she goes and focuses on the nature around her.
She says, “All the things that were disturbing, just seem to disappear.” It’s not that the problem has disappeared but the perspective of it has changed. Her problem seems insignificant in the face of all the beauty surrounding her.
Higher Consciousness
Engaging in an awe walk allows you to connect with yourself on a very deep level. It often evokes a sense of transcendence, where you feel a connection to something greater than yourself.
You will begin to reflect on the mysteries of existence, the wonders of creation, and your place in the grand scheme of things.
You recognize that through nature’s complexity, you have this grand opportunity to elevate your vibrational frequency by recognizing all the beauty and abundance around you.
The abundance of leaves, the abundance of rain droplets, the abundance of grass blades, the abundance of sand grains, the abundance of pebbles- you align yourself with abundance this way.
And when you connect with this abundance frequency, more abundance in other areas of your life will begin happening for you.
Your connection to the energy web of all reality is unlimited. Once you tap into this eternal source of everything, you will begin to understand how you can use the unlimited power you have access to because of your interconnectedness.
Awe walks are so much more than what meets the eye – it’s an opportunity for you to become one with all that is.
There is much information that can be revealed to you once you learn how to create a partnership with your subconscious mind.
The Importance of Incorporating Awe into Your Life
If you don’t make space for these reprieves in your life, life can sometimes make it for you.
I won’t say too much about this but some of the most driven and successful people, who are by nature usually very busy, can all of a sudden be stricken with a serious health issue.
Stress occurs when the mind and body are not at rest. If you are always on the go, this means your body is in a state of constant stress. Even when you are on the go having too much fun, this puts your body in a state of stress.
Something to think about.
Conclusion
Spending time in nature can make you feel calm and reflective. It’s a place where you can think about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Awe walks and experiencing awe proves to be a profound and transformative journey for the soul and the conscious and subconscious minds.
In the serenity of nature, the conscious mind is granted a reprieve from the constant chatter and demands of everyday life. The subconscious is being programmed for beauty and abundance and the soul is being nourished on a deep level.
Awe and awe walks serve as a respite, allowing yourself to reconnect with the deeper recesses of your being.
This experience can be like therapy and can leave a lasting impact on us.
