I love running but I also love walking and for a place to walk it’s hard to beat the pathways of Cochrane. The Bow river runs through the town and who knows maybe one day we will be able to walk along its banks to Calgary.
Not only is walking good for your physical health, it is excellent for your mental health. I live in the west end of Cochrane and one of my favourite hikes is along the river to the railway trestle bridge and back. I’ve done this walk hundreds of times but I always see something different.
One of the key things for me is “walking in the now”. Calm the chatter that is going on in your head, clear the mind and really see what’s in front of you. I take the weather as it comes. Whether it’s sunny, wet, snowy or cold (but not too cold) it’s time to head out. As you get into your stride look up at the clouds, see the shapes that are formed, the colours and texture. Sometimes I stop and watch a flock of geese fly in formation. Look at the water, see how the sun reflects off the ripples and waves. Look down and see what vegetation is around you. Things change as the seasons change.
My favourite time to take my walk is the winter. There is a crunch, crunch of the snow and when the sun hits the white blanket a million diamonds sparkle. In the early morning, after a fresh fall, animals leave their tracks that tell a story of the previous night’s activities. Walking along the frozen river bank incredible ice shapes are formed around the boulders and the river still runs under the ice and around the rocks.
A key part of “walking in the now” is the silence other than the wind in trees, the water on the rocks and the odd train that passes by. We all need a place for us. When you think about it, all we have is what we have right now at this moment. As I walk I am gratefully for everything I see, hear, touch and smell. These are all gifts that we have been given. Unfortunately in our busy world they tend to be forgotten or ignored.
But don’t just practice this mindfulness on your walk. The reality is that this is an action you can carry out anywhere you are and in whatever you are doing. As we start 2025 give yourself permission to go “walking in the now”.
