With the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games (and having a Studio Ghibli-obsessed child!), there has been a lot of conversation in my house about Japan, and a fascination and appreciation for the food, the culture and the beauty of the country. 

One concept we’ve found out about is called ‘shinrin-yoku’, or forest-bathing. Apparently this practice became very popular in the 1980s as a way to help workers who were experiencing burnout and also to highlight the vast and otherwise ignored network of Japanese forest. 

It was discovered that reconnecting with nature and totally immersing oneself in its sights, sounds, sensations and smells can be hugely beneficial for our mental health and stress levels. 

Being in nature can be a meditative process. 

If we also add walking into that mix, this can also be an extension of that process. 

While forest bathing requires an actual forest or other scenic environment, mindful walking can be done anywhere - the difference is in you and depends on your staying in the present, and not being distracted by other thoughts and daily plans.

If you are able to tap into mindfulness, it’s not important where you are physically - it is where you are mentally that matters. 

On a daily basis, walking is something we do when we can’t drive to somewhere. It becomes a chore and something we tend to avoid. However when you think about the whole process of walking upright - we humans are the only ones that can do it! We are unique.

For those of us without mobility issues, we can take walking for granted. However as long as our health allows, the ability to walk is always there (even if the facilities for other movement isn’t available). 

Mindful walking is less about the destination and more about the journey. It is taking yourself out of that “how did I get here” mindless autopilot mode, and being aware of all of our senses while we travel. It can take place in the city, a country track, a suburb - anywhere. 

It is mindful to appreciate the way the sun reflects on that particular building, the smell of soil after the rain, the sound of birds, the rhythm of wheels over a bridge, for example. 

It is in our perception, rather than our action. Instead of seeing the walk to the store as an inconvenience, it changes our experience when we see it as a feast for our senses. 

The appreciation of being in the present can make every experience a mindfulness practice.