The Quiet Path

Walking in Nature as a Doorway to Mindfulness

Every time I walk in the woods, I’m struck by the same thought:

"Why have I left it so long since I was last here?"

I’m a very sensitive person, not just emotionally. I also feel subtle energies that many people don’t.

Perhaps it’s due to the decades I’ve spent on a meditation cushion, or maybe it’s just the way I’m wired. I remember one particularly special moment in the woods, where I could literally feel energy moving through my body, unmistakably coming from the trees. It was as if these great beings—the "standing people," as the American natives call them—drew me into an energetic exchange. We already know of our symbiotic relationship with trees at the level of gasses, but this was something deeper. The energy that moved through my body soaked up all the trapped tension and pulled it away, back into the earth, where it belonged.

I just stood there in awe, bathing in that strange yet subtle vibration. I left the woods feeling completely invigorated.

Walking in nature has long been a sanctuary for those seeking solace, a retreat from the noise of daily life into the serene embrace of the earth. Each step on a woodland trail or a sunlit meadow is more than just movement; it’s a journey inward, a reminder of the beauty of being present, of breathing in harmony with the world.

This simplicity, this act of walking, has a profound power to ground us in the here and now, awakening a mindful awareness that seems so absent in the hurried pace of modern living.

There’s an ancient wisdom in walking, a truth that modern science is beginning to uncover.

Researchers at Stanford University found that walking in natural environments, as opposed to urban settings, decreases negative emotions and reduces activity in the brain region associated with mental illness—the subgenual prefrontal cortex. In their 2015 study, Dr. Gregory Bratman and his colleagues observed that participants who walked for 90 minutes in a natural setting reported lower levels of rumination—a repetitive, negative thought pattern—and showed reduced neural activity in this area of the brain compared to those who walked in a city environment.

The wisdom here is simple: nature heals.

When we immerse ourselves in green spaces, we’re reminded of a different pace, a rhythm that has nothing to do with the demands of clocks and calendars. The forest, the mountains, the rivers—they move at their own tempo, inviting us to slow down, to listen. In this slowing down, we find a doorway to mindfulness. Walking becomes not just a physical activity, but a meditation, each step a gentle return to the present moment.

Thich Nhat Hanh, the revered Zen master, once said, "Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet." This gentle reminder speaks to the heart of mindful walking—an awareness that we are not separate from the world around us, but deeply interconnected with it. As we walk, we can bring our attention to the sensation of our feet touching the ground, the whisper of wind through the leaves, the play of light and shadow on the path ahead.

Each of these sensations is a gift, an invitation to be fully alive in this moment.

Science supports what ancient traditions have long known. A 2019 study by Dr. Mathew White and his team at the University of Exeter Medical School found that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and well-being. This time doesn’t need to be in one long stretch but can be accumulated in smaller periods throughout the week. The benefits were evident regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic status, highlighting the universal healing power of nature.

To walk mindfully in nature is to cultivate a deep appreciation for the present moment. It’s about recognising that the beauty of the world is not something we have to strive to see, but something that reveals itself naturally when we slow down enough to notice. The mind quiets as the senses awaken; the heart opens as we attune ourselves to the living landscape around us. In this space of stillness, we often find answers to questions we didn’t know we were asking, solutions to problems that seemed insurmountable, or simply a sense of peace that had been eluding us.

As we walk, we might pause to listen to the birdsong, to watch the play of sunlight on the water, or to feel the texture of bark beneath our fingers. These small acts of attention are seeds of mindfulness. They remind us that the present moment is all we truly have, and within it lies a boundless depth of beauty and peace.

One of the gifts of walking in nature is its ability to reconnect us with our true selves. The natural world doesn’t judge or demand; it simply is. In this simplicity, we find a reflection of our own essence, unburdened by the roles we play or the worries we carry. Dr. Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a researcher at Chiba University in Japan, has explored the concept of "forest bathing," or Shinrin-yoku, which involves immersing oneself in a forest environment. His 2010 studies demonstrated that even short periods of time in a forest can significantly lower cortisol levels, reduce blood pressure, and enhance overall mood.

These scientific findings underscore what many of us intuitively feel—the natural world offers a powerful antidote to the stress and fragmentation of modern life.

When we walk in nature, especially with mindful awareness, we open ourselves to this healing energy. The trees, the wind, the birds—they are all teachers, guiding us back to a place of balance and peace within ourselves.

As we continue to walk, the boundaries between ourselves and the world around us begin to blur. We find that we are not separate from nature, but a part of it, moving in harmony with the rhythm of life itself. The path we walk is not just a trail through the woods, but a path to our own hearts, a journey into the stillness that resides within.

In this practice of mindful walking, we rediscover the simple truth that life is not something to be rushed through, but to be savoured, one step at a time.

And in this savouring, we find that the present moment is enough—more than enough—it is everything.

I have started offering free live meditation classes again on my Facebook Page -please come and join us.

Below paid members will find my walking meditation course.

I hope you enjoy it.