Wonder Walking
This fallen madrone leaf inspires wonder and delight!
Here is a game I like to play that addresses many of my needs at once. With this simple practice, I can cover my daily requirement for meditation, art, writing, nature & exercise.
This activity, which I call Wonder Walking, is bound to lead to more vibrancy and presence in your daily living. The game begins like this…
In your heart, set the intention to awaken wonder (and any other quality you would like to experience more of—like calmness, clarity, vitality, etc.)
Start hiking (or city walking) looking for sights and sounds that trigger wonder and any other desired qualities. Does the curve of the trail delight you? The way a flower pops through a crack in the sidewalk? The knocking of a woodpecker?
Snap photos or capture sounds that bring this quality forth. (If using a smartphone, place on airplane mode for maximum wonder). Take around 5-10 photographs. For instance, on my hike, I felt inspired by the divine design and colors of a dying madrone leaf, the patterns of tree bark and how mud cracks into puzzle pieces.
After your walk, sort through your collection of photos, pick one that calls you and use this image as a launching point for your writing or sketching—focusing on the details that delight your muse. After you’ve created the image in your journal, allow insights to arise and begin a written conversation.
Tune into your body—on a scale of 1-10, how much more wonder do you feel? Even a one point increase matters. Celebrate this victory because now you have a tangible creative tool to feel more wonder in life!
Pick one thing from your nature or city walk to explore in your journal—try loosely sketching or painting and then just write what comes. Notice if you experience more wonder…
The Wonder Walking practice is especially helpful and supportive if you are feeling stuck creatively, want to feel more connected to life or craving a quiet mind.
The other day I even Wonder Walked my way right out of worrying. My monkey mind would not stop rattling off the “what if’s” in the aftermath of a loved one who was recently hospitalized. I went for a hike with the intention to find wonder. The act of sketching and writing about the beauty of a fallen leaf helped me settle my nerves and come to presence.
Even dried mud inspires wonder!
It’s fun to pick a piece of nature from your walk, spend some time sketching or painting or being and then start a conversation in your journal…