Mindful Walking

Walking is a healthy way to get our bodies moving. I try to walk every day. Sometimes when I walk, I check out of my body and mainly engage my mind by listening to an audiobook or calling a friend. Other times, it is important for me to connect with my body because I have been in my mind all day. Grounding means getting out of your head and into your senses. Walking is a great way to calm down and ground back into your body. It can be especially helpful if you had a stressful day. Walking using mindfulness skills is different than just going on a walk. I describe some ways to walk mindfully below.

What to notice as you walk mindfully:

Your Body

As you begin your walk, bring your attention to your body. Feel the shift of your weight from heel to toe with each step. Notice the swing of your arms, the upright posture of your spine, the movement in your hips. Are your shoulders relaxed or hunched? Is your jaw clenched? Observe what is going on. This continuous awareness of your body as it moves through space acts as a powerful anchor, drawing your mind away from worries and into the physical reality of the present moment.

Your Breath

Your breath can be a barometer of your internal state. Paying attention to it can help us noice our body more. The pace of our breath can also let our body become more or less anxious.

Breathing directly impacts your nervous system by affecting the acid-base balance, or pH, of your blood.

The key player is carbon dioxide (CO2 ). When CO2  dissolves in your blood, it makes it slightly acidic. Your breathing rate determines how much CO2 you exhale, controlling your blood's pH and triggering either anxiety or calm.

Fast Breathing → Anxiety

When you feel stressed or anxious, you tend to breathe rapidly and shallowly—a pattern called hyperventilation.

You blow off too much carbon dioxide.

Losing CO2  causes your blood pH to become too alkaline (a state called respiratory alkalosis).

This alkaline shift causes uncomfortable physical symptoms like lightheadedness, dizziness, tingling in your hands and face, and chest tightness.

Your brain interprets these sudden, strange sensations as a sign of danger, which feeds back and escalates your anxiety into a panic state.

Slow Breathing → Calmness (Balance)

Slowing your breath down is the fastest way to signal safety to your body.

By taking slow, deep, diaphragmatic breaths, you retain a little more CO2 , or bring the level back up if it was too low.

This action helps bring your blood pH back toward its normal, slightly acidic balance. More importantly, this specific pattern of breathing overrides your sympathetic "fight or flight" nervous system. It activates the parasympathetic "rest and digest" system.

This shift instantly lowers your heart rate, relaxes muscle tension, and releases your brain from the anxiety feedback loop, leading to an immediate sense of calmness and relaxation.

So as you walk, become aware of your breathing. Does it feel shallow and fast, or deep and slow? Notice how your breath naturally synchronizes with your pace. As you adjust your walking speed, observe how your breath responds. Allowing your breath to be a conscious part of your walk can be another anchor into the present and can be a way for you to regulate your physical and mental state .

Your Senses

Tuning into nature with our senses is another great way to anchor into the present moment.

Sight: Lift your gaze beyond your feet. What colors do you see? Notice the plants and animals around you. What does the sky look like? Take time for appreciation and gratefulness if those feelings and thoughts strike you.

Sound: What do you hear? Do you notice birds singing, bugs buzzing, leaves crunching, or the sounds of the concrete jungle? Try to identify individual sounds without getting caught up in their stories.

Smell: Take a deep breath. Can you detect the scent of damp soil, the fragrance of flowers, the crisp freshness after a rain shower, or the unique aroma of pine needles?

Touch (Sensations on your Skin): This is where you connect directly with the elements. Can you feel the wind on your skin, the warmth of the sun on your face, or the coolness of shade as you pass under a tree? Notice the feeling of your feet making contact with the ground beneath you.

Walking as a Way to Regulate Your Nervous System

Mindful walking isn't just a pleasant pastime; it's a powerful tool for self-regulation, especially when dealing with intense emotional states. Our nervous system has protective mechanisms called the autonomic nervous system (the branches include the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system). This part of our nervous system is found in all vertebrate animals and evolved to protect us when we are in danger. When activated, we go into “fight or flight”, where we become active enough to run away or stand on the ground and protect ourselves, or “freeze” where we play dead and our nonessential systems shut down. There are also parts of the autonomic nervous system that allow us to get back to our active calm state where our body goes back to the regular functions that keep us alive in the long run, which is sometimes called "rest and digest”. Walking can get us back into this active calm state.

To Ground When in Fight or Flight: If you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or highly stressed (the "fight or flight" response), choose a slow, deliberate pace. Focus intensely on the grounding sensations: the firmness of the earth under your feet, the steady rhythm of your breath, and the gentle touch of the air on your skin. This slower, intentional movement, coupled with sensory awareness, helps to signal safety to your nervous system, activating your parasympathetic response and bringing you back to a state of calm. Imagine each step sinking deeper into the earth, anchoring you to the present.

To Gently Activate When in a Freeze State: If you're feeling numb, detached, unmotivated, or "stuck" (the "freeze" response), increasing your pace can be incredibly helpful. Start gently, then gradually pick up speed. Focus on the activation in your body – the muscles working, the increased heart rate, the deeper breaths. Let your gaze widen, taking in more of your surroundings. This more vigorous movement helps to shake off the inertia of freeze, signaling to your nervous system that it's safe to mobilize and engage. The physical activity can help release trapped energy and bring you back into a more alert and active state.

Ultimately, mindful walking is a practice of bringing intentional awareness to an everyday activity. It doesn't require special equipment or a specific destination. It is about showing up, paying attention, and allowing the act of putting one foot in front of the other to become a way to center and ground yourself back into our wise, active, and calm state.

The next time you head out for a walk, try leaving your distractions behind. Tune into your body, your breath, and the world around you. You might be surprised by how you feel afterward. You don’t have to do this every time that you walk, but you will have this practice available to you when you need it.