Guest Blog: Tiny Travel Rebel on the benefits of walking and reflecting

If you go down to the woods today…

You’ll sure have a big surprise… and maybe even a revelation.

Going for a walk with a friend can be such a treat. A way to bat ideas back and forth and discuss the ups and downs of your week. Imagine taking this idea but instead of a friend it’s a qualified coach who has asked pertinent questions ahead of time and planned this walk all around you. You get to focus and explore in depth whatever is on your mind. Stops and methods along the way have already been thought out which will help you with your contemplation.

Caitlin and I are wrapped up warm as we begin our walk along the snowy riverbank. Immediately she outlines how the session will play out so that I know what to expect and to make me feel at ease. There’s something comforting and easy about walking and chatting alongside someone. It’s not as intense as looking directly at someone’s face on a laptop screen with a microphone. Words flow quickly and effortlessly as we walk, just as the river does next to us. Walking side by side and at the same pace brings a sense of camaraderie and trust.

After an initial stomp we stop right next to the riverbank, turn our faces to the sun and take time to really connect with nature. Feeling rooted to the Earth, listening and sensing nature all around. After a few breathing exercises, Caitlin gets me in touch with the elements to combine and discuss the feelings and emotions that these evoke. I lock in key words to look back at later. I am reminded how lucky we are to live in the mountains and how spending just five minutes on a simple exercise outdoors can result in a quick reset and refresh.

More stomping, more thought-provoking dialogue as we continue upwards with the fresh breeze brushing our faces, the bubbling of the river and the crunching of snow underfoot as the background music to our conversation, the towering trees shrouding us protectively.

We find a bench overlooking Nyon waterfall and Caitlin moves the session on to deeper themes, getting me to search for, identify and reason with inner feelings and voices that tend to condone or congratulate me. The calming presence of the trees and the loudness and intensity of the rushing water help me focus. My eyes zone in and out as I gaze at the icy water constantly cascading down. I search deep inside and try to identify what happens in my subconscious. The waterfall doesn’t judge me and Caitlin sits quietly next to me as I take time to reflect and find complex answers.

As we get up and head back down to our starting point, we pick up pace and start discussing joy, adrenaline, and fearlessness. This ends the session on a high note and I’m left with several attainable goals and great suggestions of small steps I can take to make positive, measurable changes. It’s possibly the most thought-provoking walk I’ve ever been on. Just think what might happen if you go down to the woods with Caitlin!

Ⓒ Tiny Travel Rebel