Walking has been my quiet companion through every stage of life.
When I was a kid, my brother and I would spend hours hiking around my grandparents’ cabin in northern Michigan. We explored woods and trails, collecting memories like treasures (excluding the time I picked up turkey poop because I thought I had found there really good round balls all over the ground). Back then, it was all about adventure.
When I was in college, walking became something different. I would head out at night, headphones on, and call my mom. Those conversations, sometimes about everything, sometimes about nothing, were my way to unwind, to ground myself after a long day.
Later, when my son was in school, walking became joyful again. I walked dogs during the day for fun and exercise. Let me tell you, every single dog in the world is thrilled when they realize they’re about to go on a walk. That energy is contagious. 10 out of 10 recommend.
And now, I find myself returning to walking in yet another season of life. Early mornings, before the emails, calls and to-do lists, I slip outside and let the world wake me up gently. It’s my way of finding center before the day begins. The birds and bunnies greet me. The fellow walkers nod hello in passing. We share a common bond of gratefulness to be awake for another day.
Walking has carried me through joy, stress, change, and growth. It’s always there, free, simple, and deeply grounding.
That’s why I’m so excited to share something new with you, a Walking Meditation Series inspired by books I love. These meditations are short, gentle companions you can take with you on your own walks. Each one is rooted in words that have inspired me, passages that made me pause, reflect, and breathe a little deeper.
The first meditation in this series is about creativity, how it surrounds us, how we can let it walk alongside us instead of trying to force it. It’s inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, a book I return to whenever I feel the weight of “should” on my creative spirit.
Check it out HERE.
My hope is that these meditations inspire you to step outside, even for a few minutes. To breathe.
To notice.
To remember that the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other can be a life changing.
So grab your shoes and let’s walk together.
Happy walking,
Melissa
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