In such strange and unusual times, walking is such a valuable activity, with both mental and physical benefits (only if undertaken under the current guidelines of course!). We recently had a lovely guest stay with us called Carmen - the soulwalker. You can read about how she became a soulwalker, her top three tips and her key benefits to walking therapy are just below. Enjoy, and thank you for taking the time to write this blog, Carmen! Couldn't have come at a better time...
Key Benefits to Walking Therapy
1. Quietens our nervous system and balances our internal systems
2. Creates space for unconscious exploration
3. Repairs our brains and lowers our blood pressure, reduces inflammation and aids digestion
4. Reduces depressive disorders, anxiety and stress through the release of endorphins
5. Creates connection with nature
6. Improves creativity and problem solving
I’m the Soulwalker. A business and personal therapist and Founder of
Soulhub, the place your heart knows and your soul craves. I’ve taken, in the
words of author Sarah Ellis, a squiggly career. No written formula. No ladder.
Just me, my heart, my pain, my intuition, and a whole learning curve of
navigating life to get here. And I wouldn’t change any of it. I love it.
Having left 20 years of marketing communication roles, which all of
course now make perfect sense. I landed on a blanket at Andrew Wallas’ School
of Wizards. Yes the rest is magic. Because let’s face it. Life. It can be
magic, when we stop fighting it. (Yes painful too!) And with my wand I learnt
about who I was. Why I am the way I am. Why I break relationships, why I stay
in them, why I love the way I do, why I’ve chosen this path. It all began to
make sense. And only. Only by going inside. By delving deep in to the core. And
feeling. Amazing how hard it really is to feel. Because it scares us. It scared
me. Would I crumble in the feeling. Yes, sometimes I would. And as the years
unfolded with a new sense of curiosity about myself and humans I created
Soulhub, retrained as a therapist and now walk a lot.
I walk in nature because it’s the most incredible way to connect to who
we are. Because we don’t get away without being. We don’t get away without
connecting to the world around us. If we try, we crumble, we cut off our own
life line and we die. In spirit. In soul. In our very core.
And walking I do. With people who want to explore their own being. Who
are ready to make changes, or are in so much pain they don’t know what’s next.
So I found myself walking the British Isles. Soulwalking. And I don’t
fully know why. I trust my body does. And as early in the journey as I am, I’m
understanding. Because it brings me home. To me. Because I meet the most
incredible souls. Guides who open their home and heart to me. Who send their
best wishes. Smile at me. Advice me. Host me. Show me the way. Talk to me.
Connection is all around when we take the time. When we stop. When we listen.
Connecting in nature can temporarily dissolve our ego and connects us
back to something much bigger than ourselves.
Walking in nature, as The Soulwalker, enables me to support others as
they heal and evolve. I’m a walking therapist, and take clients into parks,
along the coast, (and if distance doesn’t allow, a virtual walk), to create the
space for you to explore your emotions and feelings.
I’m a big believer that change happens when you’re ready for it, and so
here’s my 3 tips for when you’re walking in nature and might be stuck somewhere
in your life:
1 – Tell your truth. Speak to the trees, the river, the sea. Say
out loud what you want to say. As if no-one is listening. Ideally shout it out
loud, but if that feels uncomfortable, then just say the words. Once they are
out of your body, they are released. This will feel different in your body.
There will be a shift. It might not be easy, as it might well mean that you now
have to take action. But once the truth is said. E.g. ‘I don’t want to be
married.’ Or ‘I’m drinking too much’, ‘I lied to her’, ‘I’m not happy’. Only
when you stop lying to yourself can something change. Your body already knows
it. It always knows. It’s your mind that’s been playing games with you. It’s
time to tell yourself the truth. Trust
your own wisdom.
2 – Watch your body. Our bodies know. They know everything. Most
importantly they inform our minds. But we have to get out of our own way. And
we have to listen to our own body. If you have any pain, or any symptoms. Ask
it a question. ‘Dear foot, if you had a voice, what would you say to me?’. Talk
to your body. And when you’re in nature with someone, watch what your body is
saying. Is it tired. Is it uptight. Is it rushing. Is it angry. Is your skin
irritated. They’re all signs that something isn’t at peace. Something is out of
balance. Nature shows us that life is about balance, and only in balance do we
function at our very best.
3 – Speak kindly to yourself. It all starts with self. No-one
else. Whatever you say, say it nicely. No ‘oh you’re useless, or stupid, or
ugly.’ Only ever say kind things, as if you’re saying it to a child or your
best friend. Praise your successes. Praise how you are in the world. How you
speak, what you say, what you do. It sounds simple, but once you recognise it
for yourself, you realise how often you’re not kind. Don’t limit yourself.
Watch out for thoughts like ‘I can’t do that.’ Or ‘I’m too tired’. And rephrase
them to a positive stance such as ‘Today I’ve prioritised something else more
important.’ Or ‘I’m glad to be alive’, and see how different that feels in your
vibrational being.
All in all, given where we are today with a crumbling economy, people
starting to value, more than ever, human connection and our ecosystems, and looking
inward to ask questions of themselves, it’s the perfect time to step out on
that path and walk. With no agenda. No structure. Just you, and you, and maybe
a Soulwalker. Hope to see you in the path, later this year.
Carmen Rendell
The Soulwalker & Founder of Soulhub
Key Benefits to Walking Therapy
1.
Quietens our nervous system
and balances our internal systems
2.
Creates space for unconscious
exploration
3.
Repairs our brains and lowers
our blood pressure, reduces inflammation and aids digestion
4.
Reduces depressive disorders,
anxiety and stress through the release of endorphins
5.
Creates connection with
nature
6.
Improves creativity and
problem solving
