In the past, whenever I went for my walk, I was never aware in any way of how gorgeous I am. I would often try to fit my walk in, almost as part of some ‘have to do’ list of chores to complete; I was totally unaware of the power of my walk. It was like ticking off the day box by box, with no real respect for me and what I truly needed to support me.
I would then often find that my days lacked a sort of space just to ‘be’. I had spent so long each day trying to be someone – like the ‘student’, ‘son’, ‘flatmate’, ‘cook’ and many other masks I put on – that I had no real time to just enjoy the real me.
It seemed that my walks too were never really for me to enjoy my body moving, either. They were driven, needy, set to time, and often full of lots of distractions and off-topic thoughts, like how my day was going or what sort of things I had to do when I got to work. I very rarely enjoyed the spaciousness that they could offer me. I was so caught up in my day and having to be someone, that to just be in my walk and enjoy that, seemed all too much. Seems that the masks had become so much a part of me I had forgotten what I felt like without them on!
I was rarely with myself. A friend asked me to recall what my feet felt like during my walks. I could not remember. I was so off in being someone or something else that my feet didn’t seem to be a part of me at all. They just seemed to be things that carried me from A to B and needed some maintenance from time to time – like going for walks, etc. They were my personal, in-built transport machines.
Not long ago though, I had the most revealing and deeply supportive moments I had felt on my walks in a long time.
I felt me.
Yep, I took the masks off and was agape at who I saw: a deeply tender, handsome man.
For the first time in ages I could feel that my walk was not based around getting anywhere, doing anything or trying to be someone. I wasn’t even concerned about the time. I took the moment as a space for me to enjoy me.
I found that in this space I could feel the gentle spring in each step I took, and the delicate wisp of my presence that warmed my chest each time I breathed. I could feel the deep simplicity of my walk, my love, and me. It was a time that was not governed by a need to finish something because I could feel how I was complete as I was. There was no need to worry about life because I could feel that my still presence offered all the strength I needed.
The work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine has inspired me to live my life in a more gentle way, focussing on each step I take.
So now when I go for my walk, I enjoy the power of my walk and how gorgeous it is to be me, taking each step.
by Joshua Campbell (21) Living in Christchurch, NZ
906 Comments
Boy, Josh, if I was honest I have been doing a very similar thing with my daily walks lately, that is, making them into more of a chore than actually allowing myself the space to enjoy feeling me without getting into my head about anything I needed to do or what happened during the day, in a way that needed some kind of outer validation of my ‘worthiness’ or how purposeful I had been that day. This feels really expansive and freeing to give oneself time to connect like you have and I look forward to giving it a go!
Awesome Michael, it is great to give it ago and I too can sometimes find myself thinking about a million things when I go for a walk and this blog inspires me to be more aware of how I move my body and the quality of my thoughts.
There is nothing like a good walk to help reconnect us back to the magnificence we already are.
Very true Sam. I don’t go for a walk everyday because I feel I have too much to do, but I realise perhaps I am avoiding this powerful way to reconnect to myself.
And this was long before Walking Therapies – amazing what you discovered for yourself and by yourself before walking became a Universe Medicine modality.
It is interesting to observe and feel our own posture of when we are walking and thinking things over in something and when we are walking in connection and just fully enjoying ourselves without our heads in a process- one has heavy steps and the other a lightness of being.
Sometimes I find myself going for a walk to complete a task that I supposely have to do because it is ‘healthy’. This always leaves me a feeling of emptiness and like it would never be enough. But this gorgeous sharing opens up to me a new way of walking from the simplicity of just feeling me and my body step by step. It feels very refreshing and new, thank you
Joshua I enjoyed very much reading what you experienced in your walking by simply feeling you. Your sharing invites me to feel more the gentleness of my body, it also brings me more awareness to my feet and a deep appreciation towards them as I could go nowhere without them. Looking forward to go for a walk with me again.
I loved reading this again Josh, I can see you walking with yourself and feeling how awesome you are with every step, and the great thing about what you have written is that every single person on that planet can so easily walk in the same way and feel the same awesomeness.
Very true Julie. What inspires me the most about this blog is its simplicity and how these awesome moments of just being us are available for all.
How often is our daily rhythm set to bring things so we feel exactly like you have shared Joshua? “They were driven, needy, set to time, and often full of lots of distractions and off-topic thoughts, like how my day was going or what sort of things I had to do when I got to work.” Walking with a divine purpose does bring so much to our day so that our true movements allow us to evolve instead of the distractions described.
“So now when I go for my walk, I enjoy the power of my walk and how gorgeous it is to be me, taking each step.” great to read thank you Josh – just before my morning walk.
When we open our body to walking in connection and opening our-self to be able to feel that we are connected with every aspect of our body is so glorious. Then by feeling our-self as we move gives a reflection that gives us so many different perspectives of our body, it is as simple as you have shared Joshua.
Walking in true connection with ourselves is not only healing for ourselves but for all whom we come in contact with.
There is so much for us to explore of ourselves through our connection to our body, and this is a beautiful reminder of how through a seemingly simple exercise such a walking, we can begin to feel from within that there is an immense power to connect to and move with.
Walking and being open to feel exposes the momentum of every step we have taken. It brings awareness to your fore; and how simple it is through movement and consistency to change the momentum to that of appreciating the fluid flow of beauty within and all around you — “I took the moment as a space for me to enjoy me.”
At work I need to walk a lot. I now pay much more attention to how I move around my workplace and take it as an opportunity to connect with me and just give myself the space to register how I am feeling. I find that I am taking on less stuff from work and going home more energised.
I too have been walking in a completely different way with thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, in that it is a movement that can flow and when present with each and every movement support us in our next and so the day, week, month etc. However, even at times I have felt this and it has felt beautiful. I still fluctuate between this and walking to get from A to B .. if I am honest most of the time it is to get to A to B but the beauty is I now know the magic in our movement and walk and in time know this will unfold more for me.
What I found deeply gorgeous about reading this blog today is how my body responded to how you walked Joshua in the detail of your words. Reminding me that we can only connect to how that feels as we are all the same within.
‘I took the moment as a space for me to enjoy me.’ What a beautiful reminder. I’m learning that I can enjoy my walk even if I’ve been a little off key, my walk supports me to return to me and let go of ways of moving that are at odds with my true expression. I don’t have to take things on and be good in any way but can simply enjoy being me.
What you share here is super important and profound as you describe that life is a joy when we are simply with ourselves and feeling our moves.
Absolutely agree with you Joshua. My walks are for me to feel me and this feeling will then accompany me in my day.
I hate the feeling of being out in nature, walking or driving and not remembering parts of my journey because I was in my head, not my body. I find it supports me to walk and feel my feet on the ground, as does bringing attention back to my body whenever thoughts begin to crowd in.
Beautiful blog Josh. Walking me and feeling me as i walk, there’s joy in that.
Very beautiful describes Joshua. The simplicity in how we can find ourselves again, so simple. We do not need to go anywhere, it is just there if we choose so.
And from there we can feel the joy of deepening that connection again.
The roles we take on, even in our walk, with all the thoughts to come along with it show how much we put more value on other parts in our lives.
In our true walk we allow the heavens to shine through us as we strut and feel the exquisite joy we are.
Walking in connection is true medicine for our bodies but also a great blessing for all, for each step leaves an imprint of the love of who we are.
Beautiful Francisco. How wonderful walking with the purpose of leaving an imprint of love everywhere we go.
Imagine how many steps we walk in our life and then, that we could hear how many of these we were present and with our body. I suspect the end result would come as a shock. You show beautifully Joshua how us connecting is the vital piece from which all else flows. You sum it up so well right at the start – after all, do we truly feel how gorgeous we are? This is surely so different from the usual getting from a-b methodology.
Great inspiration to read this blog again Josh. Walking can be such a game changer for the whole of our life. Everything we practice in our walk, like experiencing joy, our power, or feeling our surroundings, humanity, will magically also start manifesting in our lives as well. If we walk on a consistent basis.
Joshua, I enjoyed reading this; ‘ I wasn’t even concerned about the time. I took the moment as a space for me to enjoy me.’ this feels really lovely – simply enjoying being with ourselves with no agenda.
Walking in celebration of ourselves is incredibly powerful. Walking knowing how gorgeous I am heals… it is a great marker to build on.
What a gorgeous motto to bring walking into our everyday. Thank you for lifting the lid on the ideas that are always waiting to be used for why we walk – its good for our health, getting bit for fresh air, exercising, keeping fit but never walking to celebrate how wonderful we are.
I like this motto and am going to start using it!
I love going for walks with me, no set destination or goal but simply to be with me. Often these walks have a bounce in my step and I feel absolutely gorgeous. Very different compared to walking with my focus on getting somewhere or doing something.
We totally underestimate the power of walking in appreciation of every step our bodies make back to ourselves.
“In the past, whenever I went for my walk, I was never aware in any way of how gorgeous I am. I would often try to fit my walk in, almost as part of some ‘have to do’ list of chores to complete; I was totally unaware of the power of my walk. It was like ticking off the day box by box, with no real respect for me and what I truly needed to support me.” your first paragraph Josh is super powerful for me as in it I love the fact you claim that you are but were not aware of how gorgeous you are simply through your walk, of course we all are this, but we don’t often express it, connect to it and certainly don’t appreciate it.
I find walking in nature with presence and flow is a great way for me to feel my gorgeousness and the gorgeousness and beauty of nature which surround me.
I love the word agape. I understand it means ‘being in a state of wonder’ and in some cultures it is a word that describes the love of God for man. There is certainly a sense of opening up when we feel agape – the opening of our hearts to the love within and our innate gorgeousness perhaps.
I can relate completely to this blog. Walking was something I did whilst my brain was indulging one thought after another and I too was completely unaware of my body whilst walking. Practicing presence whilst walking has revolutionised this and walking in presence is a joy beyond anything I could have imagined. I am now playing with adding purpose and authority to my walk and feeling how this affects my all.
I love moments of just being. It is in these moments I feel all that I truly am.
Thank you Joshua. I love this line: ‘There was no need to worry about life because I could feel that my still presence offered all the strength I needed.’ The deep sense of trust is so tangible. I feel we walk in the abundance of love constantly and can trust it to provide for us all – if that is our choice.
I recently started a series of Connective Tissue exercises and since then have been really enjoying feeling the flow in my body when I go for a walk – it feels so gorgeous and in appreciating this it deepens my connection with nature and my mind is aligned with this activity and not off somewhere else completely different working out what I plan to do next or reviewing past actions. It is amazing to allow myself the space to be with me on my walk and truly energises me for whatever is next which is then carried out with far more purpose.
A timely reminder to simply feel my feet even as I sit in the chair. How easily we forget we have a body that sits right below our heads.