Awe Shucks
She was standing by a garden while her doggie took care of business. I was also set to walk around her when she turned toward me.
Grapes? I didn’t even know there were grapes growing in this garden, never mind smelled them.
She stood aside, whereupon I stepped up, took a deep breath and got a pleasant whiff of vitis larusca. “That’s nice,” I said. “I’ve heard of stop and smell the roses, but you can also stop and smell the grapes.”
We laughed, I wished her a good day, and I continued to the gym.
I’ve been trying all sorts of positive techniques to improve my rather dark disposition, and I recently came across the concept of the awe walk.
This is where you shift your attention outward during a walk to notice and appreciate the wonder and beauty in the world. This can be found in nature, art, or acts of kindness.
The practice encourages “a sense of wonder and reverence, fostering feelings of gratitude, hope, and a connection to something larger than oneself, leading to increased well-being and inner calm.”
Experts suggest that you walk for at least 15 minutes in a natural setting, your neighborhood, or even around your home or backyard. And lose the headphones.
I’ve got a nearly 20-block walk to my gym—the price is right, as my dad used to say—so I’ve got plenty of time to look for amazing sights, listen to unique sounds, and—oh, yes--notice new smells and textures.
Exploring a new place or observing a familiar one from a fresh perspective can enhance the feeling of awe.
I’ve been trying to employ these techniques on my gym hike in a bid to eliminate the negative.
Things in Motion
I usually take the same route to the gym, but I’ve been trying to stay present and take in my surroundings. You start to appreciate things like bright sunshine, a friendly conversation with a stranger, or just watching squirrels climbing through the trees.
Another trick I’ve been using involves the Reticular Activating System (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem that controls consciousness, arousal, and the sleep-wake cycle.
Now to get your RAS in gear, experts say you should focus your attention with clarity by setting specific, detailed goals, and reinforce them through visualization, positive affirmations, and journaling.
It’s dark most mornings when I leave for the gym most mornings, and far too often my gloomier emotions will take over.
Lately, I’ve been bummed by the end of summer, regretting my life choices (a classic) and shaken by the thought of getting on an airplane at the end of the month for a trip out west.
On Thursday morning, I feeling so overwhelmed by life that I was barely aware of my surroundings.
And then I saw the light--literally.
These high beams were coming a garage light from a home on 85th Street they lit up the sidewalk around me.
Obviously, I had set off a motion detector, but I chose to take this as a sign to take light a candle rather than curse the darkness.
The awe walk is a bit tougher for the trip back from the gym. I’m tired and really hungry, but this morning I was a few blocks from home when someone called my name.
It turns out it was a woman I know from my local laundry. I was feeling wiped from the workout and I was seriously famished, but I was so happy to see her that I hung around to have a nice chat.
It’s important to stop and smell the grapes.
Comments