How Early Morning Walks Are Changing Me

I have a monkey mind. Everybody has but I feel that mine is a bit too much active at times. There are whole days where I can’t keep track of time because my mind is jumping from one branch of time to the other.

I have been trying mindfulness. It feels amazing when doing but after that, the routine of mind getting lost in thought chains returns. It’s not a good thing. It ruins ,y mind, steals away my time and sometimes I lose the opportunity to recognize what is happening around me in the current moment.

I have been going to the gym for quite long. Usually, I am a solo bird in the gym. But recently I joined a group for a day doing circuit training just for a change. When I came out of the gym I could feel something new. Apart from the physical effects I was feeling more happy, attentive and not lost in my thoughts.

Better Than Meditation

This experience enabled me to spend time with my family physically as well as mentally. I am usually physically there but mentally my mind is wandering the universe. What changed I thought to myself? The constant interaction of the group, the presence of mind during the whole training session.

This prompted me to think about how I can make myself available mentally at the present moment. I have always been an admirer of nature. I love the sweet dulcet sound of birds chirping, the sound of water, and sound of air gusting through trees.

I thought that it would be easier to train my mind to be present with my body if I spend time somewhere I like. I live in the city and there is not much nature to be seen around in daily routine. But there is a wildlife park nearby. I am lucky to have it near my home.

For the last two days, I have been going to that park just after sun arises for a little less than an hour. I usually wrote articles in the morning so getting up early wasn’t really a problem for me. It is difficult to explain how easy and relieved I felt by being there.

Surrounded in nature, the only voice I heard was of birds and animals.

With no man-made noises and a thick cluster of trees changed the environment just a few kilometers away from my home. I couldn’t believe that such a retreat was available so close to me for God knows how long.

A scientific study shows that we are getting plant blind. With less and less time in nature, our mind has stopped recognizing the green colour. Don’t mix your time outside your home with time spent in nature.

We humans used to live in the countryside. We were outdoor creatures. The industrial revolution created the metropolitan with apartments and closed and confined spaces. We became obsessed with computer games than with mobile phones and social media.

The outdoors from where we came originally became scarce and started to turn into luxury.

The environment where the ordinary villagers spend their entire lives has now become exclusive and subject to exotic holidays. There is an entire generation void of knowing how to live in the open, tranquil natural environment.

People in cities who have a connection with their villages are considered lucky. Recently a friend of mine was all shock and awe when he came to know that I still go to my village every year.

Change In Routine

I usually write articles as I said before in the morning but there are days when I really don’t want to. So I figured I should bring some noteworthy change in my routine. I can go to spend some time in nature about 3 days in the week and for 3 days I will write. This way my routine won’t become monotonous. The work I will do will bring some quality in itself. Also, my mind will become fresh.

I was right. The change in routine proved to be a great impact on my writing as well. When I am in standing under the trees, eyes closed focused on just listening to the sounds of birds and bugs there is a deep sense of calmness and positivity fulfills me.

When I sit to write that calmness and presence of mind which I acquired the previous day helps me a lot to focus on what I am doing now. I always have to look up to something. I know today I am writing and tomorrow I will be going back to the trees.

Find a Place to Escape

This also gives me strength when I am where I don’t want to be, I am stuck in traffic or a crowded place, or someplace from where I want to escape. I know that there is a place very near but far and beyond from all of this, a place where I can escape from anything.

All of us should have places where we can escape from our daily lives. Most of us are living a routine with little to no access to green areas and by green areas I don’t mean mowed lawns and fancy golf courses, I mean pure and raw nature.

I have tried that to be more mindful and it worked for me. Starting from a gym session ending in nature, who knows what might work for you. But I can tell you one thing for sure you can’t find anything if you are not looking.

So always keep on looking someday you will definitely find it.