I think it may be one of the most powerful forces on the planet.
You know that feeling when you have something in your heart that you can’t resolve or sort out? Or that morning when you just want a hug and someone to share thrilling news with? Friends (community) + Walking (movement) = A Powerful Force. When we add energy and movement to a conversation, I believe more of the subtle magic of life is revealed. Sure, going out for a cup of tea or dinner is wonderful. It is. I love it. But there is something super sparkly about going for a walk with a friend.
Good friends make you feel seen, protected, supported, and brave. In their company, a walk can feel like a joyful playground, a safe space, a place of connection, a moment to acknowledge, or a morning to remember. I have come to realize that walking with a friend actually regulates my nervous system in a way very few other things can. Especially if we are walking in the wild.
Friends occupy a unique place in our lives. Different from partners, colleagues, children, extended family — friends are chosen. Friends provide a unique perspective on what’s happening; someone we can share a giggle with, bond over shared loves and values, who support us in who we are and who we aspire to be. And perhaps most importantly, friends are those we trust to tell the hard or difficult thing without risk of judgment.
I think walking holds within it support and aspiration all at once. There aren’t many things each day that do this quite the way a shared walk does. Moving together side by side, forward, generating energy and action is an elixir for many of the things that are scratchy in life.
Many of my friends are forces of nature. They are my edges, they help me define me, and they are my center. I count on them. When I walk with friends, I feel nourished and loved fully. Walking together with them is where we love each other most powerfully. Walking helps me understand where I am and what I feel. Walking is when I am able to see and share my messy, glorious, and full truth — and walking is when I know myself most clearly.
Libby DeLana is an award-winning executive creative director, designer/art director by trade, who has spent her career in the ad world. Click here to get your copy of Libby’s first published book, Do Walk. You can connect with Libby on Instagram @thismorningwalk and @parkhere.
