An Expression of Love
Walking the earth is a way to ground, to find center, to find the heartbeat of a place, a road, a path, a walkway, a sidewalk, a field… This practice is my expression of love.
“We are all just walking each other home.”
It is 5:02 am. Good morning, Tuesday, September 2020. The cool air is beginning to replace the slow, humid, heavy air of summer. It is noticeably darker at 5 in the morning than it was a week ago. I must admit, there is a lovely anticipation of the coming fall months but also a splash of dread as the deep cold of a New England winter is just weeks away. These changing seasons make the world feel hopeful and is also a powerful reminder that change is the natural state of affairs. It can bring with it a beautiful feeling of newness, and also the feeling that nothing is stable. Walking in these distinct seasons has been a glorious lesson. A lesson in change, a lesson in embracing all that is in the moment.
I am reminded each time I pull on my shoes and head out the door how walking every damn day has fundamentally changed my life. There are the obvious shifts in fitness level, increased appetite, but the subtle shifts are perhaps where the magic resides. My sense of time has changed. My understanding of distance has forever been remodeled. Step by singular step, I have walked enough miles to have circumnavigated the earth, roughly 25,000 miles. It has taken 9 years.
The important thing is not the mileage or the time this took. In fact, I am very aware that many other people have reached this milestone. If you are an avid runner, undoubtedly you have already covered these miles. I have friends and colleagues who are The Original Walkers and have been walking for decades. I must admit, I wish I had started decades ago. For me, however, this practice saved my life. It saved my spirit. It saved my way of being. It saved me.
Walking is a slow practice. There is no rushing, no urgency embedded into each step. It isn’t a task to ‘get over’ so I can move onto the next thing on the list. Instead, it is a place to be aligned with the pace of the natural world. I had lost touch with that. My days had become to-do lists and looking at the clock to get to the next thing on time. In fact, when I look to the natural world, the only things that move quickly, with urgency and speed are things that are often destructive: Nor’easters, earthquakes, hurricanes. Life was moving too quickly. Too much untethered energy. Walking was a way back to a pace that was recognizable and a way to truly see what each day was going to bring, instead of simply checking tasks off a list.
This practice has become a way of life. It is subtle, cumulative, spiritual, physical, creative, healing, innovative; a slow, essential practice that has required discipline, commitment, and a splash of wild optimism. Walking can be healing. To go for a walk is perhaps one of the most primal things we can all do. Walking the earth is a way to ground, to find center, to find the heartbeat of a place, a road, a path, a walkway, a sidewalk, a field… This practice is my expression of love.
Join me in walking the walk.
At the end of the day, #ThisMorningWalk is about love. That’s all.
Love.
Love for the day.
Love for the sunrise.
Love for the rain in your face.
Love for the bend in the road.
Love for the many sightings of the snowy owl.
Love for the commitment.
Love for having done it.
Love for me.
Every. Damn. Day.
Libby DeLana is an award-winning executive creative director, designer/art director by trade, who has spent her career in the ad world. This article is based on an excerpt from Libby’s first published book, Do Walk: Navigate Earth, Mind and Body. Step by Step. Click here to get your copy. You can connect with Libby on Instagram @thismorningwalk and @parkhere.
Walking: An Enduring Tradition
Italians may be among the world’s experts when it comes to savoring the sweetness in their daily lives. Pas·seg·gia·ta (pasəˈjädə) is defined simply as a leisurely walk or stroll, especially one taken in the evening, following a meal. This evening promenade is also a means to come together as a community, to share in an appreciation for movement, for the day, for gathering.
Written by Guest Author, Olivia Willner
The art of La Passeggiata.
Having coined phrases like La Dolce Vita (the sweet life) and Dolce Far Niente (the sweetness of doing nothing), it would seem that Italians may be among the world’s experts when it comes to savoring the sweetness in their daily lives.
To this end, Italians of all ages and backgrounds continue to honor an enduring tradition that is known to the world as ‘La Passeggiata’.
Pas·seg·gia·ta (pasəˈjädə) is defined simply as a leisurely walk or stroll, especially one taken in the evening, following a meal. At its core, the idea itself is quite simple, we have long known of the benefits of walking to aid digestion.
While ‘La Passeggiata’ is absolutely a means to promote a healthy lifestyle, the practice holds much more meaning, especially today. This evening promenade is also a means to come together as a community, to share in an appreciation for movement, for the day, for gathering.
Between 5-8pm in most major Italian cities and villages, following the conclusion of the workday, locals will begin flooding the pedestrian streets or piazza’s to simply amble. The beauty of this practice is that there is no destination in mind, and therefore no rush. The goal is not to reach a certain number of steps or to get from point A to point B. Instead, Italians ritually welcome the evening by sharing in this community practice of health and togetherness.
In the spirit of that togetherness, you will hopefully find that if presented with an opportunity to join a traditional Passeggiata in Italy, you will be welcomed as one of the village's own. The Italians as a whole are generally known for their welcoming nature.
However, don’t let proximity stop you from enjoying La Passegiata, by bringing this tradition into your own community or routine. The only necessities to enjoy this practice are simply a “come as you are” attitude… and of course the willpower to overcome the temptation to lay on your couch after a good meal.
Once you get in the habit of walking after a meal, you will likely want to continue for the sole reason that your body is thanking you for your help as it digests. I have a feeling though, that in the quiet tranquility of your evening stroll, you may find even more reasons to keep strolling. You know what they say… “Do as the Romans Do”.
Olivia Willner is a freelance writer and mental health enthusiast from New York. A lover of walking with friends and her dogs, you will most often find Olivia on a stroll (or Passeggiata) with her corgi, Koda. Find her and her pups on Instagram @olivia_willner.
Can a Daily Morning Walk Save the World?
Here is the reason I ask this question. I feel as if I have learned some very significant lessons while walking, all of which have fundamentally changed the way I see, feel, and understand the world.
Can a daily Morning Walk save the world?
Yep. Yes. It sure can. I think it does.
This is a question I have been walking with this past week. Is this possible, that a walk can save the world? In all honesty, I did have a day when I wondered if it was egotistical or self-serving to even consider this question. Eventually, I walked this limiting thought out of my head and left it on the side of the road.
Here is the reason I ask this question. I feel as if I have learned some very significant lessons while walking, all of which have fundamentally changed the way I see, feel, and understand the world. I think these lessons are available to us all, and they have the potential to heal, help, save, shift, and inspire our world towards a more whole and kind path.
The learnings are subtle, they are quiet, they are almost imperceptible. They aren’t grand, obvious, or loud. In fact, in the normal activity of the day, it may be hard to see these lessons, to acknowledge them, to even know they exist. That’s where walking comes in. To set aside time to be in the quiet, to surround yourself with your knowing, to breathe in the morning wisdom, to hear the lessons as you move through the world at Earth’s pace can change everything.
What are some of the lessons you have learned by walking? What do they sound like? How can you identify them? How do they change the world? How could they save the world? Well, they sound like the fog rolling in, or red tail hawks overhead, or watching the snow fall onto the path in front of you… or they sound like answers arising from your gut.
Here are some of the lessons I have learned by walking — lessons I believe that can save the world:
Live in this moment. Look how amazing it is!
Welcome the pleasures and challenges of each day.
Acknowledge those who have come before you.
Smile at everyone you pass, then smile at yourself.
Don't underestimate your body's ability to heal.
Sometimes, you will never be the same.
Respect your limitations.
Make others feel welcome.
Appreciate those who walk with you today.
Imagine those who might follow you.
Check in with yourself. What do you need/want?
Creativity is always with you. Listen for it. Be curious.
You don’t need all that much.
Love your body and the ability to walk.
You are in it, so be in it.
Solitude can be very inspiring.
Cross that bridge when you get to it.
To appreciate life, you have to pay attention.
Home is a feeling, not a place.
Unexpected moments can be life-changing events.
At the end of the day, it is always worth it.
I believe walking, every day, is a superpower.
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.
Sacred Places
I have realized that sacred spaces or places of belonging aren't only places on a map or places you can give directions to; they are also in us. To me, that location is the sacred space.
I have been thinking a lot recently about sacred places. Places of belonging. Places on the planet where I feel safe, welcomed, supported, cared for, and appreciated: the redwood forest, on Plum Island, in my best friend’s kitchen, by the side of a river with my fishing pals with tea in hand, and also most recently in the seat of a Cessna 150 learning to fly (the short of it is I have always wanted to fly after having read West With the Night when I was 13 — and now I am doing it).
I have come to understand that when I feel a sense of belonging, I feel I can do anything, that anything is possible. When I say anything is possible I don’t only mean literally, physically doing something. I also mean that total self acceptance and generous self love are also possible. There is a profound sense of safety, certainty, and understanding in these places. I feel at home.
I have realized that sacred spaces or places of belonging aren't only places on a map or places you can give directions to; they are also in us. As the wonderful Maya Angelou said, “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” That feeling of being comfortable and nourished in your own being. In each moment. To me, that location is the sacred space.
I find it hard to feel that sense of belonging in/to myself at times, but that is where healing and courage and certainty lies. It is in knowing ourselves so fully that we can tap into that sense of belonging at any time, regardless of location. There are times when I am so uncomfortable that I literally close my eyes and imagine that place. It feels like coming home.
When I walk, regardless of location, I feel as if I belong. So I walk. I walk into a place of belonging. It is in the feeling of belonging that I know who and where I am going.
In fact, this to me is the definition of sacred (sa·cred/ˈsākrəd/entitled to reverence and respect).
Where do I belong?
Right here.
Right now.
“Tomorrow belongs to those of us who conceive of it as belonging to everyone; who lend the best of ourselves to it, and with joy.”
“The natural world is the larger sacred community to which we belong. To be alienated from this community is to become destitute in all that makes us human. To damage this community is to diminish our own existence.”
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.
Barefoot Healing
When you walk with no shoes, you are immediately invited to presence. Each step is different. Each step is vital. Each step is dynamic.
Walking barefoot.
Two of my favorite words in the English language. The practice of walking barefoot, also known as “earthing,” has gone from being a playful, quirky trend, to a scientifically-researched routine with a number of significant health outcomes.
“A study found that earthing changed the electrical activity in the brain, as measured by electroencephalograms. Still other research found that grounding benefitted skin conductivity, moderated heart rate variability, improved glucose regulation, reduced stress and supported immune function.” (Source: MBG). I would argue that doctors might consider prescribing a barefoot walk, for everyone.
I would also argue an equally significant benefit is that when you walk with no shoes, you are immediately invited to presence. Each step is different. Each step is vital. Each step is dynamic.
Try this. Find a clean patch of grass / cement / dirt road / brick / sand and walk the path with your shoes on, while carefully looking at the surface. Look for anything that may hurt your feet. Now go back and take off your shoes, and see what a difference this makes on your stress level, on your well-being, on your mood. Walk. Simply walk on the Earth. Walk the Earth and take up the benefits. Now pause, and wiggle your toes.
On Instagram, I asked, “Do you walk barefoot? Why?”
Here were some of the wonderful responses:
“YES! It makes me feel connected.”
“I walk barefoot for all the sensations.”
“Yes, I love feeling the earth on my feet.”
“It feels free.”
“Barefoot is a way of life.”
“Nature is good for the soul/sole.”
“Yesss, I am a Reiki Master and this is how I get grounded.”
“Walking barefoot in the grass…nothing makes me feel more that it is summer.”
“On earth, grass, sand — yes! It takes me back to childhood, or perhaps, to my primordial roots.”
Barefoot healing. Try it.
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.