Pause.

I did something yesterday that I have been meaning to do for a while. I paused. Welcome to Monday, by the way. Come and take a breath with me.

I love walking. I am sure this is apparent at this stage. I don’t know how much I talk about it on here, but I journal about it, write about it, and centre most of my days around it. If I don’t get out of the house for a walk every day, I get antsy. A day like today is one of those days when I don’t think I will get out. The weather is not on my side. It’s not ideal, but it is what it is.

Yesterday, however, I did get out of the house for a walk. I went for a walk in a woodland, which is my go-to place for walks. The weather was on my side. I saw rain was forecast in the late afternoon, so I got out as soon as I could.

I did the usual route. I swear I can nearly walk it blind at this stage. I see the same trees, the same bushes and the same rocks every time. There has been some natural erosion from the beach side of this particular woodland. That’s nature for you. When I was younger, there was a beach there. There isn’t anymore. Well, there is a tiny bit of one. I love how unspoiled it is. The woodland itself is vast, but there is a dedicated walking route. I have wandered off the path before, and that was a bad idea. That’s a story for another day.

As I was on my way back, along the shoreline, looking out into the sea, I felt a sudden calm while walking briskly, trying to get my steps in. There was nobody around. I was listening to a podcast but felt the need to pause the episode for a minute, so I did. I paused. I leaned against a tree and looked out at the sea. All I could hear was the sea and the wind. It felt like the first time in a while I was just being. I was just present. I gave myself five minutes just to soak it in. I didn’t set out to note any shapes or colours, or to find inspiration for anything. I was just there to be calm and pause. It was an experience that I hadn’t given myself in a while. It's all well and good to use walking as a form of exercise. That’s one of the main reasons I do it. But I realised yesterday, as I looked out at the lapping waves and the clouds in the sky, that I hadn’t actually used it as a tool to recalibrate and reclaim inner peace.

This is getting dangerously close to some hippy dippy meditation appreciation blog, which I do subscribe to. I am a big fan of meditation, but doing a form of meditation for myself, not to uphold a streak on a meditation app, hits differently. I recommend you give it a go. The best part is that it's free. Go find a calm place in nature and just pause for a moment. I was happy I decided to. That’s all I have to say about that. Thank you for reading and for your time.