This can be a game-changing exercise, also for refugees whose biorythm is messed up. It could have been the very frst exercise because it yields quick results, is beneficial for both body and mind, and is ideal to combine with the mindfulness exercises we have done so far.

So make that walk. Every day! Walk for at least 30 minutes at a brisk pace, ideally covering 5 km per hour. Walk for the sake of walking. Many times refugees asked me where we would go when I asked them to go walking with me but that’s not the point. Not at all. You walk for walking sake. Start with one walk if you’ve never done it before and build from there to four or five walks a week. Develop an addiction, a habit. And if this is new to you, add an extra stimulus to boost your motivation and put on some relaxing music or a podcast. And when you’re ready, eventually, you let go of these external motivators too and walk simply for the sake of walking. Rain or cold? All the more reason to go! See it as an opportunity to rewrite your habitual behavior. View reasons not to go as ideal circumstances, as chances, to boost your project of growth. See walking as an opportunity to elevate your motivation and perseverance, which will benefit you in other areas as well.

Mindful walking

During the walk, do nothing but be aware of your walking and the surroundings. Hear the birds, see a cyclist passing by, look at a cloud or a tree, and feel that you are walking. You might quickly notice that your mind starts wandering again or that it starts judging someone you see, but don’t worry, that’s normal. It’s a habit, especially in the beginning. By and by you simply walk without judging and with less thinking. 

When you are distracted however and are thrown back to the thinking mind then return to conscious walking as soon as you notice. Go back to observing your legs and body as they move. If you find yourself drifting into thoughts too much, then take a moment to stop and pay attention to your breathing for a moment. Take a few deep breaths if necessary. Every time you get distracted by thoughts, no matter how often it happens, return to the body and breath. And laugh about it. Laugh at yourself, don’t get angry with the mind, don’t get frustrated!

If necessary to avoid constant distractions, you can also play with the walking pace. Walk briskly, then slow down to introduce variety, maybe you take a step backwards, just playing. You can also vary your observation of the surroundings. As you walk look exaggeratedly left, right, or zoom in on a single leaf or twig, to avoid being chained to a fixed forward stare that triggers thinking. Also, every few minutes, switch your narrow forward gaze for a broad view of the horizon. This will activate the calm part of your nervous system. Again, you just play! Play with your vision, play with the environment, play with your body. Feel your feet touching the ground, feel your hands swinging, feel the wind, smell the flowers, hear the sounds. These variations can help you stay present.

Feel the earth

You can add another dimension at some point. If possible, and there’s a large grass field, walk barefoot for a while and feel the earth. Occasionally stop to look at a flower, plant or tree. These things may seem like hocus-pocus for you now, but I can assure you they are not. It can actually help give your new “getting rid of trauma project” an extra boost. Sort of pushing your boundaries towards the new. For many it may feel strange at first because you might have lost the capacity to see and feel, you might have lost your sensitivity and vulnerability. But it is still there inside of you. That natural ability to enjoy the smallest things will definitely return. Eventually, as you walk, as you stop, you will notice more and more flowers, more and more things that catch your eye. But give yourself time. It’s a process to start appreciating the flowers again. Eight hours of screen time per day is normalized in our society, but if you look at a flower for more than a minute, people think you’re crazy. So be it. The more people think you’ve lost your way, the more you’re on the right path. You’ll start feeling better. You might want to check out an interesting documentary on this thing called earthing.

Gratitude

Extra powerful is to spend at least one full minute, but preferably two minutes at the end of the walk, reflecting on the fact that you had been walking and that you were able to walk. Take a moment to appreciate that you took the effort, went out and just enjoyed walking. Be grateful for the ability to walk, for the street you walked on, for your legs, for the oxygen, for a smile you received, for the trees, for the bird that sang. To emphasize this, close your eyes, smile, and while feeling grateful, take a few deep, conscious breaths. This also neurologically reinforces your new (healthy) behaviour. Besides the good feeling it gives, it will help establish a new habit in your brain’s structure. It will aid in changing an unhealthy lifestyle in camp, and create your personal discipline.

→ Walking a superpower

→ Walking in rhythm