Yoga Walks

Individual and small group yoga walks in Vaucluse, Sydney.

During lockdown in 2020, here in Sydney we were for a short time, restricted to exercise within a 5km radius of our homes. Fortunately, I live in a location where there are plenty of walks in Nature on offer. It was at this time that I came up with the idea of offering ‘yoga walks’.

In Vaucluse, we are fortunate to live within walking distance of a National Park, with both harbour and coastal views from the South Head of Sydney Harbour. There is a newly restored walking path beneath an ancient Moreton Bay Fig tree, complete with her gnarled roots unfurling below a handy path railing which offers support for some standing yoga poses.

A wooden boardwalk invites a short walking meditation, before the harbour view opens out to the wide horizon beneath the red and white stripey Hornby Lighthouse, with weathered sandstone rocks available for seated contemplation overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Walking is one of the most accessible movement activities we have access to.

It can be done anywhere, anytime, and does not require any special equipment (other than a pair of comfortable walking shoes, unless you feel like walking barefoot!)

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

"Studies show that spending time in Nature reduces stress, and that after being in Nature, people feel relaxed, energised and refreshed. Being in Nature helps to regulate the nervous system, promoting a healthier balance between activation and relaxation, a fundamental marker of wellbeing.” - Professor Yoshifumi Miyazaki*
"A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that those who adhered to a walking program showed significant improvements in blood pressure, slowing of resting heart rate, reduction of body fat and body weight, reduced cholesterol, improved depression scores with better quality of life and increased measures of endurance.
*“Walking in the Woods - Go back to nature with the Japanese way of shinrin-yoku.”
Octopus Publishing Group 2021
While the physical benefits are notable, the mental boost that can be gleaned from adding a walk to your daily routine may be more immediate.
One Stanford University study found that walking increased creative output by an average of 60 percent. Researchers labelled this type of creativity “divergent thinking,” which they define as a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. According to the study, “walking opens up the free flow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goals of increasing creativity and increasing physical activity.” **
Whilst creativity may be given a boost by walking, choosing to make your walk a mindfulness practice, also has numerous benefits for your state of mind and mental health.
A recent meta- analysis of the human nature connection found "sustained benefits observed from noticing nature or practising mindfulness or engaging with nature.” ***
**https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271
***https://www.naturefix.life/post/evidence-for-improving-the-human-nature-relationship