Snarky Parky & Me
A Journey Into Parkinson's with Nancy Mellon
Coordinated by Corrine Bayraktaroglu
Going On An Awe Walk
Have you ever gone on an Awe Walk? I'm sure you have, though you might not have
called it that. I read a good news letter this week, by Jancee Dunn about
Awe Walks.
They are “outdoor rambles designed to
cultivate a sense of amazement.” She spoke to Dacher Keltner, a professor
of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of
“Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.”
I know, I have gone on Awe Walks. Or what I
think of as Awe Walks. It's when you are
out walking and you stop to pet a silky leaf or with one finger out stretched,
you gently touch a velvety bulb. You
find yourself waving back at the tufts of green leaves that flutter and shiver
to greet you as you walk past. The
soft, rustling sound of the wind in the leaves can cause a ripple of delight to
go up your spine. (yes- Snark! Even when your back feels stiff as a board!)
You are stopped by admiration for a bunch of
bold pink flowers and really look at them. Have you ever seen such large,
exuberant, flowers before? I wonder what
they are called? Or maybe it is the glorious Iris with it's graceful, calm,
curving petals that calls to you “Look at me!” You may look deeper today and
see how each purple flower has a truly complicated interior design- with
stripes! and two landing pads of yellow fluff.
I found myself in awe at the creative force
that could come up with so many different designs. Who are you? You must love
artists. Thank you for all the gifts you have given us. The gifts of sight, hearing, feeling and
tasting. Marie plucked a leaf from her
garden, she had told me what it was (nope, I don't remember it's name.) She
said it was a tasty addition to her salads and asked if I wanted to try it. I
chewed on it thoughtfully. Mmmm, slightly spicy- a bit of something sweet too-
good.
Or you smile with pleasure as you breath
deeply and enjoy the feel of the sun, warming your back. You are on an Awe Walk. Thank you sun! You are stopped by a burst of bird songs.
Where are they? What are they saying? Are they talking to each other?
In and out of the Trees' shade, you might
walk quickly through the bright heat, to get refreshed by the cool, shady
spots. It feels so good when you slip into that enchanted, dark, place. This is definitely an Awe Walk. Or is
it?
According
to Dacher Keltner, “Awe is that
complex emotion we experience when encountering something so vast that our
sense of self recedes.'
“Many people associate awe with places
like the Grand Canyon, Dr. Keltner said. But some feel it more frequently in
response to commonplace
things like a nighttime sky blazing with stars, he said. In
short: Awe is more accessible than you might think.”
Do you want to try it?
• First decide on a place. Someplace you have never been is good but it
doesn't have to be new to you.
• Turn off your phone and take a few deep
breaths. Then start walking.
•
Pay attention to your senses.
• “Take in the sights, sounds and scents
that usually escape your awareness but have the potential to raise goose bumps.
When something catches your attention, “stop and pause and feel,” Dr. Keltner
said.”
• “Dr. Keltner often gives his students an
assignment: to simply notice the sky. His students examine the colors, clouds
and how the vista can change in an instant.”
• “When you’re on your walk, get in the
habit of pausing and homing in on a detail — a ripple on a lake, an ant moving
industriously through the grass — then, slowly expand your field of
vision. The shift in focus to vastness can sometimes inspire awe, Dr.
Keltner said.”
• “Or pan from the ground to the sky. If
you’re in a city or the suburbs, he said, fix your gaze on a window or doorway,
and then move it up. “
• “What Dr. Keltner calls “part-to-whole”
focusing can apply to people, too. If you’re in a crowd, start with one person
and zoom out to take in the whole system of human activity, he said.”
So that
seems to be the difference between what Dr. Keltner is talking about and what I
was talking about when I spoke of going on an Awe Walk– the mindfulness is the
same, and the pause and focusing on something small is the same. But the shift in focus to vastness, I
haven't tried. It sounds like
something that could be extraordinary.
I will
give it a try. Let me know about your
experience if you try it too.
Cheers,
Nancy and
the Snark
If you would like to try a guided walking
meditation you can find one from Dan Harris, co-founder of the “Ten Percent
Happier” podcast and app.
Footnotes from Corrine: I am so looking forward to an AWE walk with you soon petal.
Women's Park Yellow Springs Ohio
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