Cultivating Mindfulness: A Walk in the Woods

I have mentioned that I work at Penn State. Our offices are located at Innovation Park, about two miles from the main campus at University Park. I do miss being located on campus, but I do NOT miss squabbling over parking spaces.

One of the perks of working where I do is that there are numerous little walking and biking trails around Innovation Park. On this morning, I managed to take a quick break in my day for a little stroll through the closest end of one of the paths to refresh my brain.

It is my personal philosophy that walking is good for you. Thinking and walking can yield good problem solving on occasion. But walking without thinking about anything at all except your surroundings can also be good for you. Cultivating mindfulness, you know: living in the now. And so that is what I did on this day.

There had been a hard frost overnight, and it was still silver on the ground in some places. The light was shining through the trees, leaving neat shadows everywhere. And while most of the foliage colors have gone, there are still a few pretty trees here and there.

Yes, I love to walk, and I do recommend it to others; also, don't forget your camera! Here is a song about one of my favorite activities, by one of my favorite rock groups: Dire Straits, with Walk of Life. Bonus: here is a second video for the song, this one unofficial, with some pretty silly stuff in it that you may enjoy. :-)