As you are walking, be aware of the sky above you.
Notice the space on each side of your body passing by… ocean, trees or fields. Have a sense of the space in the back as you are walking forward. Notice how your body is responding to this awareness … Do you feel more spacious inside or your body? Are you expanding?
Be aware of your breathing:
Are you holding your breath? Do you allow yourself to effortlessly breathe in and out? – Stay with your breathing for a while … Just observe. Do you notice it is changing as you pay attention to it? Is it getting calmer, deeper or fuller?
What are your arms doing as you are walking?
Just that simple question often changes the movement of the arms. We don’t need to control them, rather the opposite! – Ideally, we let the arms move in the rhythm with our walk. We just allow them to respond to our walking. It is natural to have them swing more or less – according to our pace.
When you find a nice spot … overlooking a lake or in the midst of the trees ... take a moment to pause.
Do you feel a vibration in your body as you get still. Where do you feel it most? Notice your breathing once again, and have a sense of the movement of breath in your body. Pay attention to your fingertips, allow your palms to soften, and notice the whole length of your arm from your shoulder to your fingers. Allow your shoulders to ease. Notice your feet on the ground and open your feet to the ground. Let yourself be supported from underneath!
Are your knees locked?
Find a bit of ease in the back of your knees. Don’t bend them like you would in Tai Chi, just let them be soft. Allow an opening in your hip joints and your ankles, and get a sense of your body moving a little, a miniature dance! (Ideally, we don’t stand rigid. When you watch small children move, and you can see that they are upright without being stiff.) Allow the joints of your leg be open and soft for a better balance.
Sense the wind on your skin.
Notice how your hair is moved by the wind (if there is any). Hear the wind in the trees … rustling the leaves. What do you see? Let the scenery to meet your eyes without effort. Allow your eyes and the muscles around the eyes be soft. What do you smell? Do you smell the ocean, the conifer needles or leaves? Open your senses … What else you notice?
Be fully present!
Notice how you feel. Notice your body sensations as well as your emotions. You may notice your emotions have changed since you started walking. You don’t feel as heavy anymore? You feel more peaceful, less agitated or less stressed? – Awareness helps us to become more present in our body and in ourselves. It calms our nervous system and helps us to settle into ourselves. Body awareness can be of great help to navigate through difficult emotions. It assists in better responding to life’s continuous changes, makes us less reactive, more open, and essentially more loving.
The Alexander Technique is an effective method to increase body awareness, change habitual ways of thinking and moving, and create more ease in your body. To find out more about it, contact Heike 778.245.1750