Mindfulness? Everyone seems to talk about it but what does it actually mean? We always find the story about taking the dog for a walk in the park a useful starting point.

So, you and your dog arrive in the park after you’ve had a hard day on top of a hard week. You can both see the grass and the trees and the pretty ornamental garden. The dog is happy, he is excited by the first tree he sees and runs off towards it. Before he gets there he smells an interesting smell, he stops to enjoy it and then notices a lovely stick just lying on the ground waiting for him to grab it. He is focussed in the moment. You meanwhile are thinking about the way your manager snapped at you at work. It wasn’t justified was it? And that essay? Due in on Thursday. You’ve hardly started, the book you ordered from the library hasn’t come through yet. How is the essay going to get done?

You’ve seen the same park, ok that interesting smell might not have appealed to you (!) but the point is that you haven’t engaged with anything around you. You’re still caught in the worry cycle and you’re not getting good down time. At this point it’s ok to envy the dog. He’s practising some (pretty basic) mindfulness. On this occasion he has something to teach you! Focussing on the moment helps to clear out all the clutter in your mind. That clearing out can help to centre you and give you a better sense of perspective on all those problems which come crowding in.

There are some simple exercises you can do while walking to really try to focus on the moment. It has to be said that having the dog with you when you try these might not necessarily be the best thing!

Try focussing on the sounds around you. Listen really carefully as you walk, it’s probably easier to do this somewhere quiet than beside a busy road. Can you hear leaves moving? What about any water splashing or running? Can you hear insects? Just listen and after a few minutes you might start to pick up more sounds around you. If you are really concentrating on this, the other “stuff” has been pushed out and you are getting some basic relaxation.

You might also try breathing in step with your walking. Again concentrate to get the rhythm right and that act of concentration will take you into the moment.

Why not just give this a try? What have you got that you could possibly lose by engaging with the moment? It just might make a positive difference.