Connect With the World

Hi, and welcome to the Headspace walk. Today we're focusing on connecting with our surroundings. You don't need to be going anywhere in particular, but it doesn't hurt to walk somewhere you like. This walk is about getting out of our heads and really experiencing the world around us in a new way. Before we start, find a spot where you can take a quick moment just to stand still. Placing your feet about shoulder width apart, standing up straight but relaxed, weight spread between your feet. Now take a second to focus on the soles of your feet. Feeling the weight of the body pressing down, really becoming aware of that contact with the ground. We'll be returning to that feeling throughout the walk, but for now, just start to walk forward at an even natural pace. Whatever feels good for you. As you walk, take a moment to check in with your senses, starting just with what you can see. Maybe this is somewhere you've walked before, maybe somewhere new, but try to really notice what's around you. Not necessarily looking around, but taking in the whole environment. Maybe there are buildings, maybe there are trees, maybe cars. What's the light like? And as you walk, just centering on one thing, one object you can see and really think about how it came to be there today. Did it grow or was it built? How long has it been there? How many people have passed by it and for how many years? Just building a history of that object in your mind. If you find yourself distracted that's okay. Just keep tuning into objects around you. Imagining their history and how you fit into it. Now returning to that sensation of the feet striking the ground. Walking at whatever pace is comfortable one foot in front of the other. As you continue to walk, just start to notice the sounds around you even if you have headphones in. Maybe you can hear the wind, maybe people talking. Just tuning into the layers and layers of sound. One foot after the other, just taking in all the sounds around you. If you got distracted that's okay. Sounds themselves can be pretty distracting. Just returning your attention now to that sensation of the feet, walking easily and comfortably. Now just noticing touch, feeling whatever fabric you're wearing. Maybe feeling the shoes on your feet. What are they made of? How many times have you worn them? And as you picture all those things, just maintaining a sense of what's going on around you, putting one foot in front of the other. And now just bringing that attention back to the body. Noticing as you walk how it feels, how you hold yourself. Noticing the sensation as the body moves, as the body walks. The body knows how to walk. We don't need to think too much about it. It can just move through the world stepping over the bumps, moving...