An invitation to do a walking experiment

There was something so cool about my walk this morning. About half way into it, I noticed how light I felt; like I was gliding over the ground effortlessly. Then I really started paying attention. What were my arms doing? How were my shoulders held? Where was my eyes’ gaze? My arms swung freely, my shoulders were held back, and my eyes were taking in all that was around me with openness.

Everything about my movement was relaxed and confident. It was an awesome combination! I was moving in a way that seemed to be a clear reflective of my current mood.

And then I did an experiment. I slowed my pace, I dropped my shoulders forward, I hung my arms, and I focused my gaze to the ground. Can you guess what happened? In a moment, my mood began to change to match my choice of movement. I felt heavy and small and closed off.

And I didn’t like it…so I went back to my original way of walking and it brought back the feelings I desired. It was a great experience and now it has me wanting to gather more evidence.

Can how a person chooses to walk change their mood? If a person is feeling sad, depressed, lacking confidence or direction, can they change that feeling by going for a walk that intentionally expresses a more desirable mood?

I would love for as many people as possible to try this experiment. When you are experiencing an undesirable feeling…go for a walk. Hold your shoulders back, swing your arms freely, imagine your feet as light as you can, and open your eyes to all that is around you. Pay attention to what happens.

Please report back by leaving a comment and passing on this invitation to experiment in walking.