Walking for Spiritual and Emotional Health

I've never been great at sports, but I've found walking to be one sport I can handle. I started walking to improve my physical health. In the process I learned that walking is also good for my spiritual and emotional well being. Read on for some tips on how to nurture your soul and spirit while you walk.

Go on a Gratitude Walk

As you walk, think about all of the things in your life for which you can be grateful. Start off with the obvious things like family, friends and good health. From there, begin to express appreciation in your mind for less obvious things such as the friendly neighbor and the beautiful weather.

Allow things on your walk to prompt gratitude. For example, as you're walking, if you see beautiful flowers, inwardly express appreciation for the flowers. If you see someone tending the flowers, verbally let them know how beautiful their flowers are. Be aware of all of the things around you that you can appreciate.

Go on a Prayer Walk

It's natural to think of cares and concerns as you walk, so rather than think of all the negative things and allow them to get you down, turn those concerns into prayer.

You can also allow the things that you see on your walk to prompt you to pray. For instance, if you see someone who appears distraught for some reason, pray for him, even if you don't know him. If you notice that grass is dry and dying and you recall that rainfall has been lower than normal this year, pray for rain. When you walk past the homes of people you know, pray for them.

Go on a Nature Walk

There's something about nature that is invigorating and feeds the soul. As you walk, take the time to look at flowers, trees, birds and other living creatures. Slow down and notice how the clouds in the air are formed and go back to your childhood as you look for mythical creatures in the clouds.

Recite Quotes and Scriptures as You Walk

Various religions includes memorization of sacred texts as part of their practice of spiritual disciplines. If that describes you, carry along an index card with the text you'd like to memorize and use your walking time to focus on that passage of scripture. If you are not religious, you may wish to work on memorizing inspiring quotes as you walk.

Listen to Motivational Recordings on Your Walk

Walking is a great time to listen to recordings by your favorite motivational or religious speakers. You may also want to listen to humorous recordings since laughter truly is good for the soul.

As you incorporate these tips into your daily walk, you'll improve your physical, emotional and spiritual health.