Walking away from worries into a world of beauty, joy

It was with a lot of trepidation and apprehension that we left Bareilly, a small town where we had spent around a decade, for Bengaluru. After the initial hustle and bustle of settling down in a new city, life slowed down. There was no hurry to reach the hospital on time to see endless patients besides the tension, and joy, of performing life-saving surgeries and the teaching sessions. Time, a rare commodity earlier, was now in plenty.

This was when I decided to start walking, an exercise I thought earlier was only for the oldies. As I started the walks, it dawned on me that every morning is an opportunity to begin afresh. The walks started becoming a way of life. Initially, it was like a task that had to be completed with a target of 10,000 steps. It was almost a hurried activity.

With time, I realised that a walk should never have a specific purpose. One should just enjoy the beauty of the walk and observe the sights, sounds and smells. I started observing the shapes of leaves, the vibrant hues of flowers and their fragrances. I started smelling the flowers and feeling their texture.

Once you’re alone with nature, a certain peace descends on you. Just touch a flower with love and you’ll feel that something starts flowing within. I understood that we are not alone in this universe, and we share this world with so many other forms of life.

The constantly changing shape of the clouds brings a sense of wonderment and a lot of happiness. Every tree is a marvel in itself. It houses so many birds, squirrels, insects and little creatures.

The chirping of birds is a reminder that the world is indeed a happy place. When one experiences a beautiful sunrise or a sunset or a full moon or a beautiful bird, the heart is filled with so much love and compassion that it changes the perspective of life and the attitude towards the materialistic world.

Another thing I learnt was never to take one’s worries along otherwise you lose the whole essence of the walk. Walking and introspection taught me to start living life in a more meditative way and start thinking from the heart and not the mind as I had become used to. I started giving and loving much like Mother Earth.

The renewal of happiness, curiosity and wonderment which one felt as a child is revived by morning walks. Every dawn brings a fresh opportunity to start anew and of course worry less, all easier said than done.

A WALK SHOULD NEVER HAVE A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. ONE SHOULD JUST ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE WALK AND OBSERVE THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SMELLS