ENGAGE YOUR SENSES

If you have 1 hour…

Make the most of your surroundings by tuning in to all of your senses as you stroll. ‘Start acknowledging what emerges from your walks,’ says Clare Barry, founder of Urban Curiosity – a wellness and creativity company (urbancuriosity.co.uk). ‘Notice a smell or sight, and then let it fall away with each breath and footstep.’

ENJOY SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SCENTS:

• Set off at a steady pace. You want to elevate your heart rate, but stroll rather than power walk. Now, start to focus on each sense in turn.

• Follow the motion of your footsteps as your heels hit the ground then roll through to your toes. Pay attention to the feeling of the ground beneath you.

• Notice the air on your skin and the warmth of sunshine on your cheeks. Stretch out your hands to engage your fingers too, feeling the air between them.

• As you walk past flower-filled hedgerows or people’s gardens, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Notice the light floral fragrances mingling with each other. Does the scent change as you pass different displays?

• Admire the numerous species of blooms. How many different shades of red, pink or purple can you see? How many different types of petal shape or form? How do they make you feel?

• Listen to how the rustle of plants ties in to other noises, such as birdsong, garden machinery or laughter from people nearby. What joyful emotions do the different sounds evoke?

• As long as it’s not private land, you could even take a keepsake of petals, or a nice stone or leaf, to keep a reminder of your sensory walk and the positive feelings you experienced.