Adventures On My Bike – Day 14/28

Today’s recipe: Passeggiata/Shinrin-yoku.

One of my favourite Italian words is passeggiata. It’s the traditional evening stroll taken in the central plaza by a town’s residents generally for the purpose of socializing. And one of my favourite therapeutic ideas is the Japanese Shinrin-yoku. It means to bathe in the forest atmosphere, to take in the forest to through your senses. (More on that here.) Inviting these two traditions together is to invite joy for joy’s sake into our day.

At the midpoint of this 28 day project I’m convinced that the notion of movement with purpose is the holy grail. It made so much sense to me after walking the camino, to simply move each day in a forward direction. By taking each step, decision, thought, conversation and action as though they are part of a bigger plan. Our very own plan of who we want to be and where we want to go to.

The more we practice moving along our path, the one that has the signs and way markers that feel right, where we practice what we say ‘yes’ and what we say ‘no’ to … the easier it is to recognise when we are veering off. If we’re heading down the wrong path it’s because we practice that it becomes easier to straighten ourselves back up to find our way back. Back to where the rewards wait – hugs, giggles, deep conversation, clarity, peace, confidence, quiet, kindness, pride, fulfillment …. the place we are most ourselves.

Buen camino dear friends,

Fran xx