Nordic Walking resumes for Term 3 on Wednesday August 2.

Our last walk altogether was fabulous as we met for the end of Term 2, here we are at Hikurangi karst rocks on a wonderful winter day, around Lake Waro, lunch at the cute and yummy Miners Cafe, followed by a special walk at Ruapekapeka, a true testament to the ingenuity of Maori.

Term 3 Nordic Walking means getting as much winter sun as we can, walking a little faster whilst it is cooler, swinging our arms more, enjoying the benefits of the poles, taking our hands back beyond the hip, using our core more with two poles together going uphill.

This term we enjoy spring kowhais on the Tutukaka Coast.

Ecotherapy
Recently I read about ‘Ecotherapy’ which was mostly about trail running in Aus, but I think we can apply that to Nordic Walking in NZ and of course we have been both exercising and connecting with nature for years in NZ, so it is nothing new to us. However it reminded me of the benefits of being in nature and how we can make this more conscious enhancing our sense of wellbeing.
– nature is the perfect place to enhance our senses mindfully – the sight of a beautiful blue sea, a flower, the feel of warm sun, or a cool sea breeze on our skin and at our nostrils, the sounds – of birds, the rustle of trees, waves, the smell of a plant, the sea, the taste of sea salt.
– being in nature brings us back to feeling grounded and grateful – gratitude that we can both walk and enjoy a beautiful scene and senses, and also gratitude for all that we have – it puts things in perspective – we give our minds a rest from the negatives and the clutter.
– so we can train our minds as well as body, Nordic Walking on trails rather than urban streets, keeps us mindful of every step, maintaining a constant focus in the present moment, so it is a perfect ongoing rehabilitation.
We can divide pour walks into three phases, the 3 R’s:
1. Release – you start to find your natural pace and rhythm, a comfortable emptying process, the ability to both walk in quiet or walk and talk, which helps to shed extraneous thoughts and emotions.
2. Receiving – when we stop to pause, feel, admire, or absorb our senses, or notice our mood lifting with a sense of peace and calm, or being emboldened to keep moving forward until this feeling arises or the mind clears.
3. Return – when we begin our return walk and integrate what we have received and take it forth into the world.