This morning the sun was just coming up as I set out on my daily Nordic Pole Walking adventure. The sunrise was spectacular and after walking for awhile I started to notice that lately I have grown so technical and focused on specific goals and results in my Nordic Walking that I have gotten a bit away from why I started running, fitness walking or Nordic walking in the first place … the pure joy of moving my body while 
being in full contact with my environment and the nature surrounding me. I noticed that I have not been smiling as much when I walk and mused that maybe I should be passing the “smile test” in addition to the well known “talk test” (to check for over exertion).
Passing the “Smile Test” for me means I have a big broad smile on my face that reflects the fact that I am totally enjoying myself in the moment rather then drifting off thinking of something else or somewhere else or even what I might be writing in this Blog later on. When I catch myself getting too technical or scientific about my walking or my mind is drifting off into thinking, I’ll sometimes notice that I’m not smiling or truly having fun with my walking.
That’s when I like to do a little exercise I call “Tuning the Senses.”
I’ll start with the sense of sight for example and for a 100 yards or so just notice everything I can “see” … especially seeing without labeling and naming. Then I’ll switch to my hearing sense taking in all the sounds around me like the birds, the sound of my poles contacting the ground, the wind or even my breathing. When tuning into my kinesthetic or feeling sense I’ll notice my body and how the walking feels as well as the feeling of the wind or warmth of the sun on my skin. Before long I’m really smiling and enjoying and feeling connected to everything around me and it will dawn on me all over again …. “yes, that’s” why I do this!!! The amazing thing is that this dialed-into-life connection tends to stay with me throughout my day along with the physical after-glow from the workout itself. Now that’s my kind of Nordic Walking …!!!
Happy Nordic Walking Trails .. Rhett
