This week’s discussion point from me is about paddling and mindfulness. Brought together, paddling and mindfulness can help us to be aware of our thoughts, feelings and the world around us which, in turn, can help us to appreciate and enjoy more, feel more relaxed and less stressed, more aligned with nature and feel more at one with the water in which we choose to paddle. Practised regularly, mindfulness can help support our positive mental wellbeing and our approaches to life, for life. So, what exactly is it? Mindfulness is a technique that we can practise and use anywhere and at any time by reconnecting with ourselves simply and clearly, in a particular moment, by clearing our minds and being aware and solely focussed on what we can see, hear, smell, touch and sometimes taste.
“It’s easy to stop noticing the world around us. It’s also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living ‘in our heads’ – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour”
Professor Mark Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre
When we’re out paddling, we can use the opportunity to practise mindfulness – for example, to really see and appreciate the landscapes and nature around us, to notice the power, the movement or the flow of the water we’re floating on, to hear the sounds that our paddle makes both in and out of the water, to take in the varying aromas around us and to feel the textures of the paddle, the water itself and the feel of the wind across our cheeks.
Do you practise mindfulness while paddling whether intentional or not? What experiences can you share with us and about the impacts that it has or has had? Never considered it? Why not give it a go next time you’re out paddling and let us know how it goes!
For further information on mindfulness and the different ways we can incorporate it into our lives:
https://www.nhs.uk/…/stress-anxiety…/mindfulness/