Monday 23 September 2013


September Newsletter 2013
walking....

It is nearly midnight, so perhaps I am not setting a good example of avoiding procrastination.  But the kids are asleep, the animals are all ensconced at the pet-sitters, my partner is in bed readying himself for the long drive ahead, and a batch of muffins are in the oven - they will be snacks for our family road trip to Adelaide tomorrow.  So perhaps this is just the first time I have had to sit down and write this month’s newsletter.  And it feels good to be writing now, when the house is quiet and the other jobs are done.


Sometimes we expect everything to get done by a certain deadline, and, try as we might, the tasks just won’t hurry up, they insist on being done in their own time.  I have many dreams like this; literally pushing things up hills, coaxing vehicles to go faster, all manner of different metaphors for frustration.  I have very few dreams of simply promenading in the park, or letting things run their own course.  Perhaps my sub-conscious doesn’t see these activities as newsworthy.

It reminds me of the fixation our society seems to have with extreme exercise and pushing the limits as being the only signs of worthy effort, when science and history will show us that it is gentle consistency that often yields the best results.  The patient inventor making yet another tiny adjustment, the many hours of careful planning for the mountain climber, the silent tracker following a potential meal without stepping on a twig - the careful meditative walk rather than the adrenaline fuelled sprint.

“Humans”, writes Gretchen Reynolds, “are born to stroll”.  Ms Reynolds was interviewed by Tara Parker-Pope for The New York Times, Health and Science section about her recent book on health and fitness. ( see http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/the-surprising-shortcut-to-better-health/  ).  In her interview she said “One of the biggest misconceptions is that exercise has to be hard, that exercise means marathon running or riding your bike for three hours or doing something really strenuous. That’s untrue and, I think, discourages a lot of people from exercising. If you walk, your body registers that as motion, and you get all sorts of physiological changes that result in better health. Gardening counts as exercise. What would be nice would be for people to identify with the whole idea of moving more as opposed to quote “exercise” ”.

And so I come to the topic of walking.  Recently, during my season of cabaret shows at The Butterfly Club, I was aware of how important it was to stay calm during the day.  Pre-show nerves can sneak up on you as the afternoon approaches and staying well rested means you have something in the tank when you step out on the stage again.  My partner and I made effort to take a nice long walk after lunch to break up the tension of the season and to reconnect.  I noticed that during that walk, nothing else mattered except the path and the sky and the conversation, and I had permission to completely forget about my lines and vocal warm-ups.  In this way it was like a little vacation from the situation.

Walking is often used as a form of meditation and mindfulness.  Mindfulness, encourages us to focus on the present moment with all our senses, allowing us to take a break from our concerns about the past and the future, and simply “be” for a moment.  It can be refreshing and give us chance to be objective.  Ruby Wax, when interviewed for the ABC’s One Plus One program said that learning and practicing mindfulness has enabled her to have a “gap between awareness and instant trigger finger reaction” in relation to the early signs of depression.  This gap, means she has a choice to do something differently rather than be hit by the tsunami of depression. ( To see the full interview go to ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-16/one-plus-one/4891868 )

In a similar way taking a walk can provide a change in perspective or a different space  from which to view your day or give you some time out from the usual routine and perhaps break an unhelpful pattern.  The simple need to focus on each step and the chance to be in nature adds to the meditative benefits.

I have memories of particular walks, often they have not be planned as special events.  Sometimes the change of seasons will bring back memories of places I have walked - perhaps rambling on my uncles rainforest property, or the regular walks I took at the wetlands I used to live near, the smell of the sea on the numerous coastal strolls I have taken, the unexpected pleasure of a walk from the Flinders St railway station to the theatre early on a Spring evening, through the alleys and amongst the last bustle of the day.  These moments have been quiet, unassuming, and often they have been the spaces between the main activities, and yet have left lasting impressions.


And so I recommend a walk, a stroll or a meander to you this month, rather than a sprint, a dash or an uphill battle.  A walk is good for your body and your mind, it lets you take in your surroundings, it gives you time to be really aware rather than rush on by.  And whilst on your walk, you have permission just to be walking rather than reacting to the next deadline.  I’m going to try walking through my next goals rather than trying to hurry them up, perhaps my dreams will be more peaceful too.

Kind regards, 

Fiona Claire.

Work with me: Individual Counselling, Creativity and Therapeutic Singing and Songwriting Sessions by appointment. Email: fionaclaire@optusnet.com.au or call 0437 985 132