Awe as a tool for wintering well
Raised in Northern Maine on the Canadian border, I have developed a deep understanding of resilience…and the art of wintering.
Taking "Awe Walks" was something I always did as a kid with snowshoes made by my grandfather--in the nearby fields, through hills of pines, or on the frozen lakes.
I never knew there was a name for these types of walks though, until discovering How to Winter by Kari Liebowitz, PhD. As she describes, "awe is one of the most profound and potent emotions." Almost a magic-filled, semi-altered state. And Awe Walks are but one possible practice in thriving during winter months.
A winter time Awe Walk generally involves exploring the snow laden landscape with child-like curiosity and wonder, something I was inspired to do this morning through a local apple and nectarine orchard. Fortunately, the landowner gives permission to pedestrians :)
It was filled with barren yet beautiful trees, lined up dutifully row after row for acres, like nutcracker soldiers. Indeed, the brook bubbled as crisp as the McIntosh, Empires and Pink Ladies that fill the orchard in the summer and fall. The ground as soft and juicy from melting snow as the white nectarines long gone for the season. The church bells rang proudly and the mockingbirds answered.
Awe is partly transcendent because it results from being part of the vastness or grandness of something in the world around us, through nature or experiences. When studied at the University of California, San Francisco, by professor Virginia Strum, Awe Walkers in their 60s, 70s and 80s experienced more positive emotions and joy than those taking regular outdoor walks that prioritize steps over senses.
Just fifteen minutes of intentional Awe Walking a week for two months heightened joy and lessened distress in the day to day lives of participants. What I once learned instinctively as a child, science is now confirming. That awe is at the tip of our fingers. And boots.
🍎Just 15 minutes a week of Awe Walking is all it takes to reap the fruit of enhanced well-being from this practice. So put on your LL Beans. Or Uggs (fine lol) 🍑
