Why 100 Walks?

Our community is centered around a goal to take 100 Walks. This goal is a way of acknowledging that how you feel today is not the same way you will feel once we have put in the effort of taking 100 Walks. Just imagine what you will have seen & experienced over 100 walks.

Imagine what you will have let go of and what you will have infused into your life after 100 walks. If you can complete 100 walks you will have tapped into all the things that walking naturally gifts us with – nature, connection, time to think, time to feel….the list goes on and on.

My Story

I began walking on a whim. I was going through a rough time in life and I wasn’t coping particularly well. I went out for a walk to try to get away from myself and after that walk I knew I wanted to take more. Eventually I had a thought – how would my life be different if I took 100 walks.

For the first time in a long time I felt hopeful. I decided I would do it, I would finish 100 walks no matter what and I did. It was a life-changing experience and one I knew I needed to share. My goal now is to help as many people as possible build a walking practice that will move them towards joy.

Me on one of my first 100 walks wearing my favorite pair of converse

(now long gone 😥 100s of walks will do that!)

Tips for Walking to Heal

Keep It Simple - Walking is naturally healing. Keep your walking practice simple, especially during your hardest times. Go deeper when you can but remember it is enough to just get out and walk.

Connect With Nature - As you walk you will come to see nature as your ally & friend. Nature shelters & inspires. Spend time on your walks exploring your relationship with nature.

Stay In the Moment - Pause often. Notice your surroundings, notice your own feelings, and give yourself the chance to breath. Often this leads to moments of peace during tumultous times.

Be Consistent - Create a walking practice. Commit to a set number of walks every week. Some of these you may not want to take but by taking them you will push past barriers. Consistency creates more opportunity for change.

Walking is a way to move beyond your pain, to grow stronger while allowing yourself space to heal. Remember, every step you take is a step forward.

The 100 Walks Toolkit

Supportive tools for healing walks

Supportive Tools

Having taken 100s of walks since my first walk, I’ve learned that if you can bring intentional energy, even the tiniest sliver of energy (literally if you can take one step forward), your life will raise up to meet and support you. To make this a little easier, we focus our efforts in three areas: Connecting with Nature, Practicing Mindfulness, & Cultivating Gratitude.

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Nature

The easiest way to connect with nature is to get out into it. Walking gives you the opportunity to do that easily, even in an urban setting you feel the warmth of the sun and marvel at the sky. As part of our walking practices we work on deepening our connection with nature. Sometimes this is simply done by noticing it, other times we find ways to communicate with nature. The goal of these activities is to open up a dialogue between you and nature.

Gratitude

Many studies have been done on the power of gratitude. Walking naturally increases it. You can’t help but appreciate a sunset or a beautiful flower. With every walk that we take, we practice gratitude. Sometimes this is done through specific exercises and sometimes we just name the thing that makes us grateful on our walk.

Mindfulness

As we walk, we find that our environment or even the movement can pull us out of our thoughts and bring us to the present. Being present allows us to step out of our pain for a short while. One of the core ways we bring mindfulness into our walks is to take pictures of what we see on our walks. Whatever draws our interest can hold us in the moment.