The Missing Ingredients in Netwalking

What are the missing ingredients?

I’d like to share my thoughts on the many different types of walks that are taking place currently.

I’m not here to knock any of them.  Not at all.
We all know that any type of walking is better for our health.  Yet there are some noticeable differences, well to me there are.

Let’s keep in mind that:

Fresh air is good for us.
Movement is good for us.
Talking to other people is good for us.

Yes, there is value in lunchtime walks, charity walks for sure, walking meetings and the latest trend of Netwalking.  I do love a good Netwalking group, as long as its out in nature and not just around the co working industrial estate.

I’m wondering if some of the walks are leading us to get more done in our day?
Getting us together to talk more, fit more into that time slot.
Almost like multi-tasking.
Let’s have a quick lunch then walk, but in the same allotted time.

For me that’s where I get a little twitchy and I ask myself questions.

If we are chatting, networking, thinking about work, deadlines, meetings, daily family stuff, are we truly slowing down to be able to rest and recover and reap the benefits of nature as intended?

Not all time out in nature will effect the body in the same way.
I love the saying.

“Not everybody is the same and not Every Body is the same”.

We will not all receive the same benefits from nature.
Some of you will sleep better than others, some will feel more energised and focused.  That’s great.
As I always say at the start of my Forest Bathing sessions.

You will all experience your own private, individual feelings, sensations, thoughts and emotions.

Let me explain the differences of how I see the different types of group walking.

What is Netwalking?
It’s a way of combining Networking (chatting to other businesses) while walking.

The traditional way of Networking would be for businesses to meet at a coffee shop or meeting place and all talk to each other about work.  Can they help each other find more business, help with each other’s problems etc.

Many positive to that for sure.

Combine it with walking and Netwalking was born as people began to realise the benefits of being outside getting some fresh air and then the fashion began.

There are of course other positive benefits:
It gets people away from screens, (if they leave phones in pockets) gets the blood flowing.  It can also feel less pressured too.

However, I’m not convinced that it helps with the true purpose of being a positive step (pun intended) towards wellbeing.
Why?
Because we’re still switched on.  Our nervous system is still in a heighten state.  Yes, we can be getting some annoyances off our chest, sharing our worries or concerns.  Where is the calming down, allowing the shoulder to drop and lose some tension in that?

When our brain is constantly in the state of conversation, where is the real Slow Down, take a break and rest for a bit?

Employers are recognising now the importance of taking proper breaks, not just grab a coffee and sit in the lounge area for fifteen minutes.  The value of staff wellbeing is being noted and understood.

And that my friend is where the Missing Ingredients come in.

Forest Bathing (no it’s not swimming or dipping in a cold lake) it’s being out among nature.
Really taking notice of all your surroundings with all your senses.  It’s intentionally slowing down.

It’s not a ramble or a hike, its not counting steps, multitasking or hitting fitness targets.  There are no targets to aim for or hit.
It’s a journey with no location to end up at.

You may purposefully leave non-material things behind.  Thoughts, certain ways of feeling, grumpy moods.  Usually, you end up taking away some good stuff.

It is a guided practice (that’s where I come in) of slowing down enough to notice what most of us normally walk past.

The movement of leaves.
Birdsong around you.
Patterns of light as they cast shadows.
The feeling of the ground beneath your feet.
The subtle shift in your breathing when the body begins to relax.

There may be moments of conversation in a forest bathing session, but silence and sensory awareness are equally important parts of the experience.

Because when we stop our usual daily routine, producing and processing all the information for a while, something changes.

The nervous system finally gets space to settle.

This is when the over stimulation begins to stop.

This is when.

Less input.
Less urgency.
Less pressure to perform comes into its own and turns the clock of rushing off.

Healthcare and Wellbeing sectors are now noticing this.  Green or social prescribing is happening.
The GP will refer you for a walk in nature, some sessions at a gardening club, over medication.

Nature is not just something pretty to look at on the weekend it’s like a pharmacy and how we engage with it really matters.

It’s not Woo Woo

If it’s good enough for Catherine Princess of Wales, Damn Judy Dench and many others it’s good enough for us.
Oh, and you don’t have to tree hug if you don’t want to.

Everything is invitational on a guided session.  If you would rather sit and watch, that’s fine.
You’ll still gain a positive from being there.

Many participants leave saying the same thing:

“I didn’t realise how much I needed that.”

There Is Room for Both

This is not about criticising netwalking or wellbeing walks.

They absolutely have their place.

Connection matters.
Movement matters.
Community matters.

But they offer different benefits from a guided forest bathing session.

Networking in nature can stimulate ideas and conversation.

Forest bathing helps calm the constant stimulation many people are already carrying.

And perhaps that distinction matters now more than ever.

Because in a world encouraging us to constantly move faster, achieve more and stay connected, maybe the most valuable thing nature offers is the opportunity to slow down enough to simply be present again.

Happy nature walking.