Author(s): Adam Ford

Spiritual growth

Mindfulness is a technique of focused awareness that has its roots in Buddhism. It makes the present moment vividly tangible, heightens the senses, and increases our ability to think clearly and make positive life choices.The Art of Mindful Walking uses the concept of mindfulness to explore the activity of walking as an exercise for both body and mind. As an Anglican priest and former Priest-in-Ordinary to the Queen, a lecturer in Buddhism, and a devoted walker, Adam Ford is an inspiring guide with a refreshingly eclectic viewpoint. Contemplating the concept of purposeful walking, he applies the notion of mindfulness to walks ranging from a simple journey to work to a personal odyssey in the Australian outback. Exploring the idea of the walk as both medium and metaphor, and considering ideas of pilgrimage alongside the notion of the walk in literature, he draws on his personal experience of both spirituality and walking. Most of us have enjoyed moments of magic on a walk, from a simple feeling of wellbeing to a sense of awe at a special view. This book celebrates and enhances those moments: both for the hardened hiker and those who like to contemplate past walks from the comfort of their armchair.