Daily walking routine and my favourite podcasts
It’s the last day of November - how did that happen so fast! - and it’s definitely feeling like winter here in Berlin. The sun sets around 4pm and rises at 8am, and will continue to do so until late January as we move towards and back away from the shortest days of the year. It’s a season that used to fly right past me as I was busy with end-of-year deadlines, lots of December get-togethers and Christmas shopping. But this year, as we’re still in the pandemic, and I’m freelance, work on my own time and from home, and also live alone, I’ve been a lot more conscious of this darker weeks and actually am embracing them. Prioritising health and rest is a cornerstone of this season for me now, and it feels GOOD. And a really easy way to do that has been to incorporate a daily, rain or shine, proper walk every day. I started doing this in the summer by going out for a much shorter time, but in this colder season it feels ground-breaking to really make sure I get a decent amount of movement and air time every day. And, for me at least, the easiest way to do that is consistency.
Every morning I get up around 7, when it’s still dark outside, to start my little morning routine. I make coffee and light some candles, meditate for 10 minutes (I use the Insight Timer app which plays some background music which can be helpful to remind me I’m supposed to be following my breath and not thinking about groceries), and then journal for a good half an hour, using the Morning Pages practice I learned from The Artist’s Way. Next I shower, layer up for the chilly weather and grab my phone, headphones and keys (no wallet so I can’t buy a cheeky croissant on the way home) and head out of the house.
My aim is to walk between 45 minutes and an hour, but that’s about it in terms of goals. I just really enjoy the fresh air, feeling myself warm up in the cold around me from moving, and looking around at what the world looks like that day. I walk pretty fast so it’s not really a contemplative exercise, but it just feels really liberating. I have two regular loops I do that take me to public green spaces, but I’m not too bothered about which one I do or trying to find a new route. Something about the regularity of this walk means I can just enjoy it in the moment and don’t have this weird feeling I get during hikes and trips sometimes that time is passing too quickly and I want to remember EVERY SECOND. With this daily exercise I’m there, I’m paying attention, but I’m not really stressing about whether I’m there or not. Maybe this is closer to witnessing consciousness than being in my narrating mind when I do *memorable stuff*. But I’ll leave that to the experts.
And some days I really enjoy listening to a podcast during these walks. I’ve gotten a bit addicted to YouTube this year and the selection of videos makes me feel like being an overwhelmed kid in a candy store – 27 Steps to Perfect Skin, 12 Items for a Perfect Wardrobe, How I Became Amazing And You Can Do, sponsored by Be Amazing Today and actually not containing any information you didn’t already know. If I had a nickel for every time YouTube told me to drink more water... Podcasts can feel that way too, so I subscribe a few to limit my choices, and pick one depending on my mood. Here are some current faves to maybe plug into next time you decide to go for a morning walk. Or just listen to the birds and people talking about Corona!
1. Ram Dass Here and Now
When I’m in an introspective mood, or am sick of being in an introspective mood and want to “pull my head out of my ass” as I affectionately call it, Ram Dass is my spiritual teacher of choice. His humour, compassion, insights and lightness of being have been inspiring me for a good number of years, and this podcast is where I’ve heard most of his talks on. Always makes me feel connected and more comfortable in my brain.
2. This American Life
How crap is this list! This is my Drink Water tip for you, and I will just briefly say that if you’ve forgotten this amazing podcast you surely already love exists, well then here it is again. It is just the greatest stories and journalism. As a half American I have a deep longing for my less known home across the pond, and this podcast transports me there. Funny, political, sharp, eye-opening.
3. The Homecoming Podcast with Dr Thema
If you haven’t heard me shout DOC! TOR! THE! MA! across a room we probably haven’t spent much time together. This is a beautiful podcast about healing, loving, accepting and forgiving yourself and finding your journey home to your inner being. This is one where I dip into different topics in the podcast according to what I’m chewing on in life at that time, and Dr Thema always has beautiful, loving advice. If we could all try to cultivate an inner voice that’s a little more like Dr Thema’s, we’d give ourselves and others a lot less of a hard time.
4. Ms Informed
This is a new one to my list, but a fantastic source of information on news and current affairs based in Berlin, in English. This morning I listened to the latest episode which is about the pros and cons of building housing on Tempelhofer Feld, and really gained some new perspectives on this debate. Another great one when I’m sick of thinking about myself all the time.
5. Moonbeaming
My good friend Liz and I are equally obsessed with the host of this podcast, Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, and her podcast, books and newsletter so often feel exactly on point with what I’m vibing on that week. The podcast includes some more esoteric practices such as tarot and spell work, but really uses them as tools to understand the cycles of nature and ourselves. I came for the episodes around abundance, being a small business owner and creativity and stayed for the whole thing. Huge tip and thank you to Liz for sharing!
If you have some favourite podcasts please let me know in the comments! Now go drink some water.
