Walking & Wayfinding

An introduction to mindful walking.

I’ve been thinking about walking and wayfinding for a few years now. I wrote a book about mindful walking (Walking & Wayfinding: Create Your Own Mindful Practice, One Step at a Time ISBN #979-8990113404) and I have been contemplating what that means on most of my walks since then! What I think is great about walking mindfully, is that I don’t believe it needs to be far, for a really long time, or even has to be in nature. Mindful walking can be noticing how you place your step on a city street, or smelling the sage from the bush in your neighbor’s suburban yard, or hearing the squeals of laughter from the school playground or in the local park. It can also be wayfinding—noticing the signs you see, from actual street signs to the play of light on the sidewalk or signs of spring on the blossoming peach tree. All the "signs" you see might be asking you something in that moment, and by following the questions that play out in your mind as you walk, you are wayfinding.

My first Wayfinding Day was back in 2023, where I had this inkling that if I took a day just to walk outside, somewhere nice, I would figure out all the answers I had swirling around in my head. That's not quite what happened in real life. In fact, the questions dissolved as I walked from Santa Monica to Redondo Beach, as the ambiant sights and sounds took over. I just began to notice things, instead. First, it was all the noise in the busy beach areas as I began. Then it was the jets taking off from LAX. And then the quiet. By the time my mind settled, I was able to notice that my body was relaxed and I felt at peace. It took me over 15 miles to get there (I had a lot going on inside!), but I found some contentment in the not knowing of all those answers I had hoped I would find.

I called this first walk a Wayfinding Day even before I was really sure what it actually was going to be. In the practice of walking all those hours, I discovered that finding my way takes time. It also takes noticing, reflecting on what I see and hear and experience, and then making meaning out of it. Initially, it was taking in the signs I would see along my route and ask what questions they brought up for me in the moment. My book outlines how you can make a day for yourself like this, with tips for creating a safe and fun walk, as well as the basics of what's included in a mindful practice. There is a whole chapter on reading the signs for wayfinding. Buy it here:*

Now, a few years later, wayfinding has expanded to all that I take in when I walk. I head out for a walk open and curious for what I might find along the way. I have found this process so helpful that I've invited other people on walks over the past few years, too. Sometimes, they are structured with a booklet of questions for reflection, sometimes they are collaborations to learn new things (thank you haiku poet, Sharon Graff 💜).

I don’t believe that one needs to go wayfinding every time we walk. There are lots of other good reasons why we walk—for fitness or to clear our minds rather than follow our thoughts! We might just walk to get somewhere without thinking or wondering or asking questions at all.

BUT when you or I walk with the intention of noticing, wayfinding gives us some tools to help us find our way. If you'd like to go wayfinding with me, subscribe to my newsletter and you'll get notified the next time I'm headed out on a Wayfinding Day! Just submit the form at the bottom of this page.

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Lea Appleton, PCC, NBC-HWC, is a Certified Wellbeing Coach whose outdoor job is serving as a guide for Wayfinding Days, Pilgrimages, Labyrinth Walks, and Team-Building Experiences. Her indoor job is working as a Coach, Resilience Trainer, Author, and Speaker. She helps people in life and career transitions navigate change with the spirit of adventure.

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