Mindful Walking: a simple way to feel calmer | Expert Q&A with Anise Bullimore

If you’ve ever felt like you “should” meditate but sitting still isn’t for you, mindful walking (often called walking meditation) can be a more natural starting point. It’s a way to slow down, come back to the present moment, and let your nervous system settle, while you’re still moving.

Below, Anise Bullimore shares her take on mindful walking and how she uses it with clients.

Want to try it guided? Explore Anise’s sessions: Go Slow, Support for a Wobbly Day or Start Your Day Well

Expert Q&A with Anise Bullimore

1. If someone asked you “What is mindful walking?”, how would you explain it to them in plain language?

Mindful walking is being present while wandering. It’s a simple, easy way to release stress and feel good.

2. Why do you think mindful walking works so well for calming the mind or easing stress?

Being mindful or meditating by being still can be uncomfortable for many of us – including me. The movement of walking allows us to be present with ease. Plus, our bodies are designed to use physical movement to quickly discharge stress. So mindful walking has a fast, almost magical effect on helping us regulate our emotions.

Being outside multiplies these benefits. Exposure to sunlight lifts our mood and helps us sleep. Being in nature and greenery calms our nervous systems. On top of that, when we’re out under an open sky (away from doomscrolling/overflowing inboxes/piles of laundry) our minds open up too.

And the resulting lower stress levels change how we’re able to think and reflect. So mindful walking allows us to think more creatively, check in with how we’re feeling, be more compassionate (for ourselves and others!) and get perspective.

3. When would you recommend mindful walking to a client and which of your new sessions would you usually suggest they try?

The ideal thing about the mindful walking sessions is that they can fit easily into our daily routines. Great if you can go for a long walk somewhere green but my clients usually listen as part of their commute, between meetings, pacing while boiling the kettle or even while waking up.

Often my clients react to stress in two main ways – going fast or getting stuck. For my clients that speed up and feel that everything becomes urgent under stress, mindful walking is powerful in helping them to pause and slow down. If that’s you, I’d recommend ‘Go Slow’.

For those who find themselves procrastinating and feeling heavy when they’re stressed, mindful walking helps them to gently move out of stuckness. If that’s more your experience, I’d recommend ‘Support for a Wobbly Day’.

If you find transitions particularly stressful, I’d highly recommend the ‘Start Your Day Well’ session.

4. What do you personally love about it? Any favourite places, routines, or little moments?

Mindful walking has got me through so many joys and struggles in my life. My family say I come back a different person after a wander. I live in London, but I always have mud on my shoes because I’m magnetised towards all the urban parks. Amongst the trees is where I’m happiest, especially Kew Gardens and Wakerley Woods in Northamptonshire.

The best thing about walking for me is space – space to breathe and think and explore. And I really love how I can (mostly) walk anywhere, anytime. The next best thing is a walking conversation. Side by side on a wandering adventure our conversations become so much more open and free.

5. Can anyone try it? What if someone’s not into traditional meditation or feels a bit restless?

Yes! The mindful walks will not only guide you to wander but also to breathe deeper, be present and shift your thinking. The wonderful thing about these sessions – and all the content in the Clementine Digital Library – is that you can listen in whatever way works for you. My clients have reported listening while out and about, sitting on the tube or even with their eyes closed in bed. They say that the sessions help them feel supported and often they hear just the thing they need in that moment.

Ready to give them a go?

Try a guided session with Anise: Go Slow, Support for a Wobbly Day or Start Your Day Well