What is silent walking? Mumbaikars share their experience of this new trend

Practising silent walking every day calms the mind, helps focus better and keeps one centred; Silent walk is a solitary activity; Dr Sophie Fernandes and Deepa Thakore

Walking is a good old habit and the simplest form of exercise recommended by health professionals to almost everyone. But in the ever-changing world of fitness, and thanks to social media, newer and interesting trends keep popping up, rehashing even the simplest routines. One such trend that has now grown popular is silent walking. What the term essentially means, is to go on a walk by yourself without any gadgets for connectivity or music. It is a solitary activity.

Shweta D'Souza, a marketing professional and new mother, who has practised silent walking for seven years, says that she started it as a way to de-stress and disconnect. Soon, it became her escape from the chaos of everyday life. The routine became her personal and private time of the day. "This year, it was about shutting everything out to spend some time with the baby in my womb. Now, it has become a special time of the day when I walk with my infant. It is the quiet time we spend when she is exploring the world around her, and I get to enjoy every moment of unadulterated motherhood," the Bandra resident shares.

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Content writer and digital marketer Navel Nazareth, who would always listen to music or podcasts during his daily walk of 30 minutes, gave the new trend a try over the last two weeks. "I heard about silent walking and it sounded a bit strange to me because music has always been my go-to companion during walks. But I was intrigued nonetheless and gave it a try," he informs, admitting that the first few days without his phone and earphones were a bit tough, but he kept pushing himself.

Shweta D'Souza, Navel Nazareth, Dhanishta Shah and Vanshi Khakhar

"I realised that it [the walk] gave me time to be alone with my thoughts without any phone notifications. It has been only a short period, but it feels almost therapeutic. Now that I have adapted to this habit, I have realised that I need at least 30 minutes away from technology every day. It feels peaceful," Malad-based Nazareth remarks.

Though a lot of people have been practising silent walking for some time now, it is interesting to note that the buzz around the trend has only increased recently. Dhanishta Shah, a Malabar Hill-based independent counselling psychologist points out, "We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded by different stimuli. There is just so much happening and everything demands our attention. Most of us would have experienced this scenario: you pick up your phone to call someone, see a message, get distracted, and respond to other messages. Fifteen minutes later, you don't know how you ended up on Instagram. Even when you go for a long walk and listen to music on your phone, you will still be disturbed by notifications. People are tired of just being driven by their gadgets and so, silent walking is a way to claim back your own mental well-being and time."

Reclaim your time

Echoing her thoughts is Vanshi Khakhar, an 18-year-old college student, who was finding it difficult to focus on academics due to her constant use of the phone. "I was so frustrated that last week, I decided to just leave my gadgets at home and go on an hour-long stroll by myself. In a week's time, silent walking has completely changed how I feel. I am more relaxed now, I can focus better on studies and I have even started to notice the beauty of nature on the walk," shares the teenager happily.

"In the digital age where people are never without their gadgets, even while sleeping, this trend serves to not only return people to nature but also to oneself. Silent walking, with no music, no gadgets [not even smart watches] enhances mental sharpness, provides clarity in thinking, nurtures a profound link with our inner self, heightens intuition and inspires a wave of creativity. As your mental clutter reduces, this habit becomes a sanctuary for the mind," share Deepa Thakore and Dr Sophie Fernandes, founders of The Miracle Ttwa, an Andheri-based wellness centre. They add that a silent walk is a tool to enhance mindfulness, is simple, easy and economical; a tool that may increase our ever-decreasing attention span.