May signals Mental Health Awareness Month, but the need for a fit mind, body, and soul is a requirement that stays with us all year round. Dora Kamau is certified in MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) and teaches at Headspace, a leading app that provides tools and resources for improving a variety of mental health outcomes via mindfulness and meditation. So, M&F wanted to learn more about her mission to get us walking into a more mentally positive place.
Looking after our noggins is non-negotiable. With the world becoming an ever-uncertain place, we really should take the time to center ourselves and keep the chaos of work, family, and politics firmly on the outside from time to time. Studies show that half of the U.S. population experience “frequent” stress in daily life, and this can lead to a variety of problems including poor sleep, anger, anxiety, and broken relationships.
The Headspace app has been shown to have delivered favorable interventions in these areas, reducing stress, providing greater focus, decreased aggression, improved positivity, and better sleep quality. And yet for many of us, mindfulness is a bit of an alien concept. Some people are intimidated by the idea of spending too much time with their brains, while others think it’s reserved for those that have a “new age” style of thinking. Not so, says Dora Kamau, who has contributed to Headspace’s new Mindful Walking series in collaboration with Audible.
The Mindful Walking with Headspace collection is made up of sessions like Walks to Connect, Walks to Release, and Walks to Recenter. Each walk is rooted in therapeutic techniques from mental health experts and covers a variety of subjects from tuning in to the body, through to boosting motivation and practicing acceptance.
Eager to learn more about the benefits of mindful walks, M&F put the pertinent questions to Dora Kamau, who contributed a number of sessions to the series.
Some people are intimidated by the idea of one-on-one time with their mind. What would you say to encourage people to mindfulness a try?
It’s completely normal to feel hesitant about sitting with your own thoughts or being with your mind. But often, the fear or intimidation is more about our assumptions than the actual experience. So, the best way to explore it is by simply trying it, starting small and noticing what’s true for you.
You don’t need to sit for 20 minutes to begin. Try committing to just one minute, then maybe three, and so on. This helps build a sense of familiarity with your mind, which over time can feel less intimidating. It can also be helpful to explore where this sense of intimidation comes from. Getting curious, rather than judgmental, is part of the practice.
One misconception that I usually hear is that meditation is intimidating for those who have a busy mind and so it’s hard for them to empty their mind. Yet, an empty mind is not the goal of the practice. It’s about becoming aware of our thoughts and cultivating a relationship with them.
You don’t have to do it alone either. Guided meditations or practicing with others can make it feel more supportive and less intimidating. Headspace offers helpful structure and encouragement, especially when you’re just starting out.
Why are walks an ideal time to be mindful?
A mindful walk turns a simple movement into a way to reconnect with your body and your surroundings. It’s a chance to notice your breath, the rhythm of your steps, and what’s happening around you in the present moment. And because walking is a natural part of daily life, it’s an easy place to start bringing mindfulness off the cushion and into your everyday routine.
How should we choose the right environment for our mindful walks?
The right environment is whatever space you have access to. Mindfulness is not about finding the perfect spot. It’s about learning to be present wherever you are. So, if you live in a busy city then a sidewalk or a park can offer plenty for you to notice. In fact, practicing in more stimulating environments can strengthen your ability to stay present and focused. If you have access to a quieter or more natural space, that can be helpful too. Nature tends to support a sense of calm and connection.
What matters most is choosing a place where you feel safe and comfortable enough to slow down and pay attention.
Why do you think so many of us need to ‘reconnect’ with ourselves?
There’s so much happening in the world that pulls our attention outward. It’s easy to feel disconnected from ourselves. So, mindfulness offers us a way to come home. It helps us pause and check in with how we’re feeling, both mentally and physically. When we reconnect with ourselves, we can respond to life more thoughtfully instead of reactively. This kind of connection helps us to cultivate a greater sense of emotional clarity, physical well-being, and connection to ourselves, others, and the world around us.
The Mindfulness Walks series also talks about releasing “big” emotions. Why is this important for our mental wellbeing?
Emotions are a natural part of being human. They’re signals from within that help us understand what we need, what matters to us, and where we might be holding pain or tension. But when we ignore or suppress those emotions, they don’t just disappear. They often get stored in the body as stress, tightness, or fatigue, and over time, which can affect both our mental and physical health.
Releasing emotions is not about “getting rid” of them but about giving them space to be felt and understood. When we take time to acknowledge and process what we’re feeling through movement, journaling, conversation, or simply pausing to notice, we create the conditions for those emotions to move through us in a healthier way.
Processing emotions also helps us to make meaning of our experiences. It creates more space internally and it allows us to respond to life with clarity, compassion, and that greater sense of connection to ourselves and others.
Mindfulness has been shown to offer positive physical effects. How does this practice help to reset the nervous system?
When we experience stress, our bodies automatically shift into a reactive state. This is useful for short-term survival, but if we stay there too long, it can take a toll on our health. Mindfulness helps us notice when we’re in that stress response and gently shift into a more regulated state. It gives us a moment to pause, breathe, and choose how we want to respond. This shift from reaction to reflection supports the nervous system and helps us feel more grounded, clear, and emotionally balanced. Over time, practicing mindfulness can increase resilience, improve mood, and create a greater sense of calm and clarity in our daily lives.
Do you have a favorite exercise in the Mindful Walking series?
One of my favorite teachings from this collection is the mindful walk exploring sadness. When we’re feeling sad, that’s when we can tend to feel stuck. This session invites movement while gently exploring the emotion of sadness.
Walking while reflecting on sadness can help us understand it differently and it gives us a chance to feel what’s present without being overwhelmed. There’s something powerful about pairing movement with emotional awareness. It can soften the edges of difficult feelings and help us relate to them in a more compassionate way.
Can people re-listen to these audio tracks? How often should people practice these mindfulness walks?
Yes, you can absolutely revisit the tracks as often as you’d like. Repetition builds familiarity, and consistency is more important when building a new habit or skill.
If you’re new to this, try doing a mindful walk once or twice a week to start. Notice how it feels in your body and your mood afterward. Then you can decide if you’d like to do it more often. These walks are here for whenever you need to reconnect, reset, or simply take a mindful pause in your day.
What do you hope people will get out of participating in Mindful Walks?
I hope people come away with a clearer understanding that mindfulness is not an experience limited to sitting still with your eyes closed. It’s something that can be woven into everyday life. In fact, it’s meant to be woven into every aspect of our lives. It’s a way of being and not just something we “do.” I also hope these practices help people care for their minds and bodies in a practical, nourishing way.
Whether it’s through a short walk, a breath, or simply noticing what’s present, my hope is that people feel more grounded, more connected, and more empowered to meet whatever life brings.
