This walking and writing practice is available online any time, and in person on July 5, 2023 at 5pm in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Walking artists Sandra Cowan and Annie Martin invite you to join them in an awareness walk that is focused on writing haiku.

Walking on the land while experiencing it through our senses differs from walking as a means of striving to get somewhere on foot. A contemplative awareness walk is a practice of not-striving, of not-getting-somewhere, of being present and attentive to the place we are in and our interaction with it. The intention of an awareness walk is not to inspire creativity or to document or create anything resulting from it—however, we often find that opening to awareness through walking enlivens the imagination.

This event will bring together contemplative walking and writing practices. We will walk in silence, opening our sense perceptions to the environment around us. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to connect with and nourish the creativity that an awareness walk can spark. After walking, we will gather with our notebooks to do 10 minutes of intuitive free-writing. Following this exercise, we will each compose several haiku based on opening our senses and connecting with our awareness during the walk. Without thinking about it much, what does our mind create in response to a walk with senses open to the environment? Everyone will be invited to share their haiku if they choose to (in person or online).

Walk score and full information here: http://lethbridgewalking.weebly.com/a-haiku-walk-2023.html