Walking in Nature: A Spiritual Practice That Requires No Belief

By Dr. Katie Eastman & Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino

When we think of spirituality, we often imagine meditation cushions, prayer beads, or sacred texts. But one of the oldest and simplest spiritual practices requires none of these things. All it asks is that you step outside and walk in nature.

The natural world invites us into presence. The crunch of leaves underfoot, the rhythm of your steps, the scent of pine or salt air—these are not just sensory details. They are reminders that you belong here, that you are connected to something larger than yourself.

Among the Navajo (Diné), there is a phrase that captures this practice beautifully: hózhó, often translated as “walking in beauty.” To walk in beauty is to live in harmony with the world around you—to move through life with balance, reverence, and alignment. It’s not about belief systems or doctrines; it’s about how you carry yourself, how you relate to others, and how you notice the sacred in the world around you.

Walking in nature can be an act of walking in beauty. Each tree, each bird, each stream becomes part of a conversation. When you let your senses open and your steps slow, you embody harmony. You walk not only through the landscape, but also into a deeper connection with yourself and with life itself.

Religious traditions often formalize this awe through creation hymns, blessings of the earth, or psalms of gratitude. But spirituality does not require religion to honor the sacred. It requires only presence: slowing down enough to notice and letting nature remind you of balance, belonging, and beauty.

In Uplifting: Inspiring Stories of Loss, Change, and Growth, Dr. Katie described her own days of contemplating life and meaning—much like Anne of Green Gables—when she would lose herself in thought while walking in the woods. Those walks became spaces of reflection and grounding. They were not planned rituals, but natural practices of walking in beauty, where the trees and streams offered quiet companionship and perspective.

Spirituality does not always come through rituals or doctrines. Sometimes it comes with each step on a dirt path, each pause to listen to birdsong, each breath of fresh air. Walking in nature is a spiritual practice that requires no belief—only presence.

✨ Reflection Prompt: What happens inside you when you take a walk in nature? How might you allow harmony, balance, or beauty to guide your next walk?