Moving quickly, we cover miles. Sometimes those miles matter. We need to reach camp before dark. We need to finish the section we planned. So we walk a little faster.
The problem is not moving quickly. The problem is when the miles become more important than why we are out there in the first place.
I have rushed to finish a hike, whether a day hike or a section of a backpacking journey. I have put more focus on the miles than on the why of the hike.
Why Do I Hike?
For new hikers this question may not enter your mind. For seasoned hikers it may be a given. How often do you stop to think about why you do anything you enjoy?
When your legs are sore. When your feet hurt. When your back aches. When your lungs burn. The reason you started becomes easier to see.
Your why may not be spiritual. It may not be to see God’s creation. It may not be to slow down. And that’s okay.
If you hike to get more miles, then hike your hike.
I hike to slow my mind. To reset from the stress of life. To see parts of God’s creation that relatively few ever see. To bring my thoughts back to God. To listen. To learn. To feel the Father walking with me.
That is why I hike and why I slow down on the trail.
How Do You Slow Down?
Slowing down does not always mean walking slower.
When I hike solo, I usually do not hike slowly. I still push. I still enjoy the effort. But I try not to push so hard that the pace takes over.
Sometimes I let my mind wander. Sometimes I think about nothing at all. Other times I pray or work through something I have been carrying. The important part is that I am present enough to notice where my mind goes.
If I can only focus on the next step, the next climb, or the next mile, the reason I began with can disappear somewhere along the trail.
When that happens, I stop. I refocus. I breathe. I pray. I listen. I remember why I came.
I slow down by remembering my why.
Why Eremos Hikes Are Slower Paced
When I began hiking in preparation for leading others, I knew I would not always be hiking with people who enjoy the trail the same way I do.
Not everyone enjoys pushing through burning lungs to reach the next summit before resting. Not everyone reaches the summit, feels the relief, and immediately wants to keep going.
I knew I would need to slow down and rest more often. At first, that was mostly a physical decision.
I asked people who do not hike often to go with me. I asked my children to go because they are smaller and naturally walk slower. I was trying to find a pace that would work for more people.
Then I began noticing what happened when we slowed down.
The breaks became longer. People talked. They got to know each other. The group settled into the trail together.
I started slowing down because other people needed me to. I kept slowing down because I began to notice what happened when we did.
Eremos slows down the body so the mind can catch up.
Notice
When the body is no longer fighting to keep pace, there is room to notice.
You notice your thoughts. Your breath. Your body. The trail. The people around you.
Conversation may begin to fall away. Silence starts to settle in.
That silence can feel uncomfortable at first. We are used to filling empty spaces.
But if we let the silence stay, even for a little while, we can begin to pay attention to what is already there.
The silence creates space for us to listen. God has not necessarily been absent in the noise. We may simply have been too distracted to notice.
Hiking, even an Eremos hike, does not guarantee you will hear from God or have a spiritual experience.
What it does is give you an opportunity to step away from some of the noise, slow down enough to listen, and be present.
Removing Distractions
Our lives are full of distractions. Even when we make time for God, we may not be fully present.
Stepping away does not make those distractions disappear forever. But for a few hours, it can create enough space to notice what has been getting lost in the noise.
To breathe.
To listen.
To be present with God.
Step Away. Slow Down. Listen.
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