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The FMW Story

May 20, 2018August 17, 2019 By fmw
Fresno Mindfulness Walks are Saturday morning opportunities for people to walk together for a 4 mile route through a different Fresno neighborhood each week, with the goal of discovering all neighborhoods. I’m inviting people to get out of their usual routes and social circles and walk to observe all of Fresno, to experiences places and circumstances that are outside of one’s normal routine.
Sidewalks that stop and start, even near schools. Walk 49, Yr 3 near Gaston Middle School
Sidewalks on walk 47 Yr 3 near Fugman Elementary.
I started mindfully walking different Fresno neighborhoods in May 2014 because of my own search for mental calmness and exercise, and to increase my understanding of the complexities of Fresno.   I have mapped and documented the walks at www.fresnomindfulnesswalks.org and on the Facebook page Fresno Mindfulness Walks.  Since then I have walked 171, four-mile routes (684 miles), and hundreds of walkers have joined me for one walk or many.   See the Google Maps on the FMW website with pins marking each route that include links to photo albums and written reflections.
Each walk has this assignment: breathe, walk, observe, discover.
We walk without talking to each other. When walkers are freed from holding a conversation, senses are awakened to the sights, sounds, smells, touch, and feelings of neighborhoods. FMWalkers report mental calmness and clarity, reduced anxiety, and both personal and community insights.
Walkers enjoy tended front yards in full spring bloom!
After the walk, we come together for a few minutes to share our observations. Walkers describe details they notice, what was new to them, and how their assumptions are challenged; and walkers learn from the observations of each other.

The benefits of walking mindfully include peace of mind, exercise, and a deeper understanding of your community.  As understanding increases about all of Fresno, walkers are inspired to use that understanding to participate in ways that improve the well-being of people throughout the city. By walking in close proximity to our entire city of neighbors, empathy grows, along with the realization that all of our lives and futures are tied together.
 
There’s no non-profit organization or formal program.  I like to say that FMW takes no money and no permission — it’s just me, a website, and a Facebook page.  I post the walk location and exact start time just a few days in advance.

Walks are free, require no RSVP, and anyone is welcome to join one walk or many.

LOGISTICS:  To learn about Saturday morning walks, sign up on FMW website to receive a weekly walk email and/or LIKE and follow the FMW Facebook page. Weekly walks are about 4 miles and take about an hour and a half. Walks are at a medium pace, often on uneven ground, and sometimes take longer than expected because walkers see themselves as curious travelers lingering to observe or going around a different way. When using Fresno Mindfulness Walks photos in printed or on-line messaging or publications, please reference Fresno Mindfulness Walks as the source, and notify [email protected]
Mural at Tioga-Sequoia Brewing – Fulton & Inyo
Lori Clanton
Lucky leader to the tribe of Fresno Mindfulness Walkers
This entry was posted in Uncategorized

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Group walks are currently on hold – but don’t let that stop you from exploring your city!

Please use this Fresno Mindfulnessw Walks website as a resource to inspire and guide you on your own journey of walking mindfully!  Enjoy!
Lori Clanton

How FMW works —

Fresno Mindfulness Walks are weekly opportunities for people to walk together for a 4 mile route through a different Fresno neighborhood each week. Walkers practice active mindfulness by attending to the sights, sounds, smells, feelings.  Walkers do not talk to each other on walks, but we do greet people we meet along the way.  The walk location and exact start time are posted just a few days in advance. All walks are free, require no RSVP, and anyone is welcome to join one walk or many. To learn about upcoming walks, you can sign up for a weekly email in the yellow bar at the top of this website and/or LIKE and follow the FMW Facebook page.

 

To learn about the routine that begins each walk and read some of the resources that have inspired FMW, check out the resources page.

 

Weekly walks are about 4 miles and take about an hour and a half. Walks are at a medium pace, often on uneven ground, and sometimes take longer than expected because walkers see themselves as curious travelers lingering to observe or going around a different way.

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