Pretty in Pink: Awe Walks

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Pretty in Pink! I took my first walk in the woods yesterday, along part of the Croton Acqueduct Trail. Total distance round trip: 2 miles. There were a few houses and condos along the way, each showcasing in-the-pink blossoms.

Let’s review what I saw, and talk about a recent article in the New York Times that promotes “awe walks.”

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Great color on this tree!

What are “awe walks”? The Times responds:

Consciously watching for small wonders in the world around you during an otherwise ordinary walk could amplify the mental health benefits of the stroll, according to an interesting new psychological study of what the study’s authors call “awe walks.”

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Make that a double!

More from the Times:

In the study, people who took a fresh look at the objects, moments and vistas that surrounded them during brief, weekly walks felt more upbeat and hopeful in general than walkers who did not.

The study looked at 52 people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. They were divided into two groups. Both groups added a 15-minute outdoor walk to their weekly schedule. The control group merely walked. The other group was taught how to cultivate awe by examining objects and views that they came upon along the way.

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What did the researchers find?

Not surprisingly, they found that the awe walkers seemed to have become adept at discovering and amplifying awe. One volunteer reported focusing now on “the beautiful fall colors and the absence of them among the evergreen forest.” A control walker, in contrast, said she spent much of a recent walk fretting about an upcoming vacation and “all the things I had to do before we leave.”

The researchers also found small but significant differences in the groups’ sense of well-being. Over all, the awe walkers felt happier, less upset and more socially connected than the men and women in the control group. The volunteers in the control group reported some improvements in mood, but their gains were slighter.

Here another stunning tree in the pink:

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Speaking of pink, what does Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge, have to say about the color? Here you go:

Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, sensitivity, tenderness, sweetness, childhood, femininity, and romance. A combination of pink and white is associated with chastity and innocence, whereas a combination of pink and black links to eroticism and seduction.

Let’s hear it for pink and black!

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