Concept

Mindful Hiking

Background

Our mindful hikes are modeled on the hiking retreats of the EIAB (European Institute of Applied Buddhism, eiab.eu) and follow the practice of Thich Nhat Hanh. They combine movement in nature with elements of mindfulness practice from the Plum Village tradition.

Course of the Hike

At the beginning, we read a chapter from the book "Touching the Earth" aloud (the English version is available online from Parallax Press; prior knowledge or ownership of the book is not necessary). This text serves as an impulse for the rest of the hike.

During the hike, we sing practice songs from the Plum Village tradition (plumvillage.app). Singing is also a form of meditation — the songs are simple and the lyrics repeat. Anyone who doesn't want to sing along can simply listen mindfully.

Lunch

Everyone brings their own lunch. Before eating, we recite together the Five Contemplations Before Eating. For the first 10–20 minutes we eat in noble silence. A bell marks the end of the silence — afterward we can talk with one another or continue eating quietly.

Walking in Noble Silence

A central part of the hike takes place in noble silence: we are fully present in walking and do not distract ourselves by talking. The focus is on not disturbing the mindful walking of the group. If it is necessary and sensible to speak, we can do so mindful that others are practicing mindful walking — there's no need to resort to sign language or similar.

Walking pace: In the Plum Village tradition there are three forms of walking meditation — slow, medium, and fast. On our hikes we practice the fast variant: we don't walk especially slowly, but at a pace that lets us cover the distance in a comfortable amount of time, while also paying attention to our body. Everyone can walk at their own pace and may also pass others; we walk with someone bringing up the rear, and if we drift too far apart, we wait for each other. Overall, the group's walking pace is usually slower than at classic hiking retreats.

Breaks

During breaks, the noble silence is paused, and we can talk with one another. In addition to the lunch break, which can last up to an hour, we take about four more short breaks of roughly 5–15 minutes each.

Distance & Hiking Experience

The routes are chosen with a length between 6 and a maximum of 10 km — a distance that has proven suitable for most participants to manage without difficulty.

Getting There & Back

The hikes take place in and around Vienna. Starting and ending points are usually chosen within Vienna's core zone; if this is not the case, we make a point of noting it in the description. All tours are designed to be reachable exclusively by public transport.

Elevation Gain

On some routes, several hundred meters of elevation gain may be involved. If a notable amount of elevation gain is part of the route, this will be indicated in the announcement.

Listening to the Bell

From time to time during the hike, the bell is invited. This is an invitation to stop and listen to the bell for a few breaths.

Sharing

For sharing, we form a circle where everyone has the opportunity to share something with the whole group. If we wish to speak, we signal this by placing our palms together, bowing, and saying our name. We then share with the whole group. When we are finished, we indicate this with another bow. The next person can then share, while we give them our full attention and listen. Speaking is always voluntary.

We usually do a short round of sharing as an introduction at the beginning. At the end, there is often another round of sharing where we can share how we are feeling.

Running Late

We ask that you arrive on time. Since we usually do a few exercises at the start and stay near the meeting point for roughly the first half hour (possibly somewhat off to the side, in a green space), it is often still possible to join later. The best way to let us know is via Signal or by phone.