There’s a new 8 a.m. club in Toronto and it’s not for intense, grueling workouts, but for walking instead.
Adam Chen has spent almost a decade living and moving through various news, entrepreneurship, and communications jobs while living in Toronto. As his life got busier, he faced the inevitable dread many Torontonians struggle with – burnout.
This struggle inspired Chen to create a free walking club called Mindful Miles.
For the past six weeks, Chen has invited others to get in their 10,000 steps with him and his partner Sophy Sun to engage with people who crave curious conversations without feeling like it’s another thing to check off on their list.
“I take some deep breaths and try to remind myself that I’m doing this for no other reason than to create space for genuine, agenda-free connections with others in my week,” Chen told Now Toronto on Thursday.
Every Saturday morning, people gather at High Park from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for the walk and conversation where they can freely share what they’re grateful for, thoughts they’ve been pondering lately, and introspective reflections.
“By asking people to share what they’re grateful for, they are taking a moment to positively reflect on the moment and their day. And as each person shares their curiosity, it becomes an invitation for the rest of the group to connect with them. They’ll think, ’Oh I have many thoughts on what they just said! I speak with them first,’, or ‘Oh wow, this person really likes to go deep, I feel like I’d vibe with that.’ Other people like something with more of a light touch – ‘What are the best coffee shops in TO?’ For some, this can feel like a perfect ice-breaker to connect with others,” Chen said.
Chen and Sun go over setting an intention for the walk with the group that day. Then, they discuss guidelines to follow during the walk.
Everyone is expected to move at the same pace together and respect others who are walking around the park even while being deeply immersed in conversation.
“We ask participants to be mindful of the intentions behind their interaction. If it feels like they are trying to sell their business, their ideas, or even trying to find someone to date – it creates an inner dialogue that gets in the way of really immersing oneself in free-flowing and genuine conversation with others,” Chen said.
Another aspect of Mindful Miles that Chen and Sun promote is a culture of “floating” in between conversations.
“We want people to feel the freedom to roam between conversations, to leave and enter them without fear of being intrusive or rude. By setting this intention first, it gives everyone more freedom to explore their curiosity without feeling stuck. When people feel stuck, their thoughts and minds stop wandering,” Chen said.
One of the fastest ways to gain mental clarity is through movement and being surrounded by community, according to Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) practitioner Sabrin Bano.
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“We live in a society where taking a day off for self care is deemed as selfish or lazy. Our minds are always in the future or the past, when we are supposed to be living in the present to ensure our pure potentiality connects to the quantum field. It’s about rebuilding our relationship with what it means to prioritize ourselves, and it shouldn’t have to be choosing between making money or feeling balanced.” Bano told Now Toronto.
Mindful Miles has been an opportunity for people who are sick of work culture yet want to still be creative and connect in a natural space, according to Chen.
“I’ve noticed that the more diverse [the] range of people who show up, the more exciting the energy feels. I love seeing bridges being built between people who otherwise might never connect. Maybe someone drove in from the suburbs, someone else is visiting for the weekend from another country, and someone else is starting their first year of university. I’ve found that these labels and identity markers mean significantly less when people are asked to connect on shared curiosity, rather than trying to prove their worth or brag about their life experiences.”
Although it’s not Chen’s ideal choice to wake up early for the sixth day in a row, he was convinced starting the weekend with a walk could help him and others be more present.
“On days when it’s raining, and it’s miserable outside, I’ve found myself and others on the walk feeling a great feeling of catharsis. The struggle to wake up in light of the bad weather, and pushing through with our mindful conversations in the pouring rain ends up being something that we look back at fondly.”
Mindful Miles is free to the public and gathers from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. every Saturday. The next one is Aug. 10 in High Park.
