Katy Bowman talks barefoot walking and couchless living - Summer Series

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Photo by Jordan Whitt on UnsplashHello, and welcome to the Slow Home Summer series! For 5 weeks over December and January we’ll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2017, so we can walk the walk and slow down during the Christmas break. Also it turns out podcasts, just like fine wine, really do get better with age. Whether you missed them the first time around, or are having another listen, we hope you enjoy these poggies as much as we did!

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I was first introduced to Katy Bowman’s work when I started to explore the idea of barefoot bushwalking earlier this year. Katy writes a lot about removing the casts of modern life (shoes are just one of them) and unlocking the benefits of movement, and for me, barefoot bushwalking was the perfect introduction to that idea.

The first time I walked Red Hands Cave track barefoot was a revelation to me. Not only did my feet feel incredible while I was walking, but it also really forced me to slow down and truly pay attention to where I was headed, what I was doing with my body and how it made me feel. Interestingly, I rode a wave of euphoria for days after too, as my feet had a looseness, a lightness and a vitality I didn’t know they could have. Now I keep my feet bare as much as possible. (A pair of thick wooly socks are my dearest friends in winter!)

In today’s poggie I speak with Katy, a biomechanist and movement advocate, about the curse of convenience in modern life and what it is costing us in terms of movement, the food we eat, our health, our relationships and the larger structure of our society in general.

We also talk about the infiltration of technology into the lives of both adults and kids, as well as some really practical ways of lessening the impact technology has on our days, and how to deal with the inevitable complaints from kids (and maybe some adults) when they’re forced outside. We also talk about the massive benefits of spending more time outdoors and why Katy is lobbying for outdoor exposure to be classified as a nutrient.

Katy shares her families journey towards minimalism and why it began with letting go of their couch, and how the root of their simplification lies in a desire for more movement rather than less stuff.

I was struck by so many things talking to Katy, but one of the biggest was her intention. There's meaning and choice and reason behind each of her actions, and for me that’s one of the biggest connections between nutritious movement and slow living - paying attention, asking why and living accordingly.

I also came away from this chat determined to add more intentional movement to our days and will be serving breakfast outside as often as I can!

Enjoy!

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Annie Raser-Rowland on the art of Frugal Hedonism - Summer Series
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Top 10 of 2017