You may know that every year during the holiday season we invite you to take action for a worthy cause. This year we encourage you to take an Awe Walk – a stroll in which you intentionally shift your attention outward instead of inward. In other words, pay attention and be mindful of your surroundings. Use your senses, look around and keep an eye out for seemingly small things. Focus on what you hear and smell. Taste the air, touch a tree, a stone or any kind of surface and feel its texture. We are surrounded by miracles if we just choose to see them!

Ideally, an Awe Walk takes place in nature where it is easy to feel a sense of wonder for creation. However, even if you take a stroll in the city, you can experience awe if you keep your eyes and mind wide open. Wherever you go, appreciate your environment and be grateful for what you have and if you enjoy the walk, repeat it regularly! A recent study found that a regular dose of awe may boost positive emotions, such as compassion and gratitude. Awe Walks are simple, easy, short and cost-free. So no more excuses!

Now, how do you support Wildlife while going for an Awe Walk?

We invite you to take a photo during your stroll and share it! For every image you upload to GAIA Insights’ social media channels by December 27th, using the hashtag #IamInAwe, we will increase our contribution to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – because we care about People, Planet and Purpose.

These three pillars have been guiding GAIA Insights from its inception a decade ago, and giving back is in our DNA. No matter how hard this past year has been, we know there is a lot to be grateful for. We have to unite and stand together if we want to make a change for the better. One way of doing that is to support causes, initiatives and movements we believe in.

This year, we dedicate our donations to the WWF and their mission to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Wildlife and biodiversity are integral to the balance of nature, and WWF focuses on saving populations of the most ecologically, economically and culturally important species in the wild. Ultimately, by protecting species, we save this beautiful, vulnerable and irreplaceable planet we call home. Wildlife is also a source of inspiration, it nurtures our sense of wonder and puts our existence into perspective.