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Lea Appleton, MA, MDiv, PCC, is a fourth-generation Southern Californian connected to place through walking—from the beaches of the Pacific Ocean to the pinnacles of the High Sierra mountain ranges. She spent a couple of decades in higher education, helping to build multicultural and interreligious communities, and now is a professional certified coach in private practice helping working professionals live meaningful lives. She also works in the outdoor industry. Lea has a Master of Arts in Music Performance Practice, a Master of Divinity degree and holds the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coaching Federation. She is also currently training to become board certified as a health and wellness coach. Lea lives with her husband Billy and has three adult children.
Reviewed by Chad Richins for Readers' Favorite
The theme of Walking and Wayfinding is mindful walking as a spiritual and reflective practice. I have always enjoyed walking while going to work and sometimes for relaxation in the evening. However, I had not considered it in the way Lea Appleton presents it. Lea initially planned to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain with her sister in May 2020 before COVID-19 struck. So, after the lockdown, the author walked 70 miles from her home through the coast of South California to her sister’s home to fulfill her DIY pilgrimage. Since then, she has made walking a frequent means of connecting with herself. Lea no longer waits for that special moment or walks a long distance to find peace in walking. The author organized a small group so she could coordinate friends and relatives who may be interested in this wayfinding. According to Lea, walking fosters awareness and connection to oneself and surroundings. She offers practical tips for creating personal walking experiences.
I enjoyed reading Walking and Wayfinding. The foreword especially helped create an imaginary scene to follow while reading. The quote at the beginning of each chapter sets the tone for the chapter. Lea Appleton then added a prompt that activated me to go for a walk at the end of each chapter (I went for three days). After walking, she asked some questions that helped me to journal my experience. In all honesty, Walking and Wayfinding made me see walking from a different light. Anyone seeking personal growth should read this book. Wayfinding is one way they can achieve this. The conversational writing style helped me immerse myself in the book and understand every concept discussed. Including pictures ensured that I followed through with Lea's experiences and made me relate better to the ideas. This book helped me a lot with tips on how to get more out of walking.
