Walking with Wonder: Feeling Gratitude in Nature and Pilgrimage

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” – Brene Brown

Gratitude often begins with slowing down long enough to notice the goodness around us. (1) When we walk among trees, sit by water, or watch a sunrise, we are drawn outside of ourselves. 

Being in nature often leads us to feel a sense of awe, where we see the vastness beyond ourselves, which like gratitude is a self-transcendent emotion, making us feel small in the best way. (2) (3) For people of faith, nature can be appreciated as creation itself, for life that sustains our lives. Pausing to give thanks in nature helps us see the good already given by God: plants provide breath for our lungs and food on our table, and others are companions for our journeys.

At its core, gratitude is about designing a meaningful story about the role of others and God (or sacred source) in granting you positive things and experiences in life. In this post, you will learn about how to create feelings of gratitude through walking outdoors and during holy pilgrimage. When we experience vastness through nature and spiritual or religious story, we orient ourselves to the ways of God (or what is most sacred to us) and life itself, potentially giving us the opportunity to connect with the sacred.

The Long and Short Gratitude Walk: Nature Walks and Sojourning Pilgrims

The Thrive Spiritual Health Framework reminds us that spiritual health is formed through habits and rhythms. Our daily choices and practices become the habits that allow us to thrive, and the seasonal rhythms that are less frequent, but filled with deep meaning, allow us to search for and strengthen faithfulness. Ordinary walks, mindful moments outdoors, or meditating on blessings during time in nature are habits that orient our hearts toward gratitude. (4) Religious pilgrimages have the power to transform us through forging new stories about our spiritual lives. (5)

The Short Gratitude Walk: (1) (6) 

Take 5-10 minutes to step away from your desk, dorm, or usual work space. Walk outside if you can, or move through hallways, a courtyard, or even to grab a coffee. As you walk, pay attention to what you see–maybe it’s the light, the animals, the people around you, the trees or buildings. 

1. Ask yourself, “What am I grateful for today? Why do these things matter to me?”
2. Attend to the present moment by walking quietly, breathing, and scan your surroundings. Notice one or two things that bring a sense of appreciation. Feel free to take a photo or write something down. Take a moment to reflect on why it makes you feel good.
3. Savor the details by expressing thanks. Silently name to yourself — “I’m thankful for this cup of coffee” — helps anchor gratitude in the moment.

Studies show that even a few minutes of immersion in nature can help us feel connected to the world beyond ourselves and heighten gratitude along with other transcendent emotions. (2) (4)

The Long Walk: Gratitude During Religious Pilgrimage

If short gratitude walks train daily thankfulness, then long and challenging pilgrimages magnify our feelings and expression of gratitude through powerful sacred stories and spiritual community. Pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to a sacred place, often taken to honor God, seek renewal, or connect with the story of one’s faith community. (5) (7) By retracing the steps of saints and prophets, pilgrims feel gratitude for their own journey, and for being part of a larger story of faithfulness. Many faith traditions have pilgrimage rhythms in their histories:

• Christianity: Pilgrimages such as the Camino de Santiago (“the Way of Saint James”), or journeys to Rome or Jerusalem, are practices of perseverance, reflection, and belief. Pilgrims often describe gratitude for the strength to endure, for encounters with fellow travelers, and for walking in the footsteps of those who lived faithfully before them. (7)
• Islam: The Hajj to Mecca, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, centers gratitude at its heart. At Arafat, pilgrims stand together giving thanks for God’s compassion. Every prayer, movement, and personal sacrifice is a lived expression of gratitude for life and salvation.
• Judaism: Jews first made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem in ancient times for festivals like Passover and Sukkot and continue it to this day. These journeys bring gratitude and remind the community of God’s guidance, nourishment, and protection in the wilderness.

Pilgrimages create spiritual elevation and collective effervescence, or the uplifting energy of people gathered around a sacred purpose. (6) (7) Gratitude is multiplied when walking side by side, sharing meals, and telling stories. If you are interested in launching a journey, follow some of the steps below to enrich your pilgrimage through intentional gratitude practices:

1. Understand the significance of the pilgrimage: Take time to learn about the spiritual meaning of the pilgrimage by reading about its history and decide on the right time to go.
2. Set a gratitude intention from the beginning: Before you leave, ask yourself, “How might I use this opportunity to deepen my connection to God and my faith by reflecting on the blessings I’ve experienced on my spiritual journey?” The story enriches the journey.
3. Practice gratitude along the way: As you walk your pilgrimage, attend to the goodness that the journey brings to you. Acknowledge the insights you gain and the connections you make as gifts designed to bring you closer to God. Pause daily to give thanks to others for kindness and God for spiritual growth. Embody gratitude through:
   1. Counting your blessings: Recount the gifts, peaks, and struggles of your life.
   2. Offering prayers of thanks: For the strength to continue, nourishment, and life.
   3. Acting with kindness and service towards fellow pilgrims and local residents.
4. Reflect and integrate gratitude after the experience: When you arrive at your destination, give thanks for the journey–both the hardship and the learning. Spend time in the moment and on your way home reflecting on the good feelings and good will you experienced. Take those memories and form a story that you can use to live with thanks and grace.

In our modern world, gratitude is often praised for bringing happiness and strengthening relationships. Yet the timeless practices of many faiths that were explored in this post offer lasting ways to grow in thankfulness. Mindful gratitude walks and long pilgrimages invite us to give thanks to God, to others, and to ourselves for continuing forward through life’s challenges. May these practices inspire you to step outside, notice beauty, welcome joy from others, and give thanks for all that enriches your life. We wish you well on your journey.

Additional Resources

• Gifts for the Soul: Gratitude as a Spiritual Practices
• Want more Love and Goodness? Savor Gratitude – Thrive Center
• Expressing Gratitude through Everyday Prayers of Thanksgiving
• The Gift of Giving: Cultivating Grateful Communities through Charity and Service

References

1. Emmons, R. A. (2007). Thanks!: How the new science of gratitude can make you happier. Houghton Mifflin Co.
2. Keltner, D. (2023). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life. Penguin Books
3. Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A. M., Piff, P. K., Cordaro, D., Anderson, C. L., Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., & Keltner, D. (2017a). Self-transcendent emotions and their social functions: Compassion, gratitude, and awe bind us to others through prosociality. Emotion Review, 9(3), 200–207. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073916684557
4. Chen, L., Liu, J., Fu, L., Guo, C., & Chen, Y. (2022). The impact of gratitude on connection with nature: The mediating role of positive emotions of self-transcendence. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.908138
5. Sørensen, A., & Høgh-Olesen, H. (2022). Walking for well-being. exploring the phenomenology of Modern Pilgrimage. Culture & Psychology, 29(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067×22113135
6. Diniz, G., Korkes, L., Tristão, L. S., Pelegrini, R., Bellodi, P. L., & Bernardo, W. M. (2023). The effects of gratitude interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Einstein (São Paulo), 21. https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2023rw0371
7. Afkhami Rohani, H., Rahnama, N., Gholami, M., & Saberi Moghadam Tehrani, Z. (2025). Analysing the Joy of Pilgrimage: Effects on Spiritual and Eudaimonic Well-Being. International Journal of Tourism, Culture and Spirituality, 8(2), 107-129. https://doi.org/10.22133/ijtcs.2025.534088.1227