about
I'm Jo Dunne and my inspiration for Mindfulness Walking comes from a deep love of walking and nature, and wanting to share their healing qualities.
Having worked with a wide range of clients as a fitness instructor over many years, I teach an optimal walking technique which improves posture, core stability and overall fitness.
The benefits of mindfulness and meditation are well known but many people find traditional meditation quite challenging. I discovered that practising mindfulness whilst walking with my optimal walking technique is a powerful combination and makes mindfulness more accessible.
I set up the Mindfulness Walking Academy to share this new concept and to create a network of practitioners who can spread the word and create a movement to help transform the lives of many people.
my story
My passion for walking as a form of exercise started in 2004 when I had two small children. I was working in London and had little time for my usual training, but I knew I could always walk, whether pushing a buggy, avoiding the bus or a walking workout during my lunch break.
On moving out of London, I qualified as a fitness instructor and began teaching an effective walking technique. For almost 10 years I focused on training cardio fitness, body tone and inch-loss through walking. But I always felt that something was missing.
I discovered mindfulness after a few difficult years in my personal life. I felt overwhelmed by negative thoughts and was often stressed and anxious, and I found myself on a treadmill of expectations. An introduction to the mindfulness teacher, Shirley Zerf, changed my whole world. I learnt to find joy and happiness in the smallest things through practising mindfulness. I started to recognise the huge benefits when I practised it whilst walking. Instead of being lost in my thoughts, walking in nature enabled me to access a beautiful place of calm and confidence deep within me.
I knew that this was the missing piece of my walking technique. Mindfulness has been life-changing for me personally, and this is the foundation of the Mindfulness Walking Academy.
I continue to study with Shirley and am passionate about meditation and the teachings of Eckhart Tolle.
“Jo is an extraordinary person. She has incredible insight, a deep wisdom and a very soothing and calming way about her. She is totally dedicated to what she does and has a playfulness and zest for life that is infectious. It is a great honour to work with her.” Shirley Zerf
