Awe Outing

How to Do It

With the right outlook, awe can be found in almost any environment, turning an everyday experience into a flight of inspiration and wonder. 

Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something incredible that challenges our understanding of the world, like a full moon brimming over the horizon, crashing waves in front of an endless sea, or someone’s extraordinary creativity, courage, or kindness. When people feel awe, they may use other words to describe the experience, such as wonder, amazement, surprise, or transcendence. 

Awe is most likely to occur in places that have two key features: physical vastness and novelty. These could include natural settings, like a hiking trail lined with tall trees, or urban settings, like at the top of a skyscraper. You’re more likely to feel awe in a new place, where the sights and sounds are unfamiliar to you. That said, some places never seem to get old.

No matter where you are, the key is to be in the right frame of mind. This practice is designed to help you get there—to turn an ordinary outing into a series of awe-inspiring moments filled with delightful surprises. 

To get started, turn off your cell phone. Cell phones (and other devices) can be distracting and draw your attention away from what’s happening around you. Even better, don’t bring your phone with you at all so that you won’t be tempted to check it. Then, set off on your outing to a place of your choosing (see below for ideas).

During your outing, try to approach what you see, hear, smell, or otherwise sense with fresh eyes, imagining that you’re experiencing it for the first time. Then, follow these steps:

1. Take a deep breath in. Count to six as you inhale and seven as you exhale. Feel the air move through your nasal passages and hear the sound of your breath. Come back to this breath throughout your outing. 
2. As you get going, feel the ground beneath you and the air on your skin, listen to surrounding sounds, and smell what is wafting from anything nearby.
3. Shift your awareness so that you are open to what is around you, to things that are vast, impressively complex, unexpected, or unexplainable, or that surprise and delight you.
4. Take another deep breath in. Again, count to six as you inhale and seven as you exhale
5. Let your attention be open in exploration for what inspires awe. Is it a wide landscape? The tiny patterns of light and shadow? An appliance or piece of furniture? Let your attention move from the vast to the small.
6. Ask yourself far-fetched questions: What is new, unknown, or unexplored about what is around you?
7. Continue your outing and, every so often, bring your attention back to your breath. Count to six as you inhale and seven as you exhale. Notice—really notice—the many sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that are dancing through your awareness, usually undetected

Once you get in the habit of taking outings like this, you may be surprised by how often you have opportunities to experience awe—they are practically infinite. 

As you move through your day, take note of the moments that bring you wonder, that give you goosebumps or make your chest feel more broad: These are your opportunities for awe. They may be in your neighborhood, in front of art, listening to music, or doing something together with other people. 

Here are some specific ideas for awe outing destinations:

Natural settings:

• A local park or garden
• A mountain or hilltop with panoramic views
• A trail lined with tall trees
• The shore of an ocean, lake, river, or waterfall
• A clear night when you can see the stars
• A place where you can watch a sunset or sunrise

Urban settings:

• A yard, low-traffic sidewalk, or school playground
• The top of a skyscraper… or looking up in an area dense with tall buildings
• A historic monument
• A part of your city that you’ve never explored before
• A large ballpark or stadium
• Botanical gardens or a zoo with plants and animal species you’ve never seen before
• No destination; see where the outing takes you

Indoor settings:

• A library
• A gallery or hallway with art on the walls
• A planetarium or aquarium
• A historic mansion, cathedral, or opera house
• A museum

To do an online version of this exercise, check out this 360° virtual Awe Walk practice through Muir Woods National Monument, guided by the Greater Good Science Center's Dacher Keltner.