“Mindful Aliveness and Embodied Cognition in High-Altitude Therapeutic Walking: Evidence from a Himalayan Nature-Based Intervention With 350 Young Adults”

Mayur Raturi; Rekha Sharma

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.70634

“Mindful Aliveness and Embodied Cognition in High-Altitude Therapeutic Walking: Evidence from a Himalayan Nature-Based Intervention With 350 Young Adults”

Author(s)	Mr. Mayur Raturi, Dr. Rekha Sharma
Country	India
Abstract	Self-aliveness, characterized by a sense of vitality, authenticity, and active presence, is associated with self-determination, well-being, and therapeutic transformation. However, the specific environmental and physical conditions that best foster this state are not yet clearly defined. This research examined whether engaging in high-altitude walk-and-talk therapy in the Indian Himalayas could enhance mindful self-aliveness in young adults. Based on theories of embodied cognition, eco-psychology, and self-determination, we proposed that the combined effects of rhythmic movement, physiological arousal from high altitudes, and immersion in a breathtaking sacred environment would significantly boost participants' awareness of the present moment and decrease automatic behaviors. A total of 350 adults (ages 20–39; 72.5% male) participated in a guided therapeutic trek in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, with assessments conducted before and after using a modified 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (α = 0.93). Welch’s t-test showed a notable increase from pre-intervention (M = 2.26, SD = 0.72) to post-intervention (M = 5.03, SD = 0.48), t(697) = 60.16, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 4.55. The Mann–Whitney U test supported this result (rrb = .970). No significant gender differences were found (Hedges’ g = 0.03). ANCOVA confirmed that this effect remained significant after accounting for age and gender (partial η² = .91). A repeated-measures sensitivity analysis across different time phases showed a progressive pattern: acclimatization → vitality surge → consolidation, aligning with the prediction from embodied cognition that reducing motor automaticity frees up attentional resources for present-moment awareness. Regression analyses identified self-aliveness as the most significant predictor of cognitive insight (β = .62, p < .001), outperforming catharsis and demographic factors. PCA identified self-aliveness as the highest-loading variable on the main therapeutic growth factor (PC1 = 89% variance). These results strongly suggest that Himalayan walk-and-talk therapy promotes embodied mindful aliveness at levels not previously seen in intervention studies.
Keywords	Self-aliveness, mindful awareness, embodied cognition, walk-and-talk therapy, Himalayan Psychology, nature-based Intervention, self-determination theory, vitality
Field	Sociology > Philosophy / Psychology / Religion
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-03-04
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.70634

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“Mindful Aliveness and Embodied Cognition in High-Altitude Therapeutic Walking: Evidence from a Himalayan Nature-Based Intervention With 350 Young Adults”

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