Walking

 

path walking

Everyone knows the benefits of walking for your health, but not so much for your mind and spirit.

Many ancient cultures used walking in their spiritual practices--everything from the aboriginal "walkabout" to the Hopi Indian "vision quest." The reason walking became a sacred practice is due to what it does to the parasympathetic nervous system. Walking automatically syncs up all the bodily functions as one dynamic motion. It stimulates brain chemicals that normalize the endocrine system, releases endorphins, and re-establishes blood flow to the neocortex for enhanced higher brain functions. Long walks will heighten the senses and can bring on deep spiritual experiences.

By adding regular counted breathing to your walking steps--counting to 6 on the inbreath and 6 on the outbreath, the rhythm created enhances cardiovascular functions, and stimulates all the energy centers of the body.

As a completely different practice than touring, where you allow the itinerary to do the steering while you enjoy the ride, try walking without any destination at all in mind. Just walk. Turn where you turn, and allow the process to unwind you. Observe changes in perceptions, and feel the connectedness to trees, bushes, animals, clouds, sounds and the air itself. Abide fully in the now as you move across the surface of our Mother Earth. Let thoughts come and go like the clouds--hold on to nothing, reach for nothing.

Feel that growing sense of freedom, looseness and contentment, as the body re-aligns itself to its magnetic world. Modern life has us so often nailed down to one spot. By moving in the most primordial way, with our feet and legs, it allows the body to experience itself as the autonomous living thing it is in harmony with all other living things.

After a while, notice how the environment starts to seem like it is sending messages to you, communicating to you about who you are, mirroring back to you the beauty of who you are, and the wisdom inherent in this very moment.

Vibrant Living Tip: Use the Peak Performance Formula to get the most "bang for your buck" from your walks.


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