Walking

[ganjaboy]

Does anyone simply walk for exercise and to meditate or reflect while doing so? I am 21 but started moving more when I noticed myself starting to age, youth fading and my body deteriorating. I now try to walk 10,000 steps a day and while doing so I reflect on life. I am a runner as well, but don't do it as much (only about 18 miles a week) because it is more "yang" to me and seems to degenerate the body in excess. The rest of my health practices and body / weight management are via yoga, healthy diet and fasting. But I like walking

Edited March 30, 2016 by dhiggs

[Karl]

Love walking. We walk every night and on a weekend. Every holiday contains at least half a dozen walks, some very adventurous, others are urban, mountains, lakes, rivers, dappled lanes or long roads it's always great.

[Kar3n]

I like walking, too. It is a good time to reflect.

 

A nice hike in the mountains can be a pretty powerful experience if you are really present and aware.

 

I find yoga to be very therapeutic as well, not only for strengthening the mind/body connection, but it also has some good, lasting energetic effects as well, at least for me it does.

Edited March 30, 2016 by Kar3n

[Aetherous]

Love to walk...it's an excuse to get out in nature and be in the midst of the fresh air. I consider walking a very great form of qigong in itself...in fact, it's something that is used when there are qigong deviations, to correct them.

[futuredaze]

Walking is nice since it can be energizing or calming. It is very balancing. Not only that, but it is a great way to explore, meet people, and learn from our surroundings, whether they are natural or man-made.

 

Walking in nature is great too since we can rejuvinate our health when in powerful spots such as old woods, mountains, beaches, lakes, etc. I find it inspiring and almost therapeutic.

[liminal_luke]

I also love walking and try to get in my 10,000 steps daily using a pedometer.  A pedometer is such a handy gadget because it´s so motivating.  You realize that every little bit counts and feel inspired to walk a little bit extra here and there throughout the day. Ten thousand steps isn´t at all hard to reach, but it´s a little bit more than I would do without a pedometer so I usually have to go on a special walk in the evening.

 

One time several years back I was waiting for a realtor friend outside his office.  Realizing that I could get some steps in rather than just sitting around the lobby, I went outside and started pacing around the parking lot.  The other realtors remarked to my friend Greg about the unusual activity saying that he had an especially nervous client. 

 

Liminal

Edited April 1, 2016 by liminal_luke

[Flolfolil]

...

Edited July 3, 2016 by Flolfolil

[Karl]

What part of the body do you feel is being negatively affected?  Walking and running are what we are built to do so its most likely a form issue.

 

It did for me. Got all sorts of injuries. I did everything correctly even to the point of varying the surface. All the warm ups, stretches and cool downs. Right hydration etc. Still got injuries so I stopped and after a year I no longer had the pains.

 

My understanding, from what I have read on the subject, is that we are built for short sprints of a few minutes duration only. That is interesting because it ties in with modern research that says a few sessions at maximum effort over the course of a week improves health.

 

I loved running at the time I was doing it and happily did 20 miles on fell, road and riverbank.

[Junko]

Walking is to meditate.Running is for the heart endurance.

[wilfred]

every day i go for a walk around the local area for an hour or so, excellent for digestion and soaking up some vitality from the environment, listening to my music and reflecting

 

the only thing is i have to watch the ground a lot to make sure i don't step in dog poo, which is pretty annoying.

[dust]

Does anyone simply walk for exercise and to meditate or reflect while doing so?

 

I used to walk everywhere, so much that I didn't walk for pleasure. Now, not needing to walk so far every day to work, and having a dog, I walk nearly every day in the woods.

 

Walking to get somewhere, one probably keeps a steady fast pace, one is probably carrying a bag, one has their thoughts upon their destination, and upon arrival there's invariably something that needs doing. It's good exercise, it's a natural form of transportation that too many people have forgotten about, and one has time with one's thoughts... but there's little thought for relaxation or real reflection.

 

Walking for walking's sake, to enjoy the outside and move the body, offers extra benefits, as everyone has said. I find it something of a diagnostic tool: walking comfortably, free to go at any pace, I'll notice muscles that ache, bits that need stretching, joints that are sore, etc, and I can focus on them later in the day; but often, by the end of the walk most of the aches are gone anyway. And of course, there's all the stuff mentioned above; going 'into nature', getting away from roads, being in a green or blue or yellow place, fresh air...it's energizing and therapeutic.

 

 

 

My understanding, from what I have read on the subject, is that we are built for short sprints of a few minutes duration only. That is interesting because it ties in with modern research that says a few sessions at maximum effort over the course of a week improves health. I loved running at the time I was doing it and happily did 20 miles on fell, road and riverbank.

 

Of all the animals (at least, of all mammals), we are the most adaptive. Foremost, I'd say that we're not 'built' for any type of exercise in particular. We can do them all pretty well, and if we specialize we can do one or two very well. We're opportunistic generalist movers, able to walk, jog, sprint, jump, flip, climb rocks and trees, swing, swim, throw, lift heavy things.....

 

In terms of running, though, I don't think we're great sprinters. We're able to train for short sprints, but we're not nearly as fast as many mammals. Our very fastest sprinters (27mph) are outpaced by nearly all carnivores (wolves & other dogs, big cats, some bears, etc) and most herbivores (horse, deer, hare, kangaroo..). In terms of biomechanics, our 'design' is much better suited for long distance running, and our best long distance runners are not matched by any other land mammal (or any other land animal, full stop?) when all terrain is considered.

 

http://knowledgenuts.com/2013/09/13/men-can-beat-horses-in-marathons/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Karnazes

Ran 350 miles (560 km) in 80 hours and 44 minutes without sleep in 2005

 

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/2012/09/02/almost-superhuman-tarahumara-runners/

The Tarahumara record is a continuous 700km in just over 48 hours  (435 miles)

Edited April 5, 2016 by dustybeijing

[ganjaboy]

I've been rather sedentary for the past five years and haven't gotten enough exercise. This winter it culminated in me just feeling sluggish and horrible. This summer i'd like to run, lose weight, bike, walk, water fast and try to eat healthier foods. I'm pretty sure all of these things are in good effort to boost chi (life energy and I will feel better 

[Junko]

every day i go for a walk around the local area for an hour or so, excellent for digestion and soaking up some vitality from the environment, listening to my music and reflecting

 

the only thing is i have to watch the ground a lot to make sure i don't step in dog poo, which is pretty annoying.

What? People in England with their dogs they don't clean up after their dogs did poo?

[wilfred]

What? People in England with their dogs they don't clean up after their dogs did poo?

 

some do, some don't. where i live there's plenty of the latter and it's quite horrible. i saw numerous dog poos on the pavement throughout my walk today. and not just big lumps, it's often spread out into multiple pieces from previous people who stood in it.

 

i will forever live in paranoia of stepping in dog poo or some type of poo

[Junko]

I don't have this problem, maybe I am always outside with my dogs and they tell me to be careful not to step on other dog poo!

[ganjaboy]

Am I understand jing, shen and chi correctly? When I cultivate or retain I feel a very strong and unmistakable energy behind my actions, very masculine and it can be somewhat aggressive. It also gives me a lot of willpower and focus, which increases the longer I have retained. It is of course partially sexual, there's a drive to reproduce but in my experience, with discipline it can be channeled into virtually anything, even if it's just blind confidence.

 

Chi on the other hand I understand more as a force for overall life. It makes me desire to take better care of myself and increase longevity, as well as recover lost elements of youth - to sort of feel the same vigor and spark I did as a young teenage boy.

 

Shen / spirit is just a feeling to me - whether I'm filled with elation or anger or whatnot. 

Edited April 5, 2016 by dhiggs

[thelerner]

On a physical basis walking tends to be very anti-inflammatory.  The gentle rhythmic movements and little boost to the circulation tend to even out the system a bit.   Done in nature its the definition of grounding.

 

 

Addon> It's nice to turn off thoughts and focus on hearing and the sensations in the feet when we walk.  Sometimes I'll close my eyes and see how far I can comfortably before opening up.  Its a good lesson in trust.  I'll often walk 32 steps, blink my eyes open, then do another 32 steps with them closed.  If I get hit by a car doing this I want my tombstone to read 'He went- Too Far'.

Edited April 5, 2016 by thelerner

[WisteriaWinds]

I think walking is the most natural way to circulate energy. The orbits run themselves without human interference. Enoch "walked with God" according to Genesis.

I shift my weight so I can stop on a dime, weight sunk, muscles hanging off the bones. I breath down to the perineum. Good stuff.

[silent thunder]

I walk everyday, barefoot now that I live in Southern California.

[Papayapple]

That's not easy!
I now know where all that hip pain is coming from. I walk like somebody's pulling me by the belt lol. It's really really really hard to get out off this habit for some reason.

[Fa Xin]

One important aspect of walking I learned from baguazhang is to roll the step, push off with your toes to pump the blood back up the leg.

 

Walking in nature is one of my favorite activities. It's good to take your time and not rush!

[silent thunder]

my feet sing and drink

 

drink every vibration of earth they resonate upon

and sing to the earth... the very resonance of my bones

resonating with the song of my own moving bones

into her form, the form of our mother

the bones I've borrowed for a time

 

and drink

 

my feet are gladfully thirsty

drinking the very dew of the grass

drink the vibrations of the stone

and the soil

the soil

my parents in the soil

all the many many songs of the soil

 

my feet drink and sing

[Pavel Karavaev]

I think the same, walking it is a good exisise. Especially if you work in a sitting position, then a walk can compensate for the lack of movement. In addition, it is much more harmonious than running, because It is easier to keep balance during walking.
And the best thing is walking in a good natural place, for example in the forest. I guess such a walk is similar to the practice of qigong, we can be charged with energy from the environment and from breathing the air with a lot of qi.

Edited December 28, 2017 by Pavel Karavaev

[Kara_mia]

It's a very good practice indeed. Unforunately, not so many people realize that walking is a practice and could benefit a lot. In addition, walking is suitable for almost everyone, I can't think of any deviation to appear from walking. I agree with Pavel that walking in nature is the best. Sometimes, I take a walk before going to bed and then sleep like a child. For me, a leasurely strall after a long day is a treat.