Unique Work – Walking the Spiritual Path

For the last few years I have struggled to get (and stay) in shape. OK, I admit it, the fight has been longer than just a Couple years. As a child, instead of playing well with the girls, he would fight with the neighborhood boys. I tried to join in on his fun and received new scars weekly from bloody football games. I was always the last one picked to play on the kickball team, and as a catcher on my fifth grade softball team, I hit the pitcher in the head with a fastball. With no coordination in team sports, I only succeeded in baton spinning, which was fun, but hardly broke a sweat. After the failures in group sports, I thought about trying running, so a few years ago I tried to train for a half marathon. I ended up limping home in tears and thought I would never exercise again. (Couldn’t even MOVE after that, let alone exercise!)

Over the years, I’ve used walking as a way to get out of the house, to ‘warm up’ for more vigorous exercise, and just to hang out with friends. This year walking has become so much more to me. Walking allows me to integrate mind, body and spirit in a way that I have never experienced before. Athletes talk about being “in the zone.” I see that I am an athlete myself and that walking can be vigorous and can give my body the movement it needs. Walking has allowed me to recover fitness goals that I had given up on. I think I finally found something I can be good at and stick with for the long haul!

“Movement in the body creates movement in the mind. It’s a natural alchemy. Many of us seek this kind of movement in our lives, a fusion of being and doing.” – Carolyn Scott Kortge from her book, The Spirited Walker.

These days, our lives are set at an incredibly frenetic pace. We have so much on our plates that we fear we’ll never finish it all, and wonder when we’ll find time to do those things that give us pleasure. Even when the world seems out of control, walking can restore our sense of inner peace. Time seems to expand, giving us the opportunity to slow down, relax, appreciate ourselves and our lives.

Even when we’re I just go out for a walkwe are almost never alone walking. We carry our mind with us when we walk, so we are usually absorbed in our own thoughts. I have come to see that the unique the work of walking has become drunk job. I’ve even dubbed some of my walks with particularly insightful friends “walk and talk,” where we process life together and use walking as a metaphor for moving forward in life.

And then there is walking alone, which frees us up for an internal dialogue. I have learned to turn off my cell phone, take off my headphones and stop drowning out the natural world. When I allow myself to listen to my own thoughts and resolve any inner conflicts, I am at peace in the sanctuary of my mind. Moving meditation or spiritual walking is a wonderful way to ground ourselves in our own presence.

“Above all, don’t lose your desire to walk. I have gotten into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so overwhelming that one cannot walk away from it. If one keeps walking, all will be well.” Soren Kierkegaard

Even if our work is wonderful, our family is healthy, and our future seems bright, we can lose touch with the deepest part of ourselves unless we slow down enough to take a deep breath, still our thoughts, and observe the natural world. with a sense of wonderful. Mindful walking gives us the opportunity to connect with the nature around us and our “inner nature.” Then we are able to attend to the trinity of which we are made: mind, body and spirit. By creating a balance between all three, we improve the quality of all areas of our lives.

Use a long walk or a hike to get back home. If you don’t go in, you go out!

Very often we walk hurriedly, rushing from one place to another in a state of mindless detachment. Spiritual walking is a form of meditation in motion. Choose a route that allows you to practice mindfulness by fully engaging your senses. Feel the hard pavement or soft grass beneath your feet, absorb the scent of honeysuckle as you pass, and make a mental note of the flowers that are blooming. Notice the feel of the wind against your face. The rhythm of walking helps us to quiet the mind and from time to time we can receive inspiration or go deeper into a conflictive area of ​​our life.

Plan a walking retreat.

You can use the walk as a kind of mini retreat. I’m not talking about going away for a week or even a weekend, unless you want to of course. I suggest you set aside a few hours, or even a full day, for exploration on foot, away from the demands of work, home, and family.

First, pick a date on your calendar and mark it as your “retirement day.” You want this day to be yours, for your personal adventure on foot. Next, identify a place you want to explore on foot. If you enjoy being in nature, call your local parks and recreation department to request maps of your area. If you love looking at houses and gardens (one of my favorite walks), think of a neighborhood you’d like to see up close. You want to spend your time walking, not driving, so try to pick a place that isn’t too far from home. If you never have to get in your car, that’s even better.

The hour-long neighborhood walk I take ends in a long incline that leads to the street where I live. I hear my body tell me, “we can’t do this, we’ll never get home.” I hear my own inner demons loud and clear and then say goodbye to them with positive self-talk. As I get closer to the top of the hill, I recount how wonderful the hike was and how strong I am getting. I’m glad it’s over, but I’m already looking forward to the next outing!

I am grateful for the spiritual walk. For me, it’s a new route to wellness, a fusion of muscle and mind. Infusing my exercise routine with spirituality has made a well get into a God walk!

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