Sole Work ? Walking the Spiritual Path

For the past several years I have struggled with getting (and staying) fit. Ok I admit it, the struggle has been longer than just a few years. As a kid, instead of playing nicely with the girls, I fought with the neighborhood boys. I attempted to join their fun and received new scars weekly in bloody games of soccer. I was always the last one picked to play on the kickball team and, as the catcher of my 5th grade softball team, I pummeled the pitcher in the head with a fast ball. Uncoordinated in team sports, I succeeded only at baton twirling which was fun but I barely broke a sweat. After failures in group sports I thought I'd try running so, a few years ago I attempted to train for a half marathon. I ended up limping home in tears and thought I'd never exercise again. (I couldn't even MOVE after that, much less exercise!)

Over the years I've used walking as a way of getting out of the house, of 'warming up' for more vigorous exercise and just to hang out with friends. This year, walking has turned into much more for me. Walking allows me to integrate mind, body, and spirit in a way that I've not experienced before. Athletes speak of being "in the zone." I see that I too am an athlete and that walking can be vigorous and can provide my body with the movement it craves. Walking has allowed me to reclaim fitness goals that I had given up on. I think I've finally found something that I can be good at and stick with long term!

"Movement in the body brings movement in the mind. It is a natural alchemy. So 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 frantic pace. We have so much on our plates that we fear we'll never get everything done, and we wonder when we'll find time to do those things that bring us pleasure. Even when the world seems to be spinning out of control, walking can restore our sense of inner peace. Time seems to expand, giving us a chance to slow down, to relax, to appreciate ourselves and our lives.

Even when we are 'just going out for a walk', we are hardly ever just walking. We carry our mind around with us when we walk, so we are usually absorbed in our own thoughts. I have come to see that the sole work of walking has turned into soul work. I have even nicknamed some of my walks with particularly insightful friends 'walk and talks' where we process life together and use walking as a metaphor for moving forward in life.

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

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. If one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right." Soren Kierkegaard

Even if our job is wonderful, our family is healthy and our future seems bright, we can lose touch with the deepest part of ourself unless we slow down enough to breathe deeply, to still our thoughts and to observe the natural world with a sense of wonder. Walking with awareness provides us with an opportunity to connect with the surrounding nature and our "inner nature". Then we are able to tend to the trinity that we are made up of - mind, body and spirit. In creating a balance among all three, we enhance the quality of all areas of our life.

Use a long walk or hike to come home to yourself. If you don't go within you'll go without!

So often we walk hurriedly, rushing from place to place in a state of mindless detachment. Spiritual walking is a form of meditation in motion. Pick a route that will allow you to practice mindfulness by fully engaging your senses. Feel the hard pavement or soft grass beneath your feet, drink in the aroma of the honeysuckle as you pass by and make a mental note of what flowers are in bloom. Notice the feel of the wind against your face. The rhythm of walking helps us to quiet our minds and from time to time we may receive inspiration or gain insight into some troubled area of our lives.

Plan a walking retreat.

You can use walking as a sort of mini-retreat. I'm not talking about going away for a week or even a weekend, unless you want to, of course. I'm suggesting that you set aside a few hours, or even a full day for an exploration on foot - far from the demands of work, home, and family.

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

The hour-long neighborhood walk that I take ends in a long slope that leads to the street that I live on. I listen to my body tell me, "we can't do this, we'll never make it home." I hear my own inner demons loud and clear and then I bid them farewell using positive self-talk. As I approach the top of the hill I recount what a wonderful walk it was and how strong I am becoming. I'm glad it's over, yet I'm already looking forward to the next outing!

I am grateful for spiritual walking. For me, it is a new route to wellbeing, a merger of muscle and mind. Infusing my exercise routine with spirituality has turned a good walk into a God walk!

Diana Kennedy is the author of Living from Spirit website and email newsletter. She leads the 9:30am church service at Unity of Tallahassee where she is Ministerial Assistant. Diana is a licensed massage therapist working at All About You! Massage. To contact her, call 850-878-2130, visit http://www.dianakennedy.com, or email living_from_spirit@yahoo.com.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Remote Viewing and the Body-Mind Connection

One of the biggest myths to evolve in the growing... Read More

Tarot Basics

A Tarot card deck typically consists of 78 colorful cards... Read More

CEROMANCY: The Fine Art of Candle Reading

Lately, I have been asked a lot of questions in... Read More

Shallow Victories

How many of you out there have ever wondered if... Read More

The Universal Connection

I believe in a phenomenon I have been known to... Read More

Two Halves Dont Always Make A Whole

... Read More

Law to the Nth Degree

Most of us know that the universe - God's universe... Read More

Spiritual Belief

The atmosphere surrounding the earth is still a matter of... Read More

Strangers In This World

Christians all over the world will all be tempted in... Read More

People Fail in Life Because They Do Not Plan

Life is growth. For many people life is like a... Read More

When Do You Pray?

When do you pray?Prayer is the cornerstone of the Christian... Read More

Midnight Songs

In life, sooner or later, we come to the midnight... Read More

Change Your Beliefs -- Change Your Health

To many people in the Western world Metaphysical Healing is... Read More

Your Guardian Angel

Your guardian angel is your link to the divine. The... Read More

Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 2

Matthew 1:1-17The Genealogy of Jesus Christ1 The book of the... Read More

Linear Unidirectional Time Is An Illusion!

In a recent article entitled "Our Virtual Reality Reality" I... Read More

10 Interesting Facts about Archangel Uriel

1. The name Uriel means "Light of God" or "Flame... Read More

Snowflakes

The human race had their beginning, and I had mine... Read More

Art of Living ? Finding It?s a Wonderful Life

In Corrogue I am finding it's a wonderful life.Let me... Read More

Theory on PRAYER

Oxford dictionary defines PRAYER as "a request for help or... Read More

The Power of Gods Love Can Change Your Life

Do you want victory in your life? Do you have... Read More

Being a Christian

What is a Christian? According to The American HeritageŽ Dictionary... Read More

The Tess Syndrome

There's a lot of talk about angels these days. They're... Read More

Where Are You Currently Heading?

Do you know where your current path is taking you?Education,... Read More

People May Let You Down

Is your hope in God? Or, is it in people?I... Read More

God Can See Your Heart

Today is the day that I'm getting back into exercise.... Read More

You Are a Person of Abundance

Heaven is a place of abundance and earth is a... Read More

I Can Do All Things Through Christ Jesus Who Gives Me Strength

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I... Read More

No Star-Studded Career

What is success? It probably means different things to different... Read More

Undercover Investigation

It is important and necessary that we regularly spend time... Read More

Drifting Like a Summer Breeze

He knew it was going to happen. He wasn't really... Read More

Reach Out and Touch

The essence of the Christian faith is the good news... Read More

How To Unleash The Power Of Prayer

But my God shall supply all your need according to... Read More