Have you ever consciously watched people walking and walking the natural way? Do yourself a favor and sit in the next few days somewhere in a Café or on the foreshore and spend 10 minutes observing people walking by.
Walking is besides breathing one of the activities we know the longest in life.
In all nomadic peoples, walking was a way of life. Babies instinctually calm down with the rhythm of walking. Rhythm is the key to walking. It is a rhythmic movement sequence for our body, but only when we walk it rhythmically according to the natural flow of our feet and skeleton we get the benefit and benefits there are many.
Different styles of walking
Once you observed other people walking, you will notice the different styles of walking. Some people walk as if they had an invisible string tied to their nose pulling them forward. They almost fall forward, the weight being predominantly on the forefoot and they propel themselves restlessly forward.
Other people walk with their main weight on the heel, almost as if they are walking backwards. Many people shuffle their feet as if they wore large cumbersome slippers on their feet.
How are we meant to walk?
Our feet are astounding structures, made up of twenty-six bones each, with thirty-three joints and a complex network of more than one hundred tendons, muscles, and ligaments, not to mention blood vessels and nerves.
Healthy feet are supple and strong. The foot’s primary arch is raised but not rigid or frozen and there are several arches to one foot. Fibula and tibia, the lower leg bones, nestle atop a platform called the talus. Held in place by a collection of ligaments and tendons in a well-secured arrangement.
The toes actively participate in the working mechanics of a foot, they help to balance the weight as well as assisting in propelling the body forward and pivoting movements. The activity of propelling an upright spine forward into space without a strong impact on the ground is called walking.
Our walking is meant to support the spine and give it lightness and balance.
Grace is part of a natural gait, which uses ground resistance and muscle response to move forward. The structural centers of the body are neither nose nor eyes, but the pelvis.
How to walk naturally
For a healthy gait try to imagine for a moment that you had eyes in your frontal pelvis and make that part leading your movement. Now walk ‘heel to toe’ always lightly pushing off with the back foot.
Walking is therapeutical. Anything beyond thirty minutes moves the whole body and settles the mind if you walk in ‘the natural way’. Walking strengthens your core muscles and your buttock muscles if you walk this way and it can clear your mind if you allow yourself to walk consciously, breathe and enjoy the scenery.
If you are at a crossroad in your life, consider a long walk (three days is a good start) or a traditional pilgrimage track. Walking has its magic worth discovering.