In this week’s blog I’m sharing some incredible nuggets of gold that I learned about the benefits of walking during my podcast interview with my friend and Kundalini yoga teacher/trainer Martha Chester. Martha gave me so many fascinating insights into why walking is such a powerful exercise for our mind, body and spirit, so take a listen to our chat. What I want to focus on here is the power of walking for relaxation and rejeuvenation. And for those of you who want to bring meditation to your walk, I’ll share Martha’s walking simple meditation exercise that you can do while you are walking.
What Pushed Me Into Daily Walking?
Let me start with a bit of background. Some of you may already know that back in October 2022, I started a daily walking practice. And there was a very good reason behind this. Like many of us I spend long, sedentary hours at a desk. I work from home so I’m not even travelling to work. Result? Daily back ache, very painful sciatica that would recur every 5 or 6 weeks and a general feeling of achiness and stiffness.
And then I went on a hiking holiday to Morocco. We spent five days hiking in the mountains, and I came back feeling amazing. I had no backache, no sciatica. But more than that, I felt incredibly alive. I felt confident, positive, relaxed, I literally felt rejuvenated. And I thought, “I don’t want to lose this feeling!” And that’s when I committed to walking every day.
What Results Do I Gain From Daily Walking?
In the 6 months since I commited to daily walking, my life has transfromed. I’ve had no backache or sciatica, which seems like a miracle. And I’ve experienced so many other benefits. Effervescent feelings of joy and wonder. A sensation of peace and relaxation that infuses my whole life. A sense that I am somehow more connected to myself. Oh, and my clothes fit a whole load better!
So what exactly is going on? Here’s what I learned from Martha.
Why Do We Feel Renewed After A Walk?
A lot of people experience a feeling a relaxation and energy after a walk. It’s as though each walk gives us a mini fresh start. So why do we feel renewed after a walk?
Martha says, “Physically, walking is called a cross movement. So it’s right arm, left leg, left arm, right leg. And this movement has a very deep rocking sensation, which rebuilds neuron connections between your left and right hemispheres of your brain, which explains why people feel renewed after a walk.”
Why is it that you can go for a walk and when you get back, something has shifted in your mind?
I’m sure we’ve all gone for a walk with a mind crammed with thoughts and challenges. And then by the end of the walk you have a different perspective on a problem or a situation. How does walking create this shift?
According to Martha, this goes back to that cross movement that helps to calm your parasympathetic nervous system, and more importantly, your vagus nerve, so that you have a renewed concept of what’s around you because you can literally take it in. That’s why it’s great to go for a walk if you feel overwhelmed or if you have a problem that you can’t find a solution to. As you walk, your vagus nerve becomes toned. Martha describes it “like tuning a piano, it will find a tone that it’s meant to have.” And then it can handle the information being sent to it by your senses, giving you a bigger range of what you can process. You’ll know that’s happening when you’ve been walking for a while and you suddenly “see” the trees, or a solution to a problem. They were there all along but you’re overwhelmed nervous system couldn’t take it all in.
Why when I walk, do I feel more connected, both to myself and to something bigger than myself?
I know when I walk, that I feel connected not only to nature but to myself too. I feel grounded, confident and truly me.
Martha explains that there are lots of energy pads around our body. You may know them as chakras or meridian points. These points that are through our bodies and get stimulated while we’re walking. In particular, we have two points on each heel and this activation point on our heel initiates our intuition. So often when we’re walking a lot, we will feel that we have kind of like a second vision: we just feel more in tune with what’s going on.
When Martha explained this, it really resonated with me. It reminded me about a long walk when I literally felt like I’d walked through a portal to a different plane. I didn’t have the words for what I was experiencing but I remember thinking, “If a dinosaur lumbers out of the woods, I won’t be surprised,” because it felt like I had travelled out of time.”
4 Steps to Deepening The Emotional and Spiritual Benefits of Walking With A Walking Meditation
So if you want to deepen this feeling of connection, then Martha suggests you try a walking meditation. Here’s how you can start.
- Find a mantra: It can be a mantra that’s in a different language or a mantra that’s in English. So long as it’s a rhythmic cycle of sound that repeats again and again and again, so you can coordinate your movement to it. Martha suggests using the Sanskrit Sat Nam, which means “I vibrate truth”.
2: Co-ordinate the mantra to your breathe and your steps: For example, inhale for two steps and mentally repeat “Sat”. Then exhale for two steps, mentally repeating “Nam”. You can adapt this to your lung capacity, maybe inhaling for 3 or 4 steps. You’ll find that your mind will wander. But anytime you get pulled out by your thoughts or external sounds, then simply come back to the breath and the mantra and the rhythm of your steps.
3. Start with 5 Minutes: Decide a particular part of your walk that you think will be good, maybe where there are less external distractions. Begin aiming for 5 minutes and then see if you can gradually extend your meditation.
4. Walk for 10 minutes before you start your meditation: Martha advises that it takes around eight to 11 minutes for your glandular system to change the hormone levels and for your cortisol levels to start to go down. So you might find it easier to do your meditation after 10 minutes of walking, once your mind and body have started to calm down from the rush of everyday life.
I’ve literally just touched the surface of my in depth interview with Martha so don’t forget to check that out on the Feel Good Walk podcast to get some fascinating insights on how walking interacts with our nervous system and promotes mental and spiritual wellbeing.
If you would like to find out how to work with Martha, go to her website to find out about her runs classes, retreats and training.
Are you going to try a walking meditation? Leave me a comment here to let me know how it goes or DM me on Insta @feelgoodwalk
Note On The Author
Harriet is a singer-songwriter and entrepreneur living in Chichester. She is a passionate advocate for the benefits of walking for mental and physical wellbeing, creativity and mindfulness.
She is currently walking 3202 Miles in 2023 to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society, a challenge inspired by her Mum’s long fight with dementia.
50% of people in the UK know someone with dementia. If you want to be part of the solution, please give generously and help us find a cure. Click on the Donate Here button to be taken to my Just Giving Page. All donations go straight to The Alzheimer’s Society.
Thank You
Harriet