Walking

WALKING
 Priorities for Efficient Walking

1. Direct the toes straight ahead. (With relaxed feet).

2. Relax shoulders completely. Your strength should come from a minimal muscle tone in the flexible lower belly.

3. Allow arms to hang freely and swing easily to counterbalance leg motion.

4. Walk with an imaginary bowl of water on your head (check neck is relaxed) - or imagine the pelvis as a bowl of water. Move it up in front to a level position. Walk so that the water does not splash out (check buttocks are released).

5. When good mechanics of movement are employed you can pick up an object from the ground without loss of pace or awkwardness. Use this as a check on your progress.

 Walking Meditation May be done in any small space ... best barefoot. Adapted from my memory of a weeks intensive Vipassana meditation with the Thai Buddhist master Chao Khun Dobhana Damatsabutsi. Each days practice should be at least half an hour, twice a day, if you are to progress in the way suggested below.


 * Day One: Walk slowly across the room ... be aware of each step consisting of three parts. Lifting the foot off the ground, moving the foot forward through the air, putting it down.


 * Day 2: Walk slowly across the room, be aware of each step consisting of four parts. Lift the heel; lift the foot from the ground; swing the foot forward through the air; put the foot down.


 * Day 3: Walk slowly across the room, be aware of each step consisting of five distinct parts. Lift the heel; lift the foot up shifting weight onto the supporting foot; move the foot forward through the air (try to feel the resistance of the air); place the foot down to touch the ground; shift weight onto it.


 * Day 4: Walk slowly across the room, be aware of each step consisting of six separate parts. Lift the heel and begin the process of shifting weight onto the other foot; finish shifting the weight so you are centered steadily over your supporting leg, which should be relaxed and not held stiffly; lift the foot up; swing it forward; touch the ground; shift weight so weight is equally on both feet.


 * Day 5: Walk smoothly across the room. Notice that each step consists of seven separate and distinct parts. Lift heel; shift weight; pick up foot; swing foot forward; heel touches the ground; the rest of the foot rolls forward gradually making firm but gentle contact; shift weight (so weight is equally on both feet).


 * Day 6: Walk across the room. Each step has eight parts. Firstly send energy into the foot, which means that the relevant muscles are tensing in preparation of flexing the foot to begin shifting shift weight; pickup foot; swing foot forward; heel touches; rest of foot touches touches; weight shifts to centre. By this time but there should be no pause between 'parts'.


 * Day 7: By now you are moving at less than a snails pace across the room. Arms hang loose, breathing is easy, body is light. You are aware of every change in your body and your walk consists of one continuously changing unity of fluid coordinated movement.

 The Essentials of Walking 1. The transference of body weight via the spinal column to each leg alternately - all the while balancing on the very top of the thigh bones.

2. The use of the internal Psoas muscles to lift the thighs (see diagram). The lower end of the Psoas may be located with the fingers. Place left fingers in centre front of thigh crease and the right hand on the right side of the spine at waist level. Walk slowly and you can feel the action of the Psoas.

3. An easy see-saw action in the relaxed foot. Whilst moving forward in the air the foot is almost completely relaxed with just enough tone to adjust the foot the the right postion. As the foot makes contact with the ground a muscle action comes into play.

 Use of the Psoas Muscles for Walking Strengthening the use of the Psoas muscle is best done in the critical rest postion. Try various images to initiate the movement of the knee towards the chest without tensing in the stomach.

Some images work better for different people. Examples; Sliding the calf towards the chest or letting the knee fall into the chest. The other leg may tense to brace the frame but the abdominal muscles should remain flaccid.

It will help to have a well developed sense of the centre line. Especially an image of lengthening down the back. If you have got this clearly felt - go for a simultaneous narrowing up the front of the abdomen from pelvis to sternum and up the length of the sternum (This image relates to the use of a ligament called the Linea Alba which connects the pelvis to the sternum.

 Use of the Feet in Walking For short period everyday walk barefoot on your heels. Start by very slowly walking backwards being aware of how you use your heel bone. The walk backwards and forwards with you weight on your heels. Keep the feet as relaxed as possible so that the toes droop down.

 How Fast are you Walking If you know your average walking speed you can work nut how far away a place is by seeing how long it takes for you to walk there. If the distance is known you can work out how long it would take for you to get there. In this way you can use walking as a measure of space and time.

Method - measure out 528 feet along a path. You can do this using the length of your stride or by counting paving slabs. Start walking when the second hand of your watch indicates 60 and walk at an even pace. Divide the time in seconds by 360 to get your speed in m.p.h.

Do it alone or you may be influenced by someone else's pace. Try the distance sauntering/walking quickly/jogging. This will give you knowledge of your range of walking speeds.

 The Marathon - walk a hundred miles Think of nothing but the walk and its consequences.


 * What will be your route?


 * Where will you stop?


 * What boots will you choose to wear?


 * How long will it take?


 * Who would come with you?


 * How will you record your experience?

If you dedicate this trip to walking you will find that afterwards walking will never be quite the same.