|
More Pep Talk Archives Go for the Goal If variety puts the spice in life, it also adds the zest to exercise programs. Familiar walking paths and habits give form and stability to regular workouts. But there’s nothing like an occasional change of pace—a new destination or the energy of walking in a group—to boost commitment and pleasure. For all things, a season: Although I treasure the tranquility and the meditative richness of walking alone, I was ready for a new focus this year. I found it in a group of 3,500 walkers who traveled 60 miles together along the California coast in an Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk. The event presented a walking challenge that pushed me farther than I’d ever walked in three days. Twenty miles a day, back to back, called for almost as much endurance and preparation as three marathons in a row. You’d have to be crazy to try that, right?  Long walks and large goals: It was a daunting goal, but one that offered the possibility of returning me to a sense of comfort in my body after completion of my own treatment for breast cancer. Through the training and then the actual walk, the commitment to making a difference in the world by supporting an important cause also made a difference in my willingness to push beyond the customary limits of my walks.Through months of preparation, two friends and I relied on group energy and mental focus as we built endurance and adhered to a training schedule that carried us through Oregon rain and periods of self-doubt about both the physical and fund-raising demands of this event. Finish with a smile: By the time we arrived at the finish line, a sense of accomplishment spread across our faces in radiant smiles.We had blisters on our feet, but joy in our hearts. Both muscles and spirits had been invigorated by achieving our goal. Sample the Rewards of Commitment: There’s no need to walk 60 miles to reach that sense of accomplishment. Distance doesn’t matter as long as you make a commitment to something that takes you beyond your normal comfort zones, either physically or emotionally. Two years ago, I walked a 3-mile fund-raising event with a woman in chemotherapy who had never participated in a group walk before. Her elation at the achievement was no less than that of walkers in the 60-mile event. return to top Keep your Feet on the Ground “When depression and grief numb the body, walking awakens the profound healing powers of the human spirit. From bad moods to broken hearts, the emotional benefits of walking seem almost as indisputable as its contribution to physical health.” — The Spirited Walker , Chapter 8 Across American, and around the world, people are reeling from the awful reverberations of terrorism and warfare. Waves of uncertainty and danger push us off balance with each newscast. Everywhere, people are seeking ways to regain balance and move forward in a world that has suddenly changed. These are the times when a daily walk can be a powerful step in the right direction toward reclaiming stability and health. Even a short sprint around the block can help restore a sense of well-being. Move into a Better Mood: Research at California State University has demonstrated that just ten minutes of brisk walking bring a boost in energy and mood levels. That’s because walking releases chemicals in the brain that literally change the way we feel. Most people feel the benefits of a ten-minute walk for an hour or more afterward.  Unfortunately, the times when we most need a change of mood are often the times when we feel most unable to move. Grief and depression can immobilize the muscles, creating an emotional fatigue that weighs the body down. It takes a mighty effort to make the first step, but the first step really IS the hardest. A body in motion will remain in motion once you settle into the soothing rhythm of walking.Walk Away from Stress: To gain the most benefit from a healing walk, clear your mind of thoughts that bring you back to your concerns. Make your walk a form of active meditation. Begin your outing by focusing awareness on your breath for five minutes, giving full attention to the sensation of breathing in and breathing out. Try to make your inhalation and exhalation of equal length so that you create a rhythm that flows through your steps and your circulation system. When your mind wanders, just begin again, thinking to yourself “breathing in” as you inhale, and “letting go” as you release the air from your lungs. Make Contact with Support: After five minutes of paying attention to your breathing, you may want a change of focus. Turn your awareness to your feet. Notice what you feel as each foot connects with the surface below you. Feel the concrete, or the ground, and be aware that your body is being supported. Notice the sensations in the entire foot, from heel to toe. Where do you land first? Where do you feel most stable? Each step requires a shift in balance. In walking, we make that shift automatically because we have practiced it for years. But the image is useful in times when we feel stuck in problems, fear, or anger, because it reminds us that in order to move forward, we must take the risk of stepping out and then regain balance with each step. The metaphor of stepping out, and landing on firm ground, helps reaffirm the normalcy of our lives. It makes it possible to walk forward through personal problems or political upheaval, taking steps that heal body, mind and spirit. return to top Come To Your Senses! “I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit. The thought of some work will run in my head and I am not where my body is -- I am out of my senses. In my walks I would fain return to my senses.”—Henry David Thoreau The separation of mind and muscles that Thoreau describes is familiar to all of us. We make exercise an “out of body” experience by letting minds replay old conversations or fret about tomorrow as the body churns through its paces. This summer, come to your senses as you walk. Research has demonstrated that people who exercise while repeating a word or phrase, even words as simple as “left, right” with each step, or “in, out” with the breath, reach a point of stress release faster than those who simply let the mind wander. You can get more from your exercise minutes by making an intentional effort to bring mind and body together as you move.. Let these suggestions guide you to a path of greater relaxation and wholeness. 1. Wake Up. Begin a sensory scroll walk with a few deep breaths, bringing air deep into the belly. Fresh air helps wake you up. It fuels the body and brain. Awareness of breath also brings you present.  2. Look Closely. Now, turn your focus to your vision. Notice what you see as you walk. Maybe you become aware of cracks in the sidewalk. Perhaps it’s a wildflower along the road. Be a mental reporter, sighting and making note of what you see as you walk.Notice, too, that the sight of a dandelion can quickly trigger a list of weekend gardening tasks. Stop the planning and bring your attention back to the present and to what you see right now. Try to maintain a focus on vision for two or three minutes. 3. Listen Up. Continue the sensory scroll by waking up your sense of hearing. Spend two or three minutes with your attention fully attuned to the sounds around you as you walk. Make mental notes of the rustling of leaves overhead. Distant traffic on the freeway. The clinking of a dog’s leash. 4. Catch the Scent. Next, switch to what you smell as you walk. Take big breaths, through the nose, to draw in air and aromas. Be aware of what your nose can identify in the air that surrounds you here and now. 5. Touch Ground. Finally, turn your attention to what you feel. Notice the texture of the earth or pavement beneath your feet. Be aware of the warmth of the sun or the chill of the breeze. Do you feel your shoes or clothing? With just eight to 10 minutes of attentive walking, a sensory scroll brings you present and prepares you to walk in wholeness – body, mind and spirit moving together in the same place. When you rush through a walk without actively engaging the senses, you miss the moment. Your mind is not where your body is. The cost of this split is peace of mind and loss of efficiency in your workout. But equally important is the loss of pleasure and appreciation for the environment that occurs when we walk without awareness. return to top A Hiker's Guide to Winning the Uphill Battle “Daily walks make explorers of us all, particularly when we bring awareness to the path. As you come to identify yourself as a walker, you embark on a path of discovery and well-being....Regardless of whether we climb the Himalayas or a gentle hill at the edge of town, we make an expedition into ourselves.”—The Spirited Walker One of my favorite local walks takes me up the flanks of a gentle hill in a county park a few miles from my home. The trail climbs one and a half miles from the parking lot in a steady ascent through grassy meadows and oak groves. The steepest segment comes near the beginning. Encounters with Trailside Protesters: “Slow down,” my mind whines after a few steps. “I'm not ready. This feels hard.” My steps push forward, into the familiar pattern of start-up protests. By now, I know the sequence well. Sitting at my desk, I long to walk this slope. I want to watch the changes with each season. To feel the familiar curve of the earth beneath my feet as it arches toward the sky. But my first steps kick up a volley of complaints. Just out of the car, my legs feel stiff and heavy. My breath stops shallow in my lungs. Refresh the Mental Message: “I am here and I am breathing,” I respond mentally. I take a deep breath and pull fresh air deep into my belly. “I am here and I am walking.” I recite. “Walking...breathing...smooth and strong.” As I repeat the phrases in my head, my words find a rhythm with my steps. “Smooth and steady. To the summit. One step at a time.” Explore a Path for Mind and Muscles: Each time I take this trail the path rises up through the same challenge. There's no avoiding the interplay of mind and muscles on this hill. On strolls around the neighborhood, it's easy to let the mind wander so that head and feet travel different terrains. But tackle a hill and the mental landscape changes. Suddenly the trail demands exploration. Head and feet fall into step together, seeking a smooth route to the summit. Traveling toward the same destination. Taking the Discovery Trail: “All walking is discovery,” nature writer Hal Borland observed several years ago in The New York Times Magazine. “On foot we take the time to see things whole. The land of our better selves is most surely reached by walking.” return to top “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. We long to restore wholeness within ourselves, and to connect with one another and with the spiritual values that sustain and guide us.”—Carolyn Scott Kortge, The Spirited Walker “If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong,” Thomas Jefferson advised in 1786. “The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises, walking is the best.” return to top Mine The Metaphor “Walkers move forward, take steps, go toward something. Whether you step around the kitchen table or trek across the country, the action changes your perspective. It offers a fresh point of view.”— Carolyn Scott Kortge, The Spirited Walker Take the First Step: The phrases are so much a part of our speech that we hardly hear the individual words. But when you take a step back and listen carefully, you hear a reminder of the powerful metaphor that walking offers. Pick Up The Pace “The goal of spirited walking is a walking practice that provides a cardiovascular workout as well as a mental one. It combines a ‘spirited’ pace with a ‘spirited’ attitude for a workout that invigorates body, mind and spirit.” —Carolyn Scott Kortge Four Steps that Put a Fresh Spring in your Steps Give your fitness walks a spring tune-up, and an energy boost, by experimenting with a fresh approach to your familiar walking path. Borrow some proven mental and physical techniques from athletes and meditators to lift your step and your mood as you walk. Make Fitness your Target with Goals that Motivate “Exercisers who achieve goals experience exhilaration and sustained motivation. Regardless of whether you set your sights on walking a mile or a marathon, you boost your chances of success when you declare a goal and work steadily toward it.” —The Spirited Walker, Chapter 7 The achievements of people who set goals and meet them in the face of opposition or hardship provide a steady plot line for movies, books and television. The stories inspire us. They fill us with awe for ordinary people who have the power to pursue a dream or the determination to cling to a goal. Rarely do we consider that it takes the same kind of personal power and determination to achieve a fitness dream. Few heroes face obstacles more difficult to overcome than the resistance we create for ourselves with negative self-talk and lack of commitment. Without a clear goal, itís easy to abandon fitness programs. A goal gives you a map that can guide you where you want to go. When I walked across town to pick up a car, my goal was simple. The challenge of walking instead of driving gave me a new destination for my walking workout and motivated me to go a little farther than my usual route takes me. When I reached the car, I felt the satisfaction of achieving my goal.  Members of The Spirited Walkers team who traveled the 26.2-mile route of the Portland Marathon on Oct. 1, 2000, achieved both a dream and a goal. Nine months earlier they had declared their intention to prepare for the marathon by signing up for a training program. Having a goal gave a clear purpose to daily workouts. It kept them on course through rainy days and busy schedules. .A goal can do the same for you. Is it your goal to establish a pattern of walking meditation, to lose weight, to get more fit, to have time alone, to walk a mile, or a marathon? Focus on one aspect at a time so that you feel challenged rather than overwhelmed. Give yourself small, achievable goals that reinforce your fitness program by providing the satisfaction of attainment. A goal is not a resolution. Itís not something you force yourself to do just because you ìshould.î A goal is something you move toward. Something you want to achieve. Getting there may not be easy, but simply declaring your intention boosts your chances of success.
 home | book tour | pep talk | author | archive copyright© 1998-2007 Carolyn Scott Kortge, The Spirited Walker™
|
cardiovascular one. Put the physical effort of aerobic exercise together with mental awareness and workouts lead to a merger of mind and muscles that restores wholeness to our lives. Often, we do exactly the opposite when we exercise. We tune into headsets and TVs and tune out of our bodies. We treat the mind and body as separate. We deepen the lines of fragmentation when we could be taking steps toward wholeness.
A Spirited Step to Health: New evidence from a study of 72,000 women, reported in the August 1999 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, confirms that walking at a spirited pace of three miles per hour or faster is essential for improved heart health. But getting to that pace takes mental strength as well as muscle power. A spirited attitude helps you focus on your goal.