by Abby Hinchcliffe, HR Assistant/ Uni Student, Goonellabah, Australia
I work full-time and have been studying part-time for the last five years. I have had my ups and downs and often feel overwhelmed by how much there is to do at home, at work and with my studies… it has been easy for me to feel bogged down with life.
Last week I had a sleepover at a friend’s house who happens to be a student of Universal Medicine – I am too. My friend is in the routine of waking up early and going for quite a long walk; it takes over an hour and has a lot of steps. I decided to give it a go and see what it was like.
Let me tell you now, I am not as fit as I once was. I could feel when the walk became tough (on the uphill parts), I wanted to hunch my shoulders, put my head down and push through the pain: this is how I have been with life, pushing myself to get through. On my walk, when I felt myself beginning to do this I decided to lift my head, relax my shoulders and take it easy. It was so lovely to connect with the day in this way before work – and see so many other people enjoy their mornings also.
For the rest of the day I felt more motivated at work and at home. I was sore the next day – I was feeling places in my body I hadn’t felt for a long time.
I have been walking every 2nd day since and I really look forward to it: after just 3 walks I noticed the uphill struggles are less intense. I am more organised at work and with my studies. It is easier to not over-eat. I am enjoying my own company and feel more enthusiastic towards life and others, plus this rash I have had on my upper arms for the past 2 years has almost cleared… so cool!
Serge Benhayon mentioned once that it is great to go for long walks when you study or use your mind a lot. I agree!
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
This is timely to read as I’ve enrolled in studies and haven’t made the time to study as of yet. And I’ve loved how you pointed out the body posture whilst on a walk. But for me it kind of feels, it’s also reminding me how my posture is important even when I’m at work too.
It is also good to know that when we are using our minds or embarking on studies to go for long walks. Whilst I am going through a healing, long walks are out at the moment, but it is something I know will be enabled once my body has healed and my fitness returns.
I love that feeling of re-discovering muscles when we have not used them in a while…. walking or hiking or doing some gym can re-awaken muscles we did not even know that we had and that feels amazing to discover them or re-discover them 😉
Walking is super powerful in bringing us back into the body especially if we have been caught up in our heads for a while. So many of us spend the day on the computer screen and there is so much that happens on a mental level that we can forget the body and its simple joys and simple way to be, thus walking is a powerful way to break the hold of the mind and let the body be the one that leads the way.
Yes Henrietta, I agree when we spend far too long at the computer screens, our bodies are forgotten. In fact our modern day technology requires us more to be in front of the screens than ever before. So another dis-ease is forming, where mental energy is ruling the body. Unfortunately and fortunately the body is ultimately the boss, so the mind can continue with its games at the expense of the body, but what’s the point? In the end, the body will require its level of fitness to continue to serve.
Amazing Abby, such a simple way to support the body, boost energy levels, boost the immune system, lift the mood and enjoy the sunshine. Reading this is motivation for anyone! Thank you!
I’ve been walking almost everyday (not perfect) for a few years now and I really love it. But it’s not just walking to work but a specifically allocated time to walk without needing to get anywhere. Just for me to walk with me.
I really enjoy the stars and moon at night when I walk, we also have a large colony of bats which are out foraging and interesting to see. It’s really refreshing for the body to get out into the night air.
When I walk it’s like my body reorganises itself, especially if I am stressed or in any kind of internal disarray. A walk puts everything back into order. I find the quality I am in when I walk very important, because if I’m walking in stress or reaction it just seems to compound it. I enjoy bringing a focus on being connected to me and expressing my essence as I walk.
Important too to focus on quality not just duration of a walk.
Lovely to read how your morning walk supported you in your day, ‘I could feel when the walk became tough (on the uphill parts), I wanted to hunch my shoulders, put my head down and push through the pain: this is how I have been with life, pushing myself to get through. On my walk, when I felt myself beginning to do this I decided to lift my head, relax my shoulders and take it easy’.
I love walking but do not often go on a long walk – like an hour or two . When staying with a friend over Christmas we went for at least two hours every day and I felt great. This blog is reminding me of that feeling….maybe even just having one long walk in the week would work..I always think I don’t have time but that’s not true.
Well said Elaine, we often create the excuse of not having time, and yet long walks do us a world of good and actually give us the energy to do other things too 😉
The True power of a regular walk especially when we are in connection and hold our head high as you have shared Abby, is always going to be a part of our day that can reinvigorate us in the most divine ways.
It’s amazing when we catch ourselves and go ‘That’s what I always do!’ in realizing how we set ourselves up in the way we experience our day/life only to make it a struggle/indulgence, so that we can let that go.
I love that with each place you walk there is a different feeling and your body has no trouble letting you know where it wants to go. Sometimes the city pavements are perfect, other times out in the green space.
Exercise is something we are encouraged to do each day for our health yet we struggle to maintain a balance and we either go all out or not at all. When you feel the impact on other parts of your life though and can feel it is about building then it is a lifestyle choice not a chore.
It’s about putting ourselves and our health and wellbeing first, and not feeling we don’t have the time, as even a short walk is very beneficial.
So true Elizabeth, when we have a regular rhythm of walking it is so supportive to every aspect of our day.
Walking can be like clearing the cobwebs out and as the whole of us is involved when we walk then it is felt as such a blessing when done regularly.
Walking is really lovely for the body, it’s great exercise and I have found it helps my whole being to come back into balance. It’s a great way to get out into the world without any goal, just simply being and moving the body. I particularly like seeing all the houses and gardens, walking in nature or by the ocean and seeing the sky. It’s easy studying or working to develop a narrow focus and a walk opens up the world again and offers a sense of expansion and being part of something greater.
Walking is great exercise, and has so many benefits for our bodies. I love walking, and so does my body.
Any activity that supports our connection to our body and that brings the mind in line with that is very needed in our daily lives – walking is one of these that can be very enjoyable and beneficial to the whole body. The notion of ‘taking a walk’ to ‘clear your head’ makes even more sense here.
I agree Rachael – and I love going for a walk if there is something that feels unresolved or something that weighs on my mind or worries me – as I walk I can talk about this and process it and by the end of the walk it feels like the issue is often not stuck in my body any more, but rather it is something I know I can work with and deal with without being caught up in it.
Walking and learning about/with/from us is life changing.
We can also walk with presence inside the home or at work. Writing this reminds me that instead of taking the lift from the fourth floor, I can take a walk gently up and down the stairs.
After few days without going outside for a walk, I felt the difference in my body, sluggish and even a bit grumpy. Yesterday space opened up and I took myself for a walk on a crisp, sunny winter’s day and as I did began to feel whole again. Whole body walking is a therapy in itself.
I love walking and can tell a lot about myself while doing it. I’ve noticed at work, if I have been very focused on the computer screen and really deep in working on a task then when I get up to walk to the copier or kitchen that my body is pushed forward and I’m walking like on a runway and I could take off at any moment. It’s not long though before I realise and within two steps I’m upright again, shoulders dropped, head tall and more present again with myself. Walking can be just the same as a healing session.
Absolutely Aimee, walking is definitely a healing therapy and should be treated as such.
Nothing like a good walk to clear the head as they say. There is a group of us at work who go for a lunchtime walk most days and it is such a great way to not only get away from the computer screen, but get some fresh air and refocus as well. We all come back with renewed vigour having enjoyed connecting on a more personal level and sharing a laugh.
It is such a great way to connect and makes for a very efficient work space.
I love walking and agree with you Abby, it is great support for the clarity of our mind.
I have been wanting to re-establish a quality in me, and found that a 10 minute walk every evening with no other purpose than simply being with how I am feeling has an incredible effect on how I feel inside and the quality I express in the day.
There is so much to appreciate in the power of simplicity in life.
Many good points above especially that walking re-aligning ourselves and being present. Something recently discovered is the importance of posture: walking in an upright balanced position changes the quality of the walk and keeps me more present with myself as I walk.
After a long absence and mind interference, I’ve re-integrated walking into my daily routine and now my body calls me to walk, in the way a dog calls its master. Walking is like a tonic, especially on my ‘time off’ and much better than taking a nap (unless really needed) where I sometimes wake up feeling groggy or grumpy. Walking re-energises. Often experiencing a block when writing and break to take a walk, I’m given the very inspiration needed to continue with my work.
Walking is definitely underestimated by most people, your blog is a powerful testimonial about what walking does to the whole body system and how it supports us in all areas of life but I have to be precise, it is about walking being present in the body and aware of our surroundings.
i agree, the benefits of walking are often underestimated, and its simple, free, and enjoyable.
It sounds like when we think we have no time to go for a walk that is the time we should go for a walk. Thanks for sharing, Abby.
Great blog to read today as I am feeling I do not walk enough. Time to make sure that I fit a daily walk as I always feel the benefit afterwards.
Thank you Abby, walking is something that costs no money, needs no gym, weights or special equipment yet how many of us find it is something we don’t have time to do?! There is always space that can be made for a walk and in my experience I always feel more at ease in my body and more connected after a walk. It is part and parcel of a foundational mental and physical health plan.
So True Lucy, the only thing we need is a good pair of walking shoes especially when we have a long walk.
I loved reading your blog, and agree that walking with ourselves is a great way to build a connection with ourselves, these days it is unusual to see people joyfully walking as most have their head down looking at their mobile phone, and missing everything that is going on around them.
I agree walking is a great way to give us space and to deepen our connection with ourselves, and has numerous health benefits, as well as being enjoyable.
I also find walking helps me to not walk away from the rest of life but to regather and take a moment to breathe and be with myself, like a meditation. However I walk a lot in my work and reading about the difference of how to hold ourselves while walking I know that makes a huge difference but until now haven’t stopped to appreciate how much a difference it makes. Thank you Abby.
So cool. Developing a rhythm in walking every day brings a rhythm and flow to every other activity during the day.
I couldn’t agree more Mary. Before last week I had let go of exercising for a long time and was feeling it in my body and in so many other aspects of my life. Last week I signed up for a five day exercise program and it has renewed my love and appreciation for my body and how awesome it feels to exercise! So much has changed since.
Thank you for the inspiration Abby to commit to walking and that we are worth making this time for ourselves with significant ripple effects into all aspects of life and bringing us back to our physical body and awareness.
And adding to what you have shared Susan, is that our movements in every way will always set a standard that we can always follow and thus deepen our connection to our essence when moving in that divine connection.
Thank you Abby for sharing the power of walking. I love to walk in the mornings to confirm my loving presence in my body and to embody the purpose of living in connection to truth. I also love how no walk is ever the same, as with every walk we take we walk with a slightly different purpose depending what is needed to be cleared, embodied or confirmed at the time.
Carola, yes each walk can be very different. Today when I walked I noticed that my body was asking to be much more gentle and to pause and observe everything around me much more deeply than before. When I starting trying to do it the way I had before or judged that I was going too slow, there was a hardness that entered my body. Letting go of any pictures or expectations for how a walk should be and surrendering to what the body needs each day and moment is very precious and something for me to work with accepting much more. Thank you for sharing your connection with purpose when you walk.
Carola, thank you. I found this really supportive. I hadn’t considered this before: the purpose of the walk and every walk can have a slightly different purpose depending on what is needed at the time.
Beautiflul Abby – a great reflection of truth for the world.
Great advice about long walks if you use your mind a lot. On the surface a walk doesn’t seem like it does much except to move the body, yet it can feel like it re-organises every part of me, mental, emotional, physical and my inner being, so everything feels more ordered again.
Going for a walk is a great way to clear my mind especially when I have been working for hours and to reconnect to my body.
Walking has a way of getting the body back into its natural flow and rhythm – a great tool that supports me to get out of my head and heavy thoughts and back into what it feels like to be in my body, that then connects me to everything else.
I love early morning walks. When I walk I really take the time to be with me. I do my best to not let thoughts of work engulf me and stay away from thinking about what I’ll do in the day, what I’ll cook for dinner, past conversations etc. I really choose to be with me, feel what is going on in my body and how my body is moving, listen to the birds…it’s a wonderful moment of connection that supports me in the day.
Lovely to read Nikki and it’s brought more understanding and purpose to how I can be with myself when I walk, thank you.