The walking-waking guru: Five tips for beginners

In the future, you might be a walking-waking guru, because you read and followed these five tips for beginners. A guru is a teacher and a guide with respect to basic fundamental issues, concerns or matters in life. Using this definition of guru, look at the concept of walking as a form of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual exercise, taking the approach that what you learn about walking-waking for yourself, might be instrumental in helping others to do the same.

Walking should be regarded as a joy and not a job.

Too often walking is regarded as something that is work or as something one must do in order to get wherever one needs to go. It may be considered as a form of exercise. Often, walking is not considered to be fun and it should be. The fun of walking entails the waking up to reality, as part of walking.

"Hey, I just saw my first blue-jay of the season. It is spring!" "I see the new buds coming out on the trees. It won't be long now before the trees are covered with leaves!"

"I see the ice has broken on the harbor! Now the boats can get back in the water!"

There is a certain degree of excitement that is realized in conjunction with the changing of the seasons.

Walk! Wake up! Become a walking-waking guru.

Be alert to the changes in nature that are happening around you, every time you go for a walk and it will enhance your sense of well-being. Life is meant to be lived in full, not wasted as a couch potato, in some kind of a perpetual slumber mode.

Walking can be wonderfully refreshing for the body, soul, mind, will and spirit.

A person who is weighed down by heavy coats and boots, backpacks, briefcases, books, or other unnecessary items, is going to use most of his or her energy in terms of being a pack horse for whatever he or she is carrying. This is not to suggest that the attire should not be appropriate for the weather of that day or time. Many things need to be carried for different reasons, but your walking-waking time might not be the most appropriate time to become the beast of burden.

Plan your walking-waking time according and you may be amazed at how much more enjoyable your entire day becomes, both for you and for others. Wear appropriate clothing as well, keeping it as light as possible. Weigh the burden of the day against the walking-waking enjoyment you and others might anticipate, ahead of time and unburden the camel, so to speak.

Time and energy do have value, so be aware of how you spend those commodities.

You have the choice of spending them wisely or not spending them wisely. You know approximately how far you can walk in a certain period of time. To shorten the time, you may need to exert more energy and walk at a much faster pace. In the long run, ask yourself if it really has been worth it. Had you spent a little bit more time and walked at a more relaxing pace, you might feel a whole lot better, in the long run.

The walking-waking process will help you to get in touch with your own body rhythms and will alert you to possible dangers with respect to your own health.

"Are you in pain when you walk?
"Is your walking posture appropriate?"
"Is your breathing rate comfortable in relation to your pace?"
"Are you doing as much walking as you should or over-exerting yourself?"
"Is your heart rate appropriate for your pace?"

Walk! Wake up! Listen to what your body is telling you and you will be glad that you did.

Finding a walking buddy may or may not always be wise.

Many times, those who chose to accompany you on your walks, become the cause of more problems than they resolve. It is no fun to walk with non-stop talkers who bend your ear continually, while they unburden and vent their angers and frustrations upon you. That is not what your walk is all about. Let them know in a kind and gentle, empathetic way, that you might enjoy walking with them, so much more if you did not have to carry their emotional baggage on your walks.

There are also those who seldom if ever walk and suddenly choose to walk with you. Be prepared to walk much farther and at a different pace than what you normally might walk, as they just might decide to outdo you in terms of distance and pace. The end result is the reality that you may both go home exhausted. They may or may not realize that they could be harming you and themselves by walking that particular distance at that pace. Learn what pace and distance works for you and insist on that approach. That way, you will not be confronted with the reality that they may have walked too far or too fast and are in agony because of it. 

Trust your judgment, not theirs.

Learning what footwear is the most appropriate for you in terms of walking is really important.

How many times have you and others worn boots, shoes or running shoes that are not what you or they, should be wearing for walking a long distance? No one likes blisters and they can be painful. They may also become infected and take a long time to heal. One hour of damage can bring many hours of unnecessary pain. Walking-waking means becoming alert to what you need to wear in terms of footwear. Find footwear that is relatively lightweight and fits your particular foot. Just because some type of running shoe works well for someone else, does not mean that it is appropriate for your feet. Let your body, not someone else, tell you what you are the most comfortable in.

"Is it lightweight?"
"Is it durable?"
"Will it cause pain or blisters?

Remember that walking-waking means being alert to good foot care. Without your feet, you cannot be a walking-waking guru, so take good care of them. If you tend towards blisters on your feet, a good tip is to soak them in salt water. Try using a teaspoon of salt in a basin of warm water. Soak your feet for fifteen minutes and then, dry them well. You will be astounded at how much better they feel.

These five walking-waking tips for beginners are only a tip of the iceberg with respect to making your whole walking-waking experience much more enjoyable. You can probably add more tips to this list. Do so now and keep on adding new tips to the list. You might discover that the walking-waking guru in me, might just be the same walking-waking guru in you.