Seven steps to walking with ease perfection
The Art of Living Gently encompasses how we use our body, moving in a way that is softer, creating less tension because when we experience less physical tension, this has a huge impact on the amount of emotional strain we feel.
We can all be guilty of plodding, of shuffling along as if we’ve suddenly aged thirty years rather than walking with the grace and poise of a dancer but learning how to walk with more ease, with greater elegance, is easier than you think.
Contents
Keep breathing
Walk tall
Use your back for support
Keep the hip of your moving leg under your body
Use your standing leg
Take smaller strides
Walk lightly
1. Keep Breathing
First of all don’t forget to breathe. When we’re walking, it’s too easy to allow our thoughts to drift. Perhaps we’re thinking of all the chores we need to get done, issues with colleagues or family members or mulling over what we’re going to have for tea. And when we think of something that makes us tense, we often start to hold our breath.
So keep breathing.
Notice where you’re holding tension in your body as you walk and breathe ease into that area.
2. Walk tall.
There can be such a temptation to shorten our stature by hunching ourselves down, shortening through the spine, crunching down into the hip joints. Start to be aware of all that wonderful space above your head.
Resist the temptation to pull yourself up as you walk rather, think of it as being more of a gentle lengthening process in the whole body. Lead with the top of the head rather than the chin or chest, keep your eyes active and just notice what you can see around you.
3. Use your back for support.
When we’re walking, our attention can become focused on the front of our bodies - especially true if we’re in a rush. Just see if you can notice this for yourself the next time you’re walking along in a hurry. It’s almost as if we are pulling ourselves forward with our attention down the front of our chest. But you’ll stand taller (and look more graceful) if you start to use your back muscles in the way they’re supposed to be used.
Here’s how.
Take a step backwards and just notice how this helps you feel more aware of your back. Maintain this feeling of back awareness as you take a step forward. If it helps, you can imagine that you’re almost gently falling backwards as you go forwards, not enough that you fall, but just enough to engage your back muscles.
4. Keep the hip of your moving leg under your body
Try to avoid throwing the hip of the moving leg forward with a straight leg as you take a step. Rather, softly bend the leg from the hip, knee and ankle joints, keeping the hip back under your body. This will help you maintain stability as you move forward.
5. Use your standing leg.
Keep your focus on the standing leg rather than the moving one as you step forward. When your attention is all on the moving leg, your standing leg is already getting ready to take the next step and you’ll be far more wobbly. Allow the standing leg to lengthen and keep a firm connection between the foot and the ground. Maintain this easy lengthening all the way up your body so that you’re not sinking into the hip of the supporting leg.
6. Take smaller strides
Take a large step forward and notice what happens to your lower back. You’ll probably notice a tightening or more tension in this area as well as in the hip which over time can lead to strain. So get into the habit of taking smaller steps so that your body can move with more ease.
7. Walk lightly.
Peel your feet off the floor heel first as the knee moves forward rather than bringing up the entire foot in one go and think about place it gently on the ground. This way you’ll avoid jarring your joints and look far more graceful and elegant.
So now you’re all set to go. For many, walking is a means to an end getting us from one place to another. But it can also be an opportunity for using our body with more ease and elegance as well as becoming more mindful as we move.