One of my greatest joys is walking. Not power walking, exercising, or traveling toward a destination, but true walking which is wandering with a heart moved by whatever presents itself. Strolling through forests is equally as satisfying as a busy neighborhood beat. I take heart from Thoreau's essay on walking, a guide to the art of strolling, observing, and living in relationship to the earth and society.
Zen has taught me to walk with my mind in my feet, to feel each step and the ground underneath. We are always in relationship to the ground and the earth, which quietly, consistently and steadily supports our every moment. Gravity is our friend and standard as Lao Tzu reminds us when he says that 'gravity is the root of grace'. There is an elegance to a well balanced flowing body, and walking in grace is swimming in the ocean of being with everyone, it allows the redwood trees and ferns and leaves and faces of humanity to come forward as the essence of the moment.
How we walk is the metaphor of life, it is the rhythm and flow of how we stand and move and think and feel and sense our way through living and dying. Are we willing to stand upright and with profound yet gentle awareness, allowing our feet to meet the earth? Does our stride and pacing arise from some inner depths and with a sense of connection to the places through which we wander? Is our head balanced and our eyes open, do we move through life with some sense of being centered and of the earth, can we allow our legs and feet to relax as they swing forward in a natural gait? How do we pace ourselves on this walk, this day, this moment?
Walking green mountains
Following the river
The forest awakens
Walking Earth
