Walking Is So Much More

By Kim Cottrell

My friend and I sat in a bakery catching up on our common experiences with step-parenting. As we told stories that captured our moments of frustration, elation, connection, and loss, she shared this story.

With two stepsons who were confused and troubled by the new situation they lived in, her home had settled into a rhythm of chaos and distrust. In her attempts to find a grounding place for herself, she began a walking practice. One night at dinner, she said, “I am going to start walking, and I don’t want to go alone after dark. I wonder who would be willing to go with me?”

To her surprise, both her stepsons eagerly volunteered and she began evening walks accompanied by one or the other of them. Over many months those walks began to be a safe-zone, a time she connected with them without expectations of how they might behave, who they needed to protect, or what they were in trouble for. Just how important those walks became for them was expressed by a wistful comment made by her youngest stepson after she purchased a treadmill: “Well, now that you have the treadmill, I guess you won’t need someone to go walking with anymore.”

I could relate to her story because sometimes it is only when walking that I’ve let my true feelings surface and be released. Years ago when my mother lay dying, my sister and I cared for her. We began to walk each day as a way to keep a grip on the outside reality. Those walks were an anchor for me. I still remember leaving the house numb and disbelieving and returning with a sense of purpose. We were doing good things for our mother.

The other day as I walked home from my office, I passed the bus stop where people waited. I crossed a busy street along with many other walkers, all coming to or from the light rail line. Then, on the pedestrian bridge over one of the city’s many freeways, I could see the cars crawling along bumper-to-bumper. I felt the same freedom I’ve experienced when visiting Paris or Madrid, the freedom to pause and notice and participate in the landscape.

Walking is so much more than just walking. It plants us in a certain time and space. In fact, maybe you know the story of the researchers who went to study in Africa. As they drove to the place they wanted to study, their guides indicated that they needed to stop. So the truck stopped and the guides got out and sat on the ground. They sat for what seemed a long time and then got back into the truck and motioned they were ready to continue.

This happened many times and finally the researchers asked, “Why do you ask us to stop?” And the guides answered, “We are waiting for our souls to catch up to us.”

As you move through your day on foot, you keep pace with the ebbs and flows of your mental attitude, whether it be moody or sweet. How you get out of bed each morning influences the way your feet connect with the ground and the way you’ll interact with others throughout your day. From the moment you stand up, you begin relating to your surroundings. Consider how you carry your groceries to your car, how you walk your child into daycare, how you climb the steps to the entrance of your workplace. If you let it, walking can give you time to observe your reactions and space for solving problems or even dealing with grief. It can help you calm, balance, forgive, relieve, answer, and wonder. It is so much more than just walking.

Kim Cottrell,MS, is a certified Feldenkrais™ practitioner and speech pathologist. She can be reached at 503-890-6865 or visit www.kimcottrell.com.