Caminata [1-Minute Wednesday #7]
My 1-Minute Wednesday series pairs a brief piece of music with a piece of thought-provoking text.
CAMINATA
Walking might be the best medicine for a clouded mind. When I reach mental fatigue and exhaustion I reach for my shoes and breeze out the door. The physical motion stirs not just muscle fibers but neurons and axions. As the body moves, the mind wants to keep up. Sluggish brainwaves reluctantly accelerate. The fog of the day lifts. And life is thrown in sharp relief.
The rhythm of walking is so simple, it becomes a mantra: left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right. As my legs pick up speed, so does my mind. But instead of chaotically whirring, my mind finds focus in the rhythm of the feet.
The power of walking is a testament to the mind-body connection. My thoughts feel at once freer and yet more focused. My wandering mind fills up my surroundings. In the woods, my mind hides behind each tree; in the city it searches for meaning in the downcast eyes of passersby. Near water my mind becomes as vast as an ocean. In the afternoon life seems so bright; at sunset thoughts of mortality linger with the light.
Before I know it, my feet have led me back home, mind and body grounded. No longer do they fight. And their reunification is peace.
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