Keep on walking

Many before me has discovered the importance of physical exercising in a stressful situation. Besides being stress reducing because of the increasing amount of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine in the body and on the same time the reducing effect on the amount of the stress hormone cortisol there is also a relaxing and meditative element associated with physical exercising. The conscious and active work with my respiration forces me to defocus away from the problems and concentrate on one specific task - breathing.

I am mostly doing walking and running at the moment and at the moment especially walking contributes to the meditative element and thereby is a key to inner relaxation and balance.

The Danish philosopher, theologian and author Soeren Kierkegaard (May 5th  1813 – November 11th 1855) who had a great interest in human psychology has concentrated the physical and meditative effects of walking in the following lines about walking as a problem solver and a way to make things better: 

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one can not walk away from it, if one keeps on walking everything will be all right ...". (Soeren Kierkegaard's letter to his niece Jette and partly my own translation).

Another person who has recognised the meaning of physical activity is Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks in the American comedy drama from 1994. Forrest realises that he has to try to make sense of his feelings for his beloved Jenny, the deaths of his mother and his friend Bubba and he decides to go for a run which brings him from coast to coast across the USA and lasts for three and a half years. Enjoy the following clip and think about walking, running or something similar next time you encounter a new challenge, it might bring you some new insight.