My wife and I retired to Superior, Wisconsin a few years ago and live in a very walkable neighborhood. The town was basically built up prior to the 1920s, so it wasn't designed around the automobile.
It reminded me of walking meditation after reading it.
Walking meditation, known as "Kinhin" in the Zen tradition, is a form of meditation that emphasizes mindfulness while walking.
Unlike the seated meditation practice known as "Zazen," walking meditation involves focusing one's attention on the act of walking itself, aiming to cultivate inner silence and present-moment awareness.
During walking meditation, practitioners walk slowly and quietly, concentrating on their breathing and each step they take. This focused attention helps to calm the mind, reduce distractions, and foster a state of tranquility. While it is often practiced in serene settings such as nature or quiet spaces, walking meditation can be adapted to any environment, making it a versatile practice for integrating mindfulness into daily life.
RE: how to get people to choose walking? (Other than by gentrification?)
Easy for you and me to walk as we have sidewalks and curbs and shade trees. I remember when our area was much more a "walk on the wild side" with unmaintained streets, alleys and sidewalks. The turnaround really gained momentum when the huge electrical transmission lines were undergrounded and trees planted.
Social/Environmental justice will enable more people to chose walking.
“... how to get people to choose walking?” The Strong Towns movement has plenty to say about design and engineering for safer walkable environments.
But I think it starts at school. We have to make walking to school safer and more enjoyable for our children so that walking is just what people do every day.
As a therapist for thirty years I have accepted that I will almost always recommend walking body movement nature Observation. I recall working aids hospice in the 90s for about 6 1/2 years and I asked the patient rather naïvely. How would you rate your depression? He said “John I’ve had a good life I’ve made some bad decisions I have a good family I’ve seen things and done things. This is my time, just because I have aids and am dying. Does not mean I’m depressed but thank you for asking.” He gifted me a wonderful block print.
Quite a while back I think it was Stanford University that a study with depressed patients, and had some of the patients walking a mile or so a day, and the other patients were given Prozac. After a certain amount of time they were reassessed in the people who were walking were reporting a far Better outlook and balanced mood, which makes perfect sense to most of us. I do not live in an area where I could walk to a store. I think the nearest store is 3 miles away and it’s basically a gas station but because of my property and the street I walk quite oftenwith my dog, which is a double therapeutic for me.
My wife and I retired to Superior, Wisconsin a few years ago and live in a very walkable neighborhood. The town was basically built up prior to the 1920s, so it wasn't designed around the automobile.
Thank you for the interesting article.
It reminded me of walking meditation after reading it.
Walking meditation, known as "Kinhin" in the Zen tradition, is a form of meditation that emphasizes mindfulness while walking.
Unlike the seated meditation practice known as "Zazen," walking meditation involves focusing one's attention on the act of walking itself, aiming to cultivate inner silence and present-moment awareness.
During walking meditation, practitioners walk slowly and quietly, concentrating on their breathing and each step they take. This focused attention helps to calm the mind, reduce distractions, and foster a state of tranquility. While it is often practiced in serene settings such as nature or quiet spaces, walking meditation can be adapted to any environment, making it a versatile practice for integrating mindfulness into daily life.
Thank you for the wonderful article anyway.
RE: how to get people to choose walking? (Other than by gentrification?)
Easy for you and me to walk as we have sidewalks and curbs and shade trees. I remember when our area was much more a "walk on the wild side" with unmaintained streets, alleys and sidewalks. The turnaround really gained momentum when the huge electrical transmission lines were undergrounded and trees planted.
Social/Environmental justice will enable more people to chose walking.
“... how to get people to choose walking?” The Strong Towns movement has plenty to say about design and engineering for safer walkable environments.
But I think it starts at school. We have to make walking to school safer and more enjoyable for our children so that walking is just what people do every day.
As a therapist for thirty years I have accepted that I will almost always recommend walking body movement nature Observation. I recall working aids hospice in the 90s for about 6 1/2 years and I asked the patient rather naïvely. How would you rate your depression? He said “John I’ve had a good life I’ve made some bad decisions I have a good family I’ve seen things and done things. This is my time, just because I have aids and am dying. Does not mean I’m depressed but thank you for asking.” He gifted me a wonderful block print.
Quite a while back I think it was Stanford University that a study with depressed patients, and had some of the patients walking a mile or so a day, and the other patients were given Prozac. After a certain amount of time they were reassessed in the people who were walking were reporting a far Better outlook and balanced mood, which makes perfect sense to most of us. I do not live in an area where I could walk to a store. I think the nearest store is 3 miles away and it’s basically a gas station but because of my property and the street I walk quite oftenwith my dog, which is a double therapeutic for me.