I am beginning to believe that. I have not kept track of how many thousands or tens of thousands of miles I have walked around Europe since 2017, but it might be in the tens of thousands. Now that I've moved to Italy, I walk between 5 to 10K daily, sometimes further. I have a hip replacement, so I am hesitant to try jogging, but maybe I should try. Walking is a much lower-impact activity than jogging, and I can pause to take photos or examine things I find interesting.
And, you are right, it is easy to let the mind wander and process things in the subconscious while enjoying nature.
1.5 hour walk DONE! In 2023, I walked a lot even in the 100 deg heat, even ran sometimes when I felt the urge to go faster. I did it mostly when I felt down, stressed, or having a mental breakdown. With intermittent fasting and a high protein diet, I lost 40 lbs. Now I need to go back to this habit! Thank you for the reminder!
"... never trust a thought that came whilst sitting down. He called this “thinking with your butt” (or, as he put it in German, Sitzfleisch, meaning, the “sitting flesh”1)...
I just scrolled through my Instagram (Dog In Tow Photography) looking for that second bit I'd writing and found dozens of fragments of writing on the hundreds of photos where I talk about walking, particularly once Covid-19 got going. Including the bit from John Muir about the origin of the term 'saunter' despite it probably being inaccurate.
Blooming Bright
It seems yesterday's truncated saunter with #djinnithedjoggo
produced a handful of decent shots.
"Saunter" is an interesting word that some give fantastic origin myths to. That would include John Muir whose saunters led to some of the most memorable photographs ever taken.
"“Hiking—I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains—not hike! Do you know the origin of that word, ‘saunter’? It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, “A la sainte terre,” ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.”
—John Muir, as quoted in The Mountain Trail and Its Message, 1911
Walking in silence, watching, listening, noticing...the incessant call of birds, first buzzes of insects and the hum of bees...people and dogs...blue and white sky...soft green light through young leaves...not much shade yet...a small blue bridge with daffodils...and more silence, but never enough.
Shot Through With Light
Shooting the same relatively small area over and over for months at a time provides opportunities to take nearly the same photo, from a framing or composition perspective, that looks completely different. Mostly it's about color and light and tone. But it is also about feeling and other intangible qualities. I find this thrilling most of the time, though it can be challenging. There are days where I just don't have it, or at least I don't for awhile, but if I keep walking and looking and letting go of my conscious mind and my stress and my anger and my pain, it appears. I am present, NOW! It takes me longer to get to that point in the lushness of spring and summer. It is easier in the beautiful senescence of autumn and easiest in the depth of winter. And not because I'm cold; those mental states of cold, hot, in physical pain, hunger, etc. have little effect on me. I figure I'll be walking like this until I'm gone. There is so much beauty to witness.
I live in the Motor City, where people just don't walk. Maybe they're worried about encountering an unhoused person on drugs or perhaps an ex lover or ex co-worker. But those odds are low. Better odds that you will feel rejuvenated and something new will appear in your life.
It’s funny you should say that: a few years ago I went for a long walk from the cass Corridor all the way through downtown and out to where the old market is looking for a record store. It was like a ghost town as soon as I left the city center
“If you are in a bad mood go for a walk.If you are still in a bad mood go for another walk.”
― Hippocrates
I am beginning to believe that. I have not kept track of how many thousands or tens of thousands of miles I have walked around Europe since 2017, but it might be in the tens of thousands. Now that I've moved to Italy, I walk between 5 to 10K daily, sometimes further. I have a hip replacement, so I am hesitant to try jogging, but maybe I should try. Walking is a much lower-impact activity than jogging, and I can pause to take photos or examine things I find interesting.
And, you are right, it is easy to let the mind wander and process things in the subconscious while enjoying nature.
Thank you for reminding me to walk today!
1.5 hour walk DONE! In 2023, I walked a lot even in the 100 deg heat, even ran sometimes when I felt the urge to go faster. I did it mostly when I felt down, stressed, or having a mental breakdown. With intermittent fasting and a high protein diet, I lost 40 lbs. Now I need to go back to this habit! Thank you for the reminder!
This inspires my incentive to walk,
"... never trust a thought that came whilst sitting down. He called this “thinking with your butt” (or, as he put it in German, Sitzfleisch, meaning, the “sitting flesh”1)...
And that's why I have a dog!
lovely, encouraging! Exactly how I feel
I just scrolled through my Instagram (Dog In Tow Photography) looking for that second bit I'd writing and found dozens of fragments of writing on the hundreds of photos where I talk about walking, particularly once Covid-19 got going. Including the bit from John Muir about the origin of the term 'saunter' despite it probably being inaccurate.
Blooming Bright
It seems yesterday's truncated saunter with #djinnithedjoggo
produced a handful of decent shots.
"Saunter" is an interesting word that some give fantastic origin myths to. That would include John Muir whose saunters led to some of the most memorable photographs ever taken.
"“Hiking—I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains—not hike! Do you know the origin of that word, ‘saunter’? It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, “A la sainte terre,” ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.”
—John Muir, as quoted in The Mountain Trail and Its Message, 1911
That origin myth is debatable to be sure.
Narcissus At The Bridge
Walking in silence, watching, listening, noticing...the incessant call of birds, first buzzes of insects and the hum of bees...people and dogs...blue and white sky...soft green light through young leaves...not much shade yet...a small blue bridge with daffodils...and more silence, but never enough.
Shot Through With Light
Shooting the same relatively small area over and over for months at a time provides opportunities to take nearly the same photo, from a framing or composition perspective, that looks completely different. Mostly it's about color and light and tone. But it is also about feeling and other intangible qualities. I find this thrilling most of the time, though it can be challenging. There are days where I just don't have it, or at least I don't for awhile, but if I keep walking and looking and letting go of my conscious mind and my stress and my anger and my pain, it appears. I am present, NOW! It takes me longer to get to that point in the lushness of spring and summer. It is easier in the beautiful senescence of autumn and easiest in the depth of winter. And not because I'm cold; those mental states of cold, hot, in physical pain, hunger, etc. have little effect on me. I figure I'll be walking like this until I'm gone. There is so much beauty to witness.
I live in the Motor City, where people just don't walk. Maybe they're worried about encountering an unhoused person on drugs or perhaps an ex lover or ex co-worker. But those odds are low. Better odds that you will feel rejuvenated and something new will appear in your life.
It’s funny you should say that: a few years ago I went for a long walk from the cass Corridor all the way through downtown and out to where the old market is looking for a record store. It was like a ghost town as soon as I left the city center
9,814 steps today.