WALKING YOU BLUES AWAY

Karen Kell tells of her experience of deciding to start walking as a form of exercise. “On the mornings that I pulled the covers away and jumped into my sneakers, the rhythm of my steps almost automatically began a process of reviewing bits and pieces of the previous day. On my last lap, many of yesterday’s concerns would be resolved. I attributed my morning checklist to the solitude of the early hour and dismissed the phenomena as an added benefit.

Then I read Thom Hartmann’s book, ‘Walking Your blues Away: How to Heal the Mind and Create Emotional Well-Being.’ As a psychotherapist, Hartmann had been using techniques that incorporated bilateral movement such as NeuroLinguistic Programming. This form of therapy simultaneously stimulates activity between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Glancing from his office window and observing the gait of the pedestrians below, he realized that the simple right-left, right-left rhythm could provide the same effect.

In a five step process, one is guided through a state of conscious measured walking, focusing on the emotion or trauma until it dissipates, literally changing the brain’s perception of the event. Dr. Hartmann’s book is filled with fascinating information about brain function, the history and development of bilateral therapies, and the cultural and societal effects of walking. Physical benefits include stimulation of the lymph system, joint maintenance and improvement of digestion are added benefits. Further information about walking with a coach and walking with various intentions such as creativity and problem solving can be found through l-800-333-4499.