Susan R. Johnson MD, FAAP, 8/28/01

Walking creates profound opportunities for the development of our body, soul, and spirit. It reduces stress, it stimulates our metabolism, it releases endorphins (neuro-hormones that give us a sense of well-being), it helps us incarnate into our physical body, it strengthens the in and out breathing of our soul, and it provides the solitude and peacefulness of soul to receive spiritual inspirations. I participated in a 10 hour workshop on Chinese Medicine this summer and learned that our footsteps synchronize with our heart rate if we walk for prolonged distances (45 minutes/day), and this state of being can actually bring energy into us. It is why I was taught that adults should walk10 to12 hours a week if they are experiencing a lot of stress or feeling depressed.

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