to lowering the risk of heart disease,
cancer and diabetes. Walking literally
can make the difference between life
and death.
In our work with walking instruc-
tors and students around the country,
we have found that applying some Tai
chi principles to walking movements
boosts benefits and makes walking a
mindful practice. As in Tai chi, Pilates
and yoga, ChiWalking teaches you how
ChiRunning
to use the strong core muscles of your
torso to walk, which helps prevent pain
and fatigue.
Learning and practicing ChiWalk-
Makes Running ing connects you more deeply with Create balance. – Most of us thrust our
your body as you listen and respond to hips forward when we stand or walk.
an Injury-free Joy its needs and rhythms. We call it “body This is what throws the whole body out
sensing,” a centered awareness that of alignment and increases impact on
by katherine dreyer allows you to align mind and body in the knees and lower back. Leading with
a way that promotes healthy, effortless, the shoulders in ChiWalking relieves
steady and balanced movement. Eckhart pressure on the lower back and allows
“Humanity was born to run,” writes
Tolle, in A New Earth, writes of such you to walk with slightly bent, relaxed
the Los Angeles Times, reporting a
awareness of the inner body as “anchor- knees. Practitioners of ChiWalking, as
study by Harvard University and the
ing you in the present moment.” those of Tai chi, learn to create bal-
University of Utah, in which scien-
Taking it a step further, we teach ance from back-to-front, side-to-side
tists draw the stunning conclusion
how projecting your energy forward to and upper body-to-lower body. A state
that, “The ability to run long distanc-
a point or object in the distance, with of physical balance supports a state of
which you maintain a visual connec- emotional balance.
es was the driving force shaping the
tion, leaves little room for distraction.
modern human anatomy.”
Everything naturally falls into align- Make a choice. – The first three steps
Running does not hurt the body;
ment, following the direction of the help establish a platform for daily mak-
it is the way that we run that causes
eyes. In Tai chi, this concentrated focus ing the kinds of positive choices that
the impact and injury for which
is called y’chi. profoundly affect health and well-being.
running is infamous. When proper Walking is a good way to enhance and
biomechanics are applied, running
ChiWalking involves
manage your energy. You can choose to
becomes a safe and healthy activity
five mindful steps
calm yourself if you’re tense, get ener-
that can help us all stay fit and feel
gized if you are tired or get focused if
great.
Get aligned. – First, create great pos- you are feeling scattered.
ChiRunning is based on the
ture. Then, walk by keeping the shoul-
same principles as ChiWalking. This
ders in front of the hips, leveraging Move forward. – The final step asks
the pull of gravity to assist in forward you to move forward into your life and
includes starting with good posture
momentum. This reduces the impact to your walking by being consistent with
and leveraging gravity to make run-
the lower back and legs. Watch a small your practice. It is as simple as putting
ning easier and gentler on the body.
child walk, and you will see perfect one foot in front of the other, and as
As in the practice of Tai chi,
walking form. Their upper body tilts important as choosing healthy foods to
the focus of ChiRunning is to move
forward and their legs go out the back. nourish your body. Because a consistent
from your center, not solely from practice of healthy movement is the key
your legs. It’s learning how to use
Engage the body’s core. – Engaging your to good health and vibrant energy, it’s
gravity to aid propulsion by relaxing
core muscles connects your torso to among the best preventive medicines in
your legs and gently falling forward
your legs and stabilizes the pelvis dur- the world.
in a steady cadence. Moving in this
ing movement. It also strengthens these
way turns running into a healthy,
muscles over time. This allows you to Katherine and Danny Dreyer are found-
relaxing and safe form of exercise
walk with your whole body. An unstable ers of parent company ChiLiving, and
pelvis increases vulnerability to a host of co-authors of ChiWalking and ChiRun-
and adds a mindful element to the
ailments, such as lower back pain, hip ning, out in a new edition this year. For
oldest sport in the world.
bursitis and iliotibial band syndrome, more information visit ChiWalking.com
which affects thighs and knees. and ChiRunning.com.
August 2009 31
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