I took Oliver for a solid 45 minute walk this morning. (That’s my cover for saying that I went for a 45 minute walk this morning.)

It was great. The mornings have been fresh and crisp around here lately and it’s such a nice time to walk. Plus, it makes me feel better knowing I have walked my little buddy a good distance, and have worked my own heart, too.

It’s funny; when I walk at a brisk pace, lately I have felt more aware of my body than I do when I run. I can’t quite explain what I mean, but it’s almost like my body talks to me more when I walk for exercise. I think it’s a function of running more for exercise than walking and that I’m honestly probably more cognizant runner than I am walker.

What a thing to think about! I walk all the time, every day, but when I walk for exercise, with the intention of raising my heart rate for a period of time, the whole scene changes for me. I am able to Gather chi by enjoying the vista and the sounds of birds and water running. I feel less able to issue that chi back through my body back into nature.

I still need to work a lot on my core engagement. And my upper body posture and alignment. Often I catch myself slouching (even as I sit and write this now) and constantly have to remind myself to get tall again.

So when I walk I want to think more about leading with my shoulders and really letting my legs lead. I am going to try using a visualization when I walk for the next week or so (whether it be to the printer or around the park) that my shoulders and eyes are what lead my body rather than my legs (the second one is Y’chi). So when I get out of my chair next (in 20 minutes when I leave, for example) I will imagine that my shoulders are the driving force behind my movement, rather than my legs.

I’ll let you know how it goes: core engaged, leading with the shoulders and eyes, legs relaxed and cooperating with the floor/road.

The crazy rainy and muggy weather has made for some seriously sweaty running workouts. This morning Oliver and I ran about 2.5 miles together, which included about 1/3 mile walking to warm up/cool down.

I’ve been really practicing keeping my feet loose when I walk, around the office or at the grocery or wherever. I’ve also really been trying to work on my posture and make sure I’m not slouching or jutting my chin out.

I’ve felt quite good and proper posture really makes me more alert when I write emails or sit during meetings or drive in the car. It’s all about this daily effort to practice focuses so that when I go run it’s easier to access those Body Senses.

Running today was great. It wasn’t a lot of mileage, but that doesn’t matter to me so much right now. I’m just happy to be healthy, to get out and be active, to feel my heart pumping and to spend time with my dog. I am trying to focus on these things in alternating intervals: tall crown/ level pelvis, no shoulder movement (elbows to the rear), and not stepping past my hip (allowing pelvic rotation).  They’re a nice combination of things that I’ve found really help me avoid knee pain and maintain a healthy stride length.

I suppose finding a race to train for would be a good idea, but I’ve been really working on shorter distances to keep working on my form. I’ve also been working with other people on their form, which is always so satisfying and full of “ah-hah” moments, both for me and for clients.

Hope you are all enjoying these later days of summer, and for those of you are back-to-school, don’t forget to take a moment for yourself.