"It is solved by walking." Augustine of Hippo, 4th-5th c.

These lovely days call out to us to get outside and walk. Most of the time we are walking to raise our heart rate, to tone our muscles, to increase our longevity….all good things. But there is also another way to walk that has been with humans for centuries. It is a more meditative walking, walking prayer if you will, and these beautiful spring days are perfect for this practice.

Walking prayer invites us to move slowly, paying attention to all that is around us…..sights, sounds, smells, the light and shadow of the sun. Moving in this meditative way hones our senses to the presence of the Holy in our midst, helps us to notice what is always there and just missed at our warp-speed movement through the world. In some ways, I think this kind of walking is what young children, and even dogs, do all the time. Have you walked lately with either a three year old or a dog that's been cooped up all day in the house? It can take what seems like hours to walk fifty feet!

Augustine of Hippo, one of the early theologians in the Christian church, made the statement: "It is solved by walking." Considering most of us have many things in our lives that need to be 'solved', walking of any kind might be a good practice to begin. The solutions we may discover while walking are most likely to be found while walking in an intentional way. Noticing how our body moves through space can put perspective on nearly every problem, helping us to see that, indeed, we are a part of something much larger, much more intricate, much more beautiful than we realize in our fast paced living. This realization in and of itself clears out our mind and makes space in our heart. This condition is the fertile soil of discovery, creativity, prayer.

What problems are nagging you today? What situation seems impossible? What idea is floating around in your head waiting to find form? Strap on those walking shoes and get out there for a good walk. Solutions are to be found in the places between heel and toe as they hit the pavement. Blessings on your walking………………..