Walking as Meditation: How To Be Alone by Laura Unterberg
I started walking because I couldn’t stand still any longer. I have never been that person though. I’ve never been the person tapping a pencil, pacing in circles, compelled to move. I always thought I was fine with stillness. But March 18, 2020 I was not.
Five days prior, my bar, like so many others, was forcibly shuttered against the oncoming flood of cases. I had spent five days sequestered in my 450 sq. ft. apartment, just mulling over the fact that I was now unemployed, broke, extremely overweight, and about to turn 30 in a brand new city. So after five days of stress eating, crying, and not sleeping, I turned off my TV and went for a walk. It took nearly two hours for me to face every possible distraction but I finally got dressed and out of the house…I got out.
As the days grew longer, so did my walks. By June I was borrowing a neighbor’s husky and walking 7+ miles every day. For hours I would wander the hills of East Nashville, acquainting myself with this town and my own body. The more I walked, the easier it became. Often I would call a friend or family member during my walks. It was nice and almost meditative to have an hour just to hear about someone else’s life.
Excited by the challenge, I began seeking out trails with more elevation and exciting new spots to find and as I got stronger, I started to love and be proud of the legs that were taking me all over. I tried harder to eat nutritionally rich food to take care of my legs, and when I had moments of distress or anxiety instead of turning to food as a comfort, I put on my sneakers and went for a walk.
Things That I Learned During Eight Months Of Daily Walks
Call your mother. Like, A LOT. If you can’t call your mother, call a friend. Call them every week, every day, it doesn’t matter. The more you talk, the more you will be in their life and vice versa.
Healthy habits take time, but they are worth forming
It’s OK if you can only exercise for 30 minutes. It’s still worth taking the time.
There’s no such thing as good food or bad food. Food does not have inherent moral value, and you are not good or bad for eating it.
You will not be better or more valuable once you lose weight. The world will absolutely be kinder to you but that is their problem, not yours.
Arugula is one of the cheapest most versatile salad greens and lasts longer in the fridge than spinach or lettuce.
It’s OK to have Taco Bell.
Taco Bell won’t make things better.
It’s OK to drink.
Drinking won’t make things better.
Change your shoes frequently and take care of your feet and knees.
If you aren’t ready to love your body, at least be proud of it for the incredible things that it does for you.
