I keep getting older. Thank goodness for that. However, I have noticed that I am now more likely to trip. The surprising thing is that I can trip on flat surfaces: walking through airports, crossing the street, walking down a corridor.
Not only is this embarrassing, but as everyone knows, it’s extremely dangerous. Anything can happen when you hit the ground.
Naturally this prompted me to do some soul searching.The answer was no surprise. I trip most often when I’m not paying attention to walking in Balance.
I know. You were hoping that Balance would become automatic. You can give that idea up. Being in Balance demands being in the moment, knowing what you are doing all the time.
Far from being a chore, this is one of the huge joys of Balance. You live your life as it happens, not in the past and not in the future.
What I discovered when I paid attention was that when my attention lapsed I wasn’t pushing into the floor with the walking leg.
Did you know that you really only walk with one leg at a time? It’s the back leg, the one you are standing on. You can get the idea by checking out the photo of the child below.
Notice how planted his back leg is. Imagine what that feels like.
To walk in Balance you have to first stand in Balance.
- Stand on both feet.
- Draw your chin in and look down to see the front of your ankles.
- Stay in that position and bring your head up.
- Do it again. Look at your ankles.
- This time when you bring your head up be sure you do not bring your pelvis forward.
- Feel your body weight sinking into your heels.
If you are new to Balance you will feel that your torso is leaning forward. That feeling indicates you are more Balanced, more vertical.
The people below are walking in Balance.
Like the child above, Teddy Roosevelt and the gentleman next to him have all their weight in the back leg and foot. Note that the knee of the back leg is straight. Note the angle of the torso, slightly forward.
Similarly, this gentleman in Puerto Vallarta walks with his weight in his back leg. Walking in Balance naturally strengthens the legs and buttocks.
My first efforts to stop tripping focused on lifting each foot higher in an attempt to clear the floor. But that felt more like marching than walking in Balance. When I went to basic guidelines and sunk my weight into the back foot, then my foot naturally lifted. Sinking my weight into the ground made my back foot rebound off the floor.
I need to stay healthy, so yes, I am aware when I walk. I continually encourage my weight to sink into the foot I am on. It’s always the back one.
Being attentive is a small price for staying upright.
You can do this!
