“Do just once what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.“

~James R. Cook

(continued)

I closely observed how my body felt in different positions as I carefully made one step at a time. I was like a baby learning to walk. I also observed how people around me walked. I noticed that the young and the old usually have distinct ways of walking. When I asked students to make slight changes in the way they walked, their bodies’ alignment improved dramatically. By tilting forward slightly and pressing on the ball of the foot, practitioners were able to correct problems in the knee, hip joint, and pelvis.

So, I (Ilchi Lee) decided the best way to start feeling young again was to start walking youthfully. I was forced to resume a full lecture tour schedule shortly after the accident. The pain in my spine was still quite intense, but I made a concerted effort to apply the walking and posture principles I had developed. Applying what I had learned through the years, I deliberately shifted my posture to accommodate better energy flow. After about five months, this way of walking because a habit in my life.

Eventually, I started feeling like my body was full of vibrant energy, as if I were young again. My body felt unbelievably light, my movement became quick, and I became nearly unaware of my injured back. I discovered the joy of walking and looked for chances to take increasingly long and more frequent walks. This way of walking not only helped me return to by previous level of health, but I now feel ten years younger than I did at the time of my accident. I named the walking style Jangsaeng Walking, which roughly translates to longevity walking, beacause I feel it has restored youth and vitality to my body.

WALK YOUR WAY TO WELLNESS

Walking is a perfect path to wellness. Basically, it can be done anywhere at any time and, more importantly, it works. Numerous studies have confirmed that walking-any kind of walking-is tremendously good for the body.

Walking is a whole body exercise that uses more than six hundred muscles and two hundred bones that move along with those muscles. Walking stimulates countless nerves that are spread throughout the body through the soles. It strengthens the lower body muscles by vigorously promoting blood circulation in the legs and intestines.

“In Full Bloom” by Ilchi Lee and Jessie Jones, PHD