8 Walking - A Simple Exercise To Reduce Stress & Anxiety!

Walking is a very common recommendation by any mental health care professional to overcome Stress or Anxiety or Depression as its one of the simple exercises to maintain both physical and mental health. However we notice people with emotional disturbance, find enough reasons or excuses not to go out and do this simple task. Rather they are comfortable trying something indoor or at home.

Similar to another set of people who are looking for stress management solution, always find their busy schedule as a reason to skip walking and try to compensate by doing a heavy walking or other exercises during weekend!!.. It may be a justification from your point of view, but still, the body and mind need their share of daily routine to maintain a proper health.

So what's the alternative? Good news is that there is an alternate solution available from our ancient practice called “ 8 Walking” invented by Tamil Sidhas ( Yogis). Western world calls it as “Infinity walking”.

How to do 8 Walking?

• It's like a normal walking, but you will walk in  8 shaped pattern. Here the 8 shape is formed by joining 2 circles of approx 6 feet diameter each in “South-North” direction

• You can create this 8 Shape, preferably in an open space like garden, balcony, terrace, car parking etc ( Pic Shown). Worst case you can do it in your living areas/ hall by placing 2 chairs at a gap of 3 feet and start walking in 8 shape between the chairs.

• Practice this in the morning or evening, an empty stomach. Preferable timing is 5 to 6 AM/PM. 

• Start walking from south to north direction in clockwise for 15 min and then anticlockwise for 15 min. Total 30 min is good enough for a daily routine, but you can increase the timing based on your comfort.

• Preferable to walk on a barefoot (without shoes) and concentrate on the 8 shape while walking. You can do breathing or OM Mantra chanting while doing the walk. Also, you can use Yoga mudra while walking (like Prana Mudra)

What are the Benefits of 8 Walking?

• As you walk South-North direction, your body interfere with the earth’s magnetic force and get energized to activate all the chakras and all internal organs.

• Due to 8 shaped walking style, all your body parts like legs, ankles, knees, abdomen, hip, hands, shoulders, neck, head etc. moves in a twist and turn pattern. So it gives a very good physical movement to all parts of the  body when compared to regular walking.

• As you walk on bare foot, there will be pressure created at different points in your foot due to the contact with the ground and  thereby activating all internal organs. Within a few weeks, you see relief from any chronic disease (foot has the reflex acupressure points that are linked to the internal organ)

• As you need to concentrate on the 8 shape while walking, you will be completely focused on only walking & breathing in a slow and steady rhythm, which in turn helps you to get stress relief and relax your mind.

• With regular practice, you will notice relief from  Headache, Digestive Problems, Thyroid, Obesity, Knee pains, Rheumatoid Arthritis, weight gain/ loss and constipation etc.T his walking helps in balancing blood pressure. It also reduces sugar level in the blood and reverses your diabetes and its complication within a year of regular 8 walking.

• Refresh your body and mind for daylong work.

• It’s easy and very convenient for aged people who can’t go out for regular walking.

Practice “8 walking' and enjoy the good health. Reach out to me to know more about similar preventive and practical lifestyle changes through 'Ayurveda wellness workshop' that can help you to keep your body and mind healthy. Health is Wealth. Be Healthy!!