WALKING: A NECESSARY DISCIPLINARY HYBRIDIZATION. PART III OF IX.

Undoubtedly, there is a perspective in which we can glimpse that we will have to take better care of the human being’s movement on foot, not only from the point of view of pedestrian safety, because to a large extent this concept has been taken into account -although it has not been resolved in its essence-, but from the other aspects of the exercise of walking that brings numerous and effective benefits in all aspects of the human condition (Future Post WALKING: KING OF EXERCISES).

This post is the third of 9 that will lead us to define the NEW WALKING PARADIGM.

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I consider that in order to attend all these scenarios we will have to orient ourselves with mechanisms of disciplinary hybridization, in order to attend them in the medium term; which of course will give rise to a new hybrid discipline, which will involve other disciplines, to respond to this unavoidable and urgent social exigency. A disciplinary concurrence or hybridization that has already been developing in some instances and regions of the most advanced countries.

I repeat: this process of hybridization will have to give rise to a hybrid discipline. In fact, I am still considering the title of this post, as I believe that it should have both meanings: the formulation of a disciplinary hybridization as an innovative and forging mechanism, but also that it should lead to a hybrid discipline, which would have required changing the title of the post, calling it Walking: a necessary hybrid discipline.

The hybrid form of study and research is achieved through the conjugation of two or more sciences or disciplines, which by partially moving away from the central parts of the body of knowledge and scientific experience of each of them, are associated and combined in a more creative way, which allows finding better solutions and innovations to problems of all kinds that may be affecting human beings, in one or more of their essential needs.

Disciplinary conjugation that uses those zones or frontiers far from the strict, inflexible and narrow norms and procedures of each one of the different specialties where the innovations and alternative answers to the problems that we have nowadays can be found.

We said in Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND THE INTERDICIPLINARY FLOW OF IDEAS, PART II: “It should not be understood that we recommend to have a formal academic specialization, supported with a great experience in the disciplines involved, but only to have the intention to venture into them with the clear objective and the declared will to seek the exchange of techniques, concepts, processes and methods that each of them have. In other words, we are not asked to be the great specialists in any of the disciplines or sciences ‘mixed’, for the achievement of any task”.

Just as we can observe in the different disciplines their own domains, as other sub-disciplines are structured, these in turn create their own domains, or sub-domains. These own specializations give rise to combinations and recombinations, to other mechanisms and theoretical and practical processes of these new sub-domains, rearticulation in the theories and research of the sub-disciplines, with their own borders and centers of domain (1).

Thus, for example, we have the sub-domains of Urbanism, that is, sub-disciplines subordinated to a parent discipline:

1.            Architectural Urbanism

2.            Anthropological Urbanism

3.            Institutional Urbanism

4.            Urban Planning

5.            Social urban planning

6.            Etc.

All these subdomains are open to a certain extent to the subdomains of other disciplines, such as ECONOMICS (National Economic Planning); to ARCHITECTURE (anthropological architecture, history of architecture, etc.); to ANTHROPOLOGY (physical anthropology, social anthropology, etc.).

With Hybridization we seek to increase the creative potential to strengthen the conclusions that will lead to a new URBAN PARADIGM (Future Posts A NEW WALKING PARADIGM; NEW MODEL FOR WALKING: FREEDOM, FREE TIME AND LEISURE. PART III; NEW WORLD EXISTENTIAL PARADIGM), which will be immersed in several disciplines: URBANISM, ARCHITECTURE, URBANISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGICAL URBANISM, PALEONTOLOGY, etc., which will not be out of place to invite to integrate their opinions in this media. It is a possible conjunction of natural and social sciences.

How well can this effort work? Only by trying will we be able to know.

Architecture has its own subdomains:

1.            Lighting Architecture. …

2.            Research architecture. …

3.            Restoration architecture. …

4.            Landscape architecture. …

5.            3D architecture. …

6.            Acoustic Architecture. …

7.            Bioclimatic Architecture. …

8.            Commercial Architecture

9.            Scenic Architecture

10.          Advertising Architecture. …

11.          Design Architecture

12.          Vernacular Architecture. …

13.          Architecture of Schools and Universities

14.          Hospital Architecture. …

15.          Industrial Architecture.

16.          Interior Architecture

17.          Urban Planning

18.          Architecture and Urban Planning

19.          Archaeoastronomy.

20.          Aquatic Architecture

21.          Etc.

We can observe in these branches of Architecture a substantial hybridization, and that it is also combined with Urbanism. Now it seems to us that they are two disciplines that should always walk together.

Anthropology has also created its own subdomains:

1.            Economic Anthropology.

2.            Evolutionary Anthropology.

3.            Philosophical Anthropology.

4.            Physical Anthropology.

5.            Forensic Anthropology.

6.            Genetic Anthropology.

7.            Religious Anthropology

8.            Social Anthropology

9.            Cultural Anthropology.

10.          Urban Anthropology.

11.          Paleoanthropology or Human Paleontology.

12.          Linguistic Anthropology

13.          Etc.

We can already observe in these branches a hybridization that Anthropology has had with other disciplines, including hybridization with urbanism: Urban Anthropology, which in general terms is dedicated to studying within the cities, the problems intrinsic to them, such as poverty, unemployment, the marginality of human beings, their homeless inhabitants, etc., in short: it studies human life within the cities.

Notwithstanding this long list of Anthropology, we could select others that at the present time have dozens of sub-disciplines that could participate in this disciplinary hybridization, towards the New Paradigm of Walking.

I also mentioned in the same post, the following: “In the following image we can see the contact that is achieved between the different disciplines and in each of them we can assume that there is a great activity of creativity, by the only interdisciplinary contact.

The use of multi-disciplinarity, for the task that has been described, is graphically illustrated in the above diagram as the border inter-sections that are areas of complementarity between the disciplines that participate in the research, production and creativity phases, where their specialized fields are united in order to achieve all the proposed goals.

Each analyst will be able to cross the theoretical and practical boundaries of the different specialized disciplines in search of his personal objectives within the research or study that is carried out in an interdisciplinary manner; for such effects, each one in his defined projects, must be attentive when he must move from one discipline to another, due to the unrestricted need to resort to the specialized tooling of any of them, of the social, technical, artistic or scientific type, new methods or specific procedures, to obtain the ‘answers’ that are required and continue with his work of analysis and synthesis.”

In future Post A NEW WALKING PARADIGM, we will come to define the different disciplines and sub-disciplines that will combine, in the not too distant future, to constitute and structure a new paradigm that will give an answer to this essential need of the human being.

ANTHROPOLOGY

SOCIOLOGY

ARCHITECTURE

HISTORY

PSYCHOLOGY

ENGINEERING

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

URBANISM

PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

ARCHAEOLOGY

RELIGIOUS ANTHROPOLOGY

PALEONTOLOGY

COMPARATIVE PRIMATOLOGY

BIOLOGY

ZOOLOGY

GEOLOGY

PALINOLOGY

Other novel concepts will have to appear in this process of interdisciplinary hybridization, such as that of disciplinary heritage -and others- with the purpose of having a clear idea of how this paradigm could be realized in the future of the modern walk of the human being.

As a rule and imminent process, we can assume that all interdisciplinary flow is carried out in 2 aspects. One of these aspects is the movement (circulation) of ideas that is generated as a source of informal hybrid creation; the other is the source of formal, collegiate and officialized hybridization, which gives a channel to the related disciplines (and sub-disciplines) that compete “bidding” to participate in the hybridization that conjugates a new (hybrid) discipline.

Having thus posed the problem, we must analyze how this GAP (of knowledge and research) has been filling and increasing through the creation and construction of an inter-disciplinary bridge, which will undoubtedly give rise to a new discipline (science) that will achieve the beginning of the conformation of the New Paradigm of Walking, of the human being of the future.

The conclusion and synthesis of this process, which will be structured naturally (social and academic pressures) and programmatically (plans and programs), will result in a new discipline.

How is a real and deep hybridization achieved? It is not a meeting or several meetings between specialists, which usually and in the best of cases, there is a difficult interdisciplinarity in the typical cases of confluence to solve a problem.

In general, the domain of a discipline “bids” to create one more “specialization” in its disciplinary body, which for some time has already manifested a desire to achieve greater “depth” (specialization) and scope over one or several of the human activities within a specific field, in the broad spectrum of the social, natural and physical sciences.

Sometimes it is achieved with greater ease and speed than others, due to the prevailing social, economic and physical conditions, and those of the region (Universities, Institutes, society, etc.) where it is gestated and appears.

Each of the disciplines and sub-disciplines that have competed and will continue to compete for the gestation of the New Paradigm of Walking, will place, according to their displacements from the center to the periphery, their competences in specialty, their specific contents, potentialities and their magnitudes, in relation to the demand of the function of walking, their contribution according to the demands of this, in specialty and intensity.

(1) For more information on these fields and their usefulness, see the essay by Dogan Matei and Pahre Robert, “The new social sciences. (Original title in French: L’innovation dans les sciences sociales. La Marginalité creatice), Grijalbo, Mexico, 1993.

The domain of a discipline (science, subject, matter) is the functional area of knowledge in which it has superior skill, experience and ability relative to other disciplines.

This superiority is given in techniques, procedures, norms, rules, skills, abilities, experiences, methods that it has created within its field of knowledge and experience obtained in its process of generation, formulation and disciplinary support.

Disciplinary sub-domains are created as a result of the subordination to domains of a root discipline. With the passage of time they become independent of that subordination, of their disciplinary ascendancy, and become autonomous, creating their own fields of study, practice and knowledge.

To conclude theoretically on this process of imminent disciplinary hybridization, we can assure that this need of the human being to lead towards a New Paradigm of Walking, has already been conforming within a sinfronism, as a natural practical wisdom, as assimilated by Aristotle since his remote times, which has been conjugating in various parts of the world and that will have to appear spontaneously; however, I believe that we must carry out some activities in a timely manner to accelerate this process towards the channels that will find its successful outcome.

With the publication of this post I am updating Post UPDATED DYNAMIC INDEX OF POSTS 1-110, incorporating 10 more, so now there will be 120 posts, where you can see their titles and link directly.

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AUTOLIBERATION OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS THROUGH SELF-SUGGESTIBILITY

We have described and analyzed emotions in two different categories; one of them divides emotions into positive and negative, the other classification allows us to face them from the perspective of their psychic power, separating them into slight and powerful (Posts EMOTIONS AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM, and THE POWER OF EMOTIONS).

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This Post explains the personal method of self-control and self-liberation of negative emotions, using self-suggestibility.

We will use 2 activities only for the self-liberation of negative emotions: the walk and the use of suggestion by ourselves.

The objective of walking and practicing the WALK-RWD System is to feel good about ourselves, by providing us with moments of relaxation and sometimes achieving euphoria by feeling happy and cheerful. The substances that are generated by walking, such as serotonin, dopamine, endorphin and oxytocin (Future Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND THE HORMONES OF HAPPINESS) cause a sense of well-being and that counteracts negative emotions. Walking is the release of those emotions that affect the human being in general.

When we can authentically say to ourselves: I pamper myself, I manage to please myself, I accept myself, etc., it allows us to make ourselves feel good and thus we can manage to eliminate negative emotions, or at least we reduce their destructive force. By improving the state of mind, we can counteract the negative emotions and feelings that overwhelm the psyche (parasympathetic system); lowering the level of frustration and other negative feelings, by the mere fact of taking care of ourselves with appreciation, with true esteem. If we are not able to transmit to our individual unconscious with authenticity this affection for ourselves, we will not achieve the self-liberation of the negative emotion that affects us.

Just as we have commented on the importance of performing catharsis by walking, that is to say, an oral and reliable confession, out loud, while walking (Posts WALK AND READ IN LOUD VOICE, THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM ENCOURAGES CREATIVE THINKING. PART I; and future Post PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM), in the same way self-suggestibility works best as a liberator of negative emotions, when we repeat aloud, a certain appropriate phrase, an adequate number of times, while walking.

All the methods we propose, including the one presented in this post, take into account the concept of “Pyramidal Increase” in relation to emotions. This means that the way emotions act, both positive and negative, is with ascending and descending effects in their development and concomitant evolution. A marginal amount of negative emotion -which are the ones we are most interested in confronting- can fall in this pyramidal process of increase -or decrease- until reaching uncontrollable and therefore very destructive levels. Each procedure has its participation in this pyramidal process, according to its own characteristics; however, in all of them that we will expose in the future -including the present method of autosuggestionality- a mechanism of embedding some attenuating or eliminating element or factor of the harmful, uncontrolled emotions is used, with the purpose of counteracting their ascent or descent in their evolution and growth.

The method contains 4 phases or steps that are indicated below.

1.- THE EMOTION. We will have to analyze and clearly define the negative emotion that invades us. If there are several of them, we will have to separate them for their independent attention.

The procedure works in a generalized way for any type of pathogenic emotion. We have to dedicate some time to analyze the type of emotion we are suffering, its harmful characteristics, the effect it causes us, detect -if possible- its cause, because this will give us more information for the construction of the phrase, the adequate and beneficial phrase, getting ready to walk, repeating it out loud, during the time we are walking.

2.-CONSTRUCTION OF A PHRASE. In this phase, we will proceed to build a liberating phrase. Each emotion detected and analyzed by ourselves should be addressed with a healing phrase.

The phrase must be carefully analyzed according to what you want to solve. The way to correctly construct the type of phrase and define the appropriate number of times it should be repeated is defined and presented below.

First of all, we must take into account that the Phrase we use must be simple and positive. Never use the word NO, nor negative formats, so that it does not force us to any reasoning and thus does not obstruct the participation of the unconscious and it can flow freely, which is the mental function that will seek to assimilate the phrase and generate the affirmative and healing process. The less we use reasoning the better.

We will have to use the EROS factor to lead our minds towards thoughts that guarantee adequate and convenient behaviors for the achievement of constructive and healing purposes. There is a tendency in human beings to observe or perceive the negative aspects of their own being (Thanatos) that obscures the positive vision of their own abilities and capacities, which will have to be confronted in a timely manner.

In this step we will also have to become aware of what we are prepared physically, mentally, intellectually, professionally, at work, etc., to deal with our emotional problem. We must know for ourselves our aptitudes, our true desires and accept our incapacities. Authenticity with ourselves and objectivity are healthy weapons that always lead us to healing. We must understand that in oneself lies the solution to the issues we have to solve in the future; however, we should not burden ourselves with guilt, mistakes or imperfections, before embarking on the realization of a concrete goal. Let us always think that everything will turn out well.

3.-WALKING. The third step is to walk choosing a pleasant environment and path. You should walk in a safe, accessible and comfortable place that allows you to be relaxed, preferably in the middle of nature.

We have expressed in a previous post that “The WALK-RWD System is a recurrent, daily form that combines this walking -sometimes wandering and sometimes very defined- with 3 other activities (reading, writing and drawing) that also organize it -consciously and unconsciously- and lead it towards several concrete objectives: 1) Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, 2) Creativity and artistic creation, 3) Concentration, relaxation, meditation and contemplation, 4) Mind-body harmony, 5) Understanding and acceptance of oneself, 6) Perception and knowledge of reality. In an integral way it is achieved: the taste of and for living”. It is clear that the system leads us to the liberation of negative emotions and allows us to value the capabilities of our own self-esteem.

We have also mentioned that “Keeping ourselves walking in a recurrent way, we arouse mental and emotional negations (insecurities, prejudices, distrust, hesitations, indecisions, negative ideas, fears, doubts, phobias, manias, hatreds, etc. ), in any degree of development, that have been stored -furtive and silent- within our interiority, begin to become positive affirmations, by the mere fact of us moving forward as we walk, physically and symbolically, in space and time.” (Posts THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM ENCOURAGES CREATIVE THINKING. PART I, THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND THE SELF-PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC SUBSTANCES; future Posts A GOOD WALK AND A GOOD BREAKFAST, THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, DIALOGUE WITH OURSELVES. THE BIG IDEAS). A symbolic aspect that we have internalized and engraved in our individual and collective unconscious, since the human being walked on Earth: Every time we set out to walk, we are subliminally signaling that we are going to advance in any of the ways we wish to do it, in the emotional, physical, intellectual, etc. and in any other of the attitudes in which we wish to strengthen ourselves, and of course, to evolve. The walking of the human being, the physical movement from one place to another, contains the symbolism of the metamorphosis of the being as he moves from one circumstance to another, as if he were transforming himself, by moving on his own feet, from one physical-sensitive stage to another, with different sensitivities and bodily manifestations; moving from one emotional state to another.

4.-PARTICIPATION OF THE UNCONSCIOUS. In this phase we will incorporate the participation of the unconscious. As we have already pointed out, the Phrase must be carefully analyzed according to what we wish to solve, in such a way that it contains conceptions, thoughts and meanings that counteract what we wish to combat and eliminate. For example, if you are afraid of the interview you will have to get a job, the Phrase should contain a full certainty that you will be able to get the job: “I will get this job because I have the necessary experience and knowledge, and they will hire me”, or something like that. It should be repeated aloud (Post WALK AND READ IN LOUD VOICE). The frequency and number of times to repeat the phrase will depend on the personal situation: if you have little, medium or great insecurity, then we must define these two factors according to our personal case, as we feel. We could define as periodicity: every day, from here until you have the appointment; and the reiteration could be: repeat it out loud as many times as you can, during the time that the walk lasts, for example 30 minutes, depending on the availability of time.

We already pointed out in the Post EMOTIONS AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM and I would like to repeat it: “This functional unitary relationship between the physical and the mental, besides strengthening biunivocally, brings along a mechanism of emotional psychological effect, that combines several emotions: in first level, love, joy and happiness, and in second instance: enthusiasm, hope and satisfaction, that in most of the cases reaches euphoria. This last level is recognized because from the awareness that starts from the second emotional level towards the first one, it reaches the direct and liberated (expressive) transmission towards the unconscious as an expressive (liberated) or unperturbed and ignited desire or impulse, which generally always remains reduced, subdued and sometimes paralyzed, and from all this emanates its importance and its level of effectiveness in our mental and physical health, because it is exclusively directed towards ourselves. That conscience that is taken as we go through the emotions patentized by its effects in the state of mind of the person that executes the WALK-RWD system and that walks through that state of mind-emotional directly towards its individual unconscious. The challenge is to achieve to patentize that feeling, that ‘help’, that love and care for ourselves, because if we achieve it, we will be able to face any disturbing emotion”.

As we already know, our unconscious is working 24 hours a day. It does not rest for a second, it is always awake. It works throughout the day and night.

There is no doubt that through dreams the unconscious transmits to us knowledge of ourselves, and surely a part of that communication functions as an effective catharsis. However, for both benefits, additional work is required to really obtain an effective result.

It is different to act and use the unconscious during wakefulness. To resort to the method of one’s own suggestibility, while the vigil is in progress, it is highly recommended, first of all, that we feel calm, walking alone, on a safe and pleasant path, so that we can transmit the phrase (or several, and all of them positive), repeating it aloud to our unconscious in an effective way and so it can assimilate it better and faster, achieving sure success, because the result contained in the designed phrase will be obtained. The unconscious transforms the phrase into a reality, and this is done more safely when we are walking (Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM ENCOURAGES CREATIVE THINKING. PART I; and Future Posts THE CONSCIOUS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS IN THE APPLICATION OF THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM; WALKING THE 4 PATHS OF THE UNCONSCIOUS; THE CONSCIOUS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS IN UNITY, FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES; THE FUNCTION OF THE UNCONSCIOUS, A FICTITIOUS OR REAL PATH? WORTHY OR DANGEROUS?).

Every positive thought that the unconscious makes its own, is an inescapable and unpostponable SENTENCE, which becomes a real fact in the future.

The desire to improve in future scenarios – near or far – embraces innumerable aspects of the existence of the human being (health, work, happiness, family, and a very long etcetera) and all of them can always be transformed into real facts, into positive achievements: It only requires two activities: walking and repeating a Phrase out loud. The time dedicated to these two is variable, but in my experience, only ½ hour a day is required, during a peremptory period of days. The periodicity will be of one day, two days, or more, according to the time needed until we have abolished and destroyed that unhealthy emotion.

Lastly, and repeatedly, I would like to warn that we should avoid negative thoughts, because the unconscious can make them its own and turn them into reality. I am a staunch believer in the strength and power of both the individual and the collective unconscious, so I recommend that we should be very careful with self-critical, malignant and destructive ideas. THE INDIVIDUAL UNCONSCIOUS IS THE GENIE IN ALADDIN’S LAMP.

The aforementioned fear is a typical case of negative emotions: unhealthy, harmful, pathogenic. Let us not say or think anything negative, because the unconscious makes it its own. Let’s be positive, optimistic, upbeat, convinced and hopeful, while we walk.

A case of negative format, would be the following: I will not allow anyone to make me feel bad emotionally. We could say the same thing, but affirming: I feel good emotionally… I am good emotionally… and everything is going to be perfect for me.

If we subtly analyze the negative format, we will see that the mind enters into a process of denial, and this is not behaviorally favorable to give the message to the unconscious, because it drags this confused state and we also invite the reasoning mind to participate, precisely because of its flow of denial. This other aspect is the one that is built with the THANATOS factor -contrary to EROS- which is constituted by negative thoughts. Suggestion is achieved in the same way but with harmful, noxious, destructive and damaging ideas for the individual who bends to this instinct. In this scenario the THANATOS factor participates to lead the conditioned minds, towards thoughts that guarantee purely negative behaviors that prevent the achievement of positive and healing purposes. Negative emotions start to dance in an uncontrolled way.

SUMMARY

1.-The knowledge of emotion is the psychological element that allows us to liberate ourselves.

2.- The phrase is the most powerful rational verbal resource of the method.

3.- Walking is the most effective and direct structural mechanism to send to the unconscious the verbal message for the achievement of self-control and liberation from negative emotion.

4.- The unconscious is the agent to perform the healing sublimation.

Let us always be affirmative and positive; in this way, we will forever break insecurity and negativity in our behavior and attitudes, and above all, we will drive away powerful and negative emotions. With the realization of these 4 steps, let us prepare ourselves to control and free ourselves from negative emotions, using our own soul auto-suggestion.

Let’s free our being from those negative emotions that hurt us so much, by walking and applying the preceding method.

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DROMOMANIA.

Schematizing the position of the human being with respect to the activity of walking, we could say that his experience and response is in three levels: he likes it, he resists it or he has a maniacal inclination.

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On the first and the second position we have already expressed different opinions in more than a hundred previous Posts. The manic inclination obeys a need of the unconscious type; however, it also has a physical causality, fundamentally of the hormonal type.

The manic alteration in the human behavior consists of having a propensity difficult to resist that forces us unconsciously to change the place where we are or reside; it is an unconscious compulsion (irrational obsession) that impels us to get out of from the place where we have remained stable for a certain time (t), 1 week, two weeks, 1 month, several months, an indefinite time that depends on each person who suffers from it, and after a certain time (T) this impulse to change again the place where we are is reborn.

A great part of the population that suffers from this syndrome, resolves it by traveling, when their economic level and other social and family aspects allow it.

This manic inclination has been called in various ways, depending on the epoch, the establishment, doctrine, the context, the appreciation, the impulse, and even the repulsion to certain social and/or family conditions: wandering mania, odomania, poriomania, automation of moving without control, drapetomania (escape), ecdemomania, dissociative fugue (memory and perception), hypermobility, and a dozen other nominations.

This state of mind is different from the impulse that every individual generates in the age of adolescence and requires to do so in order to strengthen his personality (Post THE WALK AND THE INSTINCT TO LEAVE THE PLACE OF ORIGIN), or at least in those initial years; however, it is worth asking the question whether this imperative need has not been generated precisely because we have not allowed ourselves to respond in a timely manner to this primary instinct to leave the place of origin.

The approach I make in this Post reminds me of a trip that 6 young people made in 1967 to Monreal, Canada, to attend the World’s Fair of that year. M. Basáñez, the Paredes brothers, the Margain brothers, and myself, at the average age of 20.

I have expressed that at certain moments something much more intense is demanded, to travel to strengthen one’s own personality, unconsciously seeking its healthy development. A timely departure from our place of origin allows us to develop ourselves better and to search for our own personality and character. This is an action that all young people should carry out by themselves. This impulse is an instinct that impels us to travel, by the mere fact of leaving that place where we have remained for long months or years; a congenital impulse, which facilitates us to better develop our personality, without which it is more difficult to find the meaning of life, and it delays the achievement of vital goals.

Of course, none of the 6 of us had any idea of this. I repeat: everything is an impulse to be outside our place of origin.

MONREAL, CANADA, 1967

I believe it is pertinent to dwell a little on this question because it is possible that many of the individuals who suffer from dromomania in adulthood have been provoked by not attending to this instinct, when it appeared in their respective adolescent ages. At this age it is common for the young person to “escape” one weekend and repeat it several times; this will be a sign of his or her instinctive and natural need to get out of his or her familiar environment, a need that must be addressed in a timely manner. As discussed in the post mentioned above, this syndrome may be caused by not having achieved the personality or having lost personal identity, which in part is lacking the meaning of life, feeling dissatisfied with what he does or with life itself: “Going for a walk is not only a physical impulse to exercise the body and give movement to the mind, but it is closely related to something much deeper in the soul: going out to strengthen the individual personality. This going for a walk is a metaphor of the unconscious that seeks the healthy awakening of the personality of the being. Leaving one’s place of origin in a timely manner -at a certain age- allows one to develop better and to search for one’s own personality. Definitely, this is an action that every human being -man and woman- must put into practice by himself, as his own decision and encouraged by his parents”.

We said in Post WALKING AND ITS SYMBOLISM: “An analogical extrapolation of this is traveling, which is nothing other than the search for a renewing experience, the beginning of a change that seeks to get somewhere; initiator of a metamorphosis for transcendence. Thus, walking, as an analogy of traveling, symbolically signifies the intrinsic need to free oneself, seeking an initiating experience of change. It is a symbol of transcendence. Trying to break away from the social status that surrounds you: friends, peers, family, work, studies, etc. The journey is the symbolic representation of a quest to face new experiences and discoveries, liberation, renunciation, atonement. It is generated by a natural state of discontent with oneself and the environment around us. Search for a change, exploration of the knowledge of the nature of life and death, to know what to do with one’s existence.  Depending on the individual, it can be a trip around the world, leaving one’s village, moving house, or simply walking aimlessly. All this, to transcend inwardly towards a new way of living.”

On the other hand, the human body has needs that it satisfies with its own generation of organic substances (Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND THE SELF-PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC SUBSTANCES), and regarding this topic it has been commented that SEROTONIN, DOPAMINE, ENDORPHIN and OXYTOCHIN are hormones that regulate certain brain functions. When their levels are low, the body loses the ability to take action and no longer wants to strive to achieve certain goals and objectives, both in the every day and the unaccustomed.

Walking -and any other acceptable exercise- is an activity, which raises the levels of these 4 hormones, among other physiological and nutritional measures (Future Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND THE HORMONES OF HAPPINESS).

Regarding the physical causality of the hormonal type -which is not of a manic nature-, we will expose the different glandular scenarios in several future posts, where we will analyze the relationship of the WALK-RWD system with each of the endogenous and exogenous glands, and their particular production of hormones, and of course, with that need to travel.

We must also point out that dromomania is generated by emotional causes (affectation of feelings), which, without reaching levels of psychopathy, generate in the human being an irresistible need to escape, (drapetomania), to flee, to leave the place where we are residing, not to mention those numerous cases of avoiding commitments, responsibilities, not facing problems (big or small), debts, obligations, family inconveniences, etc. An emotional need to evade work (in the office or in the factory), family commitments, because he does not enjoy anything since he may be suffering from an emotional depression and tries to escape.

Let’s analyze our personal situation and see what we have stored inside us on the subject of travel.  Some key questions are: Do I want to travel? What is my situation? Do I want to travel alone or with someone else? The answers to these questions – and others – contain some very important explanations.

An effective way to carry out this analysis and to arrive at a sincere answer, according to our deep interiority, is by walking and putting into practice the WALK-RWD system. Do not doubt it, walking opens our mind. Any experience we get from walking is positive to open our positive emotions and our mind “Open your mind while walking”.

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NOT WALKING IS LIKE TURNING INTO A SWAMP

The human body withers when it does not search and does not find the way or path to WALK, in the same way it happens to waters that have no outlet and does not move, they become a swamp.

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The main characteristic that a body of water has to be considered a swamp is that it has no exit, and therefore its waters are stagnant and do not move. The fact that its waters remain static generates a state of decomposition that, as time goes by, makes it more difficult to rescue it and clean it from the deterioration it has reached.

In itself, the swamp is the highest state of degradation that a body of water can reach.

1145.-TRANSCENDENTAL SUBJECTION

Daily walking by an individual is synonymous with opening a new channel to a body of water so that it can drain, cleanse its waters and free itself from suspended sludge. In each walk the human body is revitalized just as when we free the stagnant waters of a swamp; it is supplied with oxygen, its lungs are strengthened, the blood circulates better through the veins, toxic substances are discarded and new energy (impetus and strength) is injected for the next experiential launch.

Let’s start walking and avoid all those ailments that come with time as the swamps are born with quicksand that turn them into damaged and dangerous bodies.

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THE SYMMETRY OF THE BODY, ITS BALANCE AND WALKING

It is essential to have a better knowledge of the composition and structure of our body, that is, of the arrangement throughout it, of the different parts, elements and systems that make it up.

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There are 206 bones that give structure to the human body (Future Post WALKING AND THE 206 BONES OF OUR BODY) and 660 muscles that compose it (Future Post WALKING AND THE 660 MUSCLES OF OUR BODY). This bone and muscle constitution must be taken into account to know how our body responds, both physically and mentally, to the functional aspects of its symmetry.

Undoubtedly, the human body has a functional symmetry. The better we understand how the body moves and the functions performed by joints, muscles, bones and ligaments when performing certain movements and actions, the easier it will be to improve the execution of the mobilities (physical displacements) necessary for the practice of a given exercise or sport, always looking for its structural balance.

Thus, balance and symmetry are two fundamental aspects that must be taken into account for any type of body exercise.

A) The human body keeps a balance when walking, not only because of the symmetry of the body -defined by volume, mass and weight-, but that balance that is achieved and maintained by the existence of a centroid line, which is a dynamic line that divides the body longitudinally into two volumetric parts with equal weight, as it moves.

B) Every exercise should be performed taking into account the symmetry of the body, that is to say, to perform it for the two symmetrical sides of the body and according to that dynamic line. (Future Post THE PRACTICE OF THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM USING THE TWO SYMMETRIC PARTS OF THE BODY)

VERTICAL AXIS OF SYMMETRY

The human body is constructed with parts symmetrical with respect to a vertical axis of symmetry, as we see in the previous figure and in the following one.

VERTICAL AXIS OF SYMMETRY

We have limbs, lower and upper, in pairs; and even almost all the external senses and organs are housed symmetrically in both parts of the body, except for some which are not in pairs.

All the external senses exist in pairs, except taste, which must have a physiological reason to be unitary and individual.

That is to say, we could assure that the left part is equivalent to the right, the human body being divided by a vertical line passing through its middle part.

Thus, we have 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 feet, 2 heels, 2 ankles, 2 knees, 2 buttocks, 2 hands, 2 wrists, 2 elbows, 2 shoulders, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 2 eyes, 2 cerebral lobes, 2 testicles, 2 ovaries; all of them equidistant to a central, longitudinal axis, which separates them vertically and symmetrically, in a single plane and equidistantly. There is no other axis that divides the human body symmetrically.

The sense of sight can clearly illustrate this symmetry and give us some valuable information as to why we have a paired constitution. Binocular vision allows us to focus on objects at variable distances, through the phenomenon of convergence. This is a coordination that is done with binocular vision, that is with the 2 eyes, to place the images in an exact point of the retina and send the message to the brain. In this way we can calculate -approximately- how far –or near- an object is from us. If we cover one of our eyes, we will realize that this calculation becomes more difficult.

Bipedalism -walking on two legs and feet- is an activity that should continue to be deeply analyzed in the future to better understand its functionality and the benefits it generates on the entire human body, physical and mental.

Now, the LINE OF GRAVITY and the POINT OF GRAVITY, are 2 parameters functionally equivalent to the concept of centroid that we use in engineering to calculate the moments (Force x Distance) of the different elements that are used to study the loads and efforts of the materials and the metallic, concrete, wood and other structures. In planar figures (geometric or any other configuration) it is not advisable to talk about the force of gravity, since they are figures that are only “ideally” defined in 2 dimensions. In the analysis of our subject, being the human body the main object to be exercised, we must consider for its observation and treatment, the 3 dimensions since it is a volume and has a weight, so it is essential to use the concept of gravitational force, since among other technical and functional aspects, it is required to place it under analysis and observation (exams and laboratory tests) of its operation with respect to the gravitational phenomenon (Future Post A SMALL STEP FOR A MAN, A GREAT LEAP FOR MANKIND).

In itself, gravitation is one of the important phenomena that we must take into account for the observation and examination of the functioning of the human body.

There is no doubt for us, at present, that the human body is practically symmetrical physically with respect to that vertical axis; but surely it is also symmetrical with respect to the cerebral-spiritual functions (Keep in mind what was expressed in Post TOTEM AND WALKING-PART I, ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASPECTS, about what I consider spiritual [*]). That is to say, the activities we develop also have a symmetrical effect on the brain functions and the aspects of creation and creativity generated by our mental-spiritual part. All the exercises that we perform -as we have already mentioned- must be based on the 1st fundamental principle of the WALK-RWD system so that they are carried out in a harmonious way with respect to the vertical axis or alternating the 2 respective symmetrical members.

[*] We said in that Post: “I would like from this moment, at this level of the Blog, to mention that when I use the word “spiritual” I am not referring exclusively to the religious concept; of course they are intimately related, but they are not equivalent. Religion is an evolved phase of Magic and Totemism, as James George Frazer rightly mentions, and spirituality is the sensitive and dynamic force (energy), which escapes the rational and the senses for its quantification, dimensions and power, through which, the human being develops certain forms and religious aspects, but also dozens of other functions and soul operations, which only with this ethereal energy, constitutive of being, we can achieve”.

We should always keep in mind this dimension of the bodily, mental and spiritual symmetry of the human being, because effectively, only by maintaining the body in a correct symmetry of weights and volumes, including areas (Future Post THE MAN OF VITRUVIUM AND THE PROPORTIONATE WALKING OF THE HUMAN BEING) we will be able to keep a corporal balance, and therefore, to facilitate all the other activities that we develop while we walk.

About the mental aspects, I expressed in Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM ENCOURAGES CREATIVE THINKING: “So much has been experimented that walking promotes the harmonious functioning of the cerebral hemispheres, that there is no doubt about it. Walking is an exercise that causes effects on the 2 symmetrical parts of the human body, so any exercise that generates it, will have similar effects (Future Post THE SYMMETRY OF THE BODY, ITS BALANCE AND WALKING), as long as they are not gymnastics or sports too strenuous, exhausting or violent”.

On the other hand, perhaps we could differentiate the physical-anatomical axes from the almathic or hermetic ones, such as those we observe in the conceptualization of the CHAKRAS. The latter irrigate the spiritual body along an axis that is also vertical, but of the almathic, not somatic, type.

The CHAKRAS remain on the same symmetrical anatomical-physiological axis. The axis of the CHAKRAS is of the hermetic-almathic type (Future Post WALKING ALONG WITH OUR CHAKRAS).

# 940 y 405 SEVEN CHACRAS

Thus, each of the symmetrical and proportionate parts that make up the human body can capture the reality of the world in a specific and different way from its corresponding symmetrical one, and the joint work of the pair, by the simultaneous harmonic perception and its dynamic-energetic assimilation, allows us to have a better complete and unique representation of the external reality -as we explained in the case of the sense of sight). It is a known fact that the very functioning of these symmetrical pairs and their respective perception, being different in realization and perception, is due to their direct or crossed connections with the 2 cerebral hemispheres; these being the ones that contain dissimilar mental neurological functions, and that by receiving the information of the symmetrical pairs, they retransmit compositive images to the other double parts of the human body and to the rest of their own constituent elements and to other systems, organs and glands.

Walking is beneficial for the development of all these functional actions, communications and transfers. The reason for this, from the mechanical point of view for bodily locomotion, is that the body keeps its balance better supported by two elements than by only one. And in relation to the external senses it is probably because they work better in pairs to distinguish and better perceive the motive, object or external stimulus, since they must be located in time and distance. In other words, two vectors of the same sense are required to better locate and distinguish the respective stimulus, both in its distance and in its temporal disposition. These functions of the human body is where we can appreciate them more objectively the dimensions of time, distance and number (periods of exercise, speed, acceleration, even limbs and organs, etc.).

Walking benefits, drives and stimulates: a) physical equilibrium, b) mental-cerebral equilibrium and c) instinctive-spiritual equilibrium. The first one moves us bodily and harmoniously through all external physical environments; the second one allows us to develop mentally, intellectually and emotionally, in the social environment that surrounds us; and the third one guides us in a prudent way, through the path of intuition, imagination & creativity.

Therefore, all exercise activities that we develop, and mostly in our own walks, we must take into account this constructive structure -of symmetry, pairs and dynamic balance- to maintain the stability of the body, physical, mental and spiritual. In this regard, we must keep in mind that the human body – I repeat- has only one axis of symmetry: the vertical axis. There is no other. And that will be the axis on which we will have to program and project the exercises.

In general terms, we can affirm that due to the symmetry of the human body itself, the physical exercises, whatever they may be, should be carried out considering it, even if in a simultaneous way, using the two symmetrical limbs (arms, legs, etc.), or alternating one and the other, if not immediately, then with small inter-phases.

In my own experience, when I am walking, I perceive that my two cerebral hemispheres begin to work together. I realize this because the responses I get during my walks are different from when I am static, abstaining from my daily walking. Type of ideas are different, they are less in quantity and of course, the best ideas come to me when I am walking. (Future Post WALKING VERSUS SITTING, STANDING, LYING DOWN).

Of course, as I have already mentioned, this symmetrical structure of our whole body, acts on that healing and creative potentiality, which emerges from within us, when we are walking.

In future Post LISTENING TO OUR BODY WHILE WE WALK, we present a whole series of mechanisms that we must use to become aware that our body is permanently communicating with us, and how to understand it in its symbolic language.

I do the same in some future posts:

In the future Post THE MAN OF VITRUVIUM AND THE PROPORTIONATE WALKING OF THE HUMAN BEING, the proportionality of the areas, volumes and weights that must be considered to perform any walk is explained.

In the future Post BODY PARTS FOR WALKING- CARE OF THE BODY we explained in a general way the care we should take with our body, and observe the aspects of balance and symmetry, which are essential to developing our walks, in an adequate and healthy way.

The body should definitely not be put to work while we walk, subjecting it to excessive loads or overloading it asymmetrically:

INCORRECT CONDITION POSITION FOR WALKING

As shown in the figure above, we should not cause a displacement of the verticality (vertical axis) during the activity of walking, so we must be very careful with the objects we carry, especially with those that are heavy to move comfortably.

Even if they are marginal, these displacements generate physical disarrangements in the body that can have medium or long term consequences, important deviations in the spine or simply reductions in the ease of walking or speed.

The correct position for a walk is to maintain a strict perpendicular to the plane of the ground where we are walking, both frontal and lateral. In the following 2 figures we can observe this required perpendicularity:

Maintain a perpendicular with respect to the ground plane

Any exercise should always be performed taking into account the symmetry axis, either simultaneously or alternating. For example, lifting both arms at the same time or first one and then the other. The alternation does not necessarily have to be immediate, we can -depending on the exercise- perform it 3, 6 or 10 times a symmetrical part (arm, hand, leg, foot, etc.) and then the other symmetrical part, the same number of times we exercised the first of them. The latter is imperative and irrefutable, since both parts must be exercised the same number of times and with the same speed, intensity, effort and periodic duration.

Finally, it is worth asking ourselves the question, if this awareness of the symmetry that we must take care of when putting into practice the WALK-RWD system, will also help us to improve our body and our mind? Of course it will, with the commitment that the exercises we perform are carried out for both symmetrical parts of the body.

An illustrative example is that of the skateboard, although this is only for the mechanical device and not for the electric one. Clearly it is observed that the exercise that is developed is of dissimilar effects for the symmetrical parts of the organism. This is not a typically healthy exercise for the human being. However, if we were to perform it alternately, it could be considered healthy; that is, 10 exercises with the left leg and 10 with the right leg, and so on indefinitely. The body always responds to the rhythms, to the measures and cadences to which we submit it, as long as they tend to a mechanical symphony that considers its symmetrical parts, its proportions and its natural inclinations to its mobility, to keep its balance and correct development.

In this exercise of the mechanical skateboard it is clearly observed that the person’s body is positioned in an eccentric way, in addition to the fact that the exercises performed, for the whole body, are carried out in an asymmetric and unbalanced way.

The solution is to alternate in its mechanical practice; for example, to propel oneself with the left leg 10 times and to alternate immediately with the right leg with 10 impulses, and so on without limit.

The case of the rowing boat clearly illustrates what happens, both in the efforts and in the advance.

When you push the boat by rowing with only one arm, you are moving forward but in circles. It is the same when we exercise with only one part of the body, we develop the exercise but only for one part of the body, in an unbalanced way.

In the practice of rowing in the boat, what should be done, to really move forward, is to alternate rowing with both arms. Exercises should also be performed alternating both parts of the body to achieve a symmetrical and balanced exercise.

If we row alternately, we will observe that the boat will advance correctly and thus the assimilation of the exercises, on our body, both physically and mentally.

The same scheme could be done with the skateboard.

From all the exposed, we can deduce the following principle of the WALK-RWD system, as

1st fundamental principle or Principle of Symmetry:

“All the exercises to be performed must be carried out with respect to the vertical axis of anatomical symmetry of the human body, either simultaneously or alternating the 2 respective symmetrical limbs, always in a harmonic way, in both options”.

Walking is an example of the application of this principle, with respect to the second option of alternating the respective symmetrical limbs, in this case, the legs, knees, ankles, and feet.

However, the 2nd fundamental principle of the WALK-RWD system, generated in Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM ENCOURAGES CREATIVE THINKING-PART I, implicit but not expressed, should also be taken into account. Its definition is expressed in the second part, in the future Post THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM STIMULATES CREATIVE THINKING. PART II, precisely to abound in what are the unbalanced postures (Future Posts THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND KUNDALINI YOGA and WALKING IN THE YOGAKARA) and the “unbalanced” states in movement, such as walking, which generate very important effects in our brain and body (stable unbalanced movement):

2nd fundamental principle or Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium:

Keeping the body in physical movement through walking, generates by itself a vibration of the brain, which causes it to enter into an imbalance and normal functions are carried out and effects are generated, of the dynamic type, on the different systems, organs and glands of the body”.

Let’s revive our limbs, muscles and joints of the body with walking, taking into account these 2 principles of the WALK-RWD System.

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