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Change of Pace

Starting this July—the beginning of our eighth year walking together—this blog will take another step forward: we will increase the frequency of our publications from two to three posts per month. This change does not respond to whim or a desire to fill time with words, but to a profound need imposed upon us by the context itself: the incessant acceleration of the world, driven by the vertigo of technology, by the increasingly intense rhythms of daily life, and by the multiple faces of what we have called Toxic Realism.

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This Toxic Realism—at once a phenomenon and a diagnosis—not only describes an era saturated with stimuli, contradictions, and automatisms, but also urgently points us to new forms of resistance, lucidity, and reconnection. Walking, as we have repeatedly maintained, is not just a physical exercise: it is a practice of slowing down, a way of thinking with the body, an act of silent freedom that opposes, step by step, the overwhelming flow of the immediate.

Therefore, adding one more post per month—always on the 7th—responds to a new rhythm that doesn’t subordinate us to chaos, but rather allows us to consciously accompany it. We need more moments of reflection, more stories on the go, more poetic and symbolic strategies to maintain balance in the face of this global acceleration that, if not addressed, can wipe us off the map of our own interiority.

Increasing the number of posts by 50% isn’t just a number: it’s a sign, a sign that this Blog raises like a torch that won’t give up. It’s a firm gesture on the path, like someone who decides to take a longer break to observe the world through different eyes, or someone who takes a detour to find a forgotten flower. May each monthly post—on the 1st, the 7th, and the 15th—be an act of lucid breathing in the face of vertigo. Walking is also publishing.

START OF THE POST

Walking Separately from Death

Have you ever stopped to think about how absurd it is to keep walking? I’m not talking about that low-intensity activity doctors and wellness gurus tout as a panacea for a long and prosperous life. What a farce! I’m referring to the fundamental, almost instinctive, act of moving one leg after the other. Ever since the first hominid decided to stand upright and stumble with gravity, we’ve been on this incessant pilgrimage. Towards where, exactly?

My recently published book, “Program Your Death and Rebirth” (1), delves into those uncomfortable truths we prefer to sweep under the carpet of consciousness—those that ferment in the basement of our psyche until they reek of “toxic realism.” And, to be honest, is there anything more toxically real than the fact that every step we take is one step closer to the inevitable end?

Yes, I know, people walk for health, for pleasure, to explore, to escape their problems… How naive! We walk because we are designed for perpetual motion that inexorably drags us towards nothingness. It’s the cruelest cosmic joke of all: to be born with legs for a race with no finish line, only an abyss at the end.

Consider, for a moment, those hiking enthusiasts, with their backpacks full of energy bars and their gleaming sneakers. Do they not see the irony? They venture into the wild, seeking “connection” or “inner peace,” while every rock they dodge and every river they cross brings them closer to that final rest, the one where they’ll no longer need marked trails. How hilarious! It’s as if the universe is laughing out loud at our eagerness to prolong the march when our destiny is already sealed.

And let’s not talk about marathon runners. Ah, marathon runners! Those beings who, with an almost frenetic or pathological enthusiasm, inflict physical tortures upon themselves to prove… what? That they can postpone the inevitable with every blister on their foot? It’s the equivalent of building a sandcastle against a high tide; a noble effort, yes, but utterly useless. “Run for your life!” the signs scream. And one wonders, for what, if the final prize is immobility? Perhaps their true goal is to reach the finish line so exhausted that death finds them already half-dead. Now that would be a Pyrrhic victory if there ever was one.

The Great Paradox of the Step

The relationship between walking and death is as intrinsic as a pair of smelly socks to a teenager. Ever since we stood up, we’ve been dancing a macabre tango with destiny. In the melody of our ephemeral existence, every step is a beat, every kilometer, a verse; some prefer a slow, contemplative waltz, others, a rhythmic “paso doble” towards the void. In the end, we all end up dancing the same mournful piece.

Think of the elderly, with their walkers and their hesitant steps. They say they walk to “stay active,” to “delay deterioration.” Nonsense! It’s the last gasp of a machine that refuses to shut down, a pathetic resistance to the call from the beyond. Wouldn’t it be more dignified to simply sit and wait comfortably? But no, human stubbornness compels us to keep moving, even when every movement is a reminder of our fragility, and the imminent risk of a possible fracture that anticipates our fall into that void.

And what about or what to think of people who don’t want to walk? Are they wiser? Those who prefer the sofa, the car, the bed? We could argue that they have understood the ineffectuality of futile exercise. They have decided to shorten the path, to avoid the farce of effort. Perhaps they are the true visionaries, those who have anticipated the message of this book and have “programmed their death” with glorious inactivity. Why sweat if destiny is already written? Although we don’t know if by doing so they risk a high burden of self-blame that shortens their last stretch… to elude the rhythm of tempos.

Where are we limping, then?

First and foremost, a kind warning: The book “Program Your Death and Rebirth” is not a suicide manual, let that be very clear. This reading is an invitation “to die laughing” and thus ensure several more years of existence, but always walking. It’s an invitation to parody and uncomfortable laughter in the face of the inevitable. And the vital act of walking, that seemingly banal act, is one of existence’s greatest parodies. By confronting the multiple conditionings, programs, even new technological applications to lucratively increase longevity, and with it life expectancy, which does not encourage chasing a mirage. We move, we strive, we climb mountains and cross deserts, only to realize that the true destination is absolute immobility.

But what if that very futility is what keeps us going? What if the inherent sarcasm of walking towards the grave is what gives our ephemeral existence an absurd and delightful meaning? Perhaps, just perhaps, the act of walking is the ultimate act of rebellion, a slap in the face of death. “Here I am, damn it!” shouts every step, “Even if you take me, at least you’ll take me in motion!”

So, the next time you find yourself dragging your feet to the kitchen for a third slice of cake, or climbing a mountain to watch the sunrise, remember this: you are participating in the greatest parody of all. You are walking separately from death, but at the same time, hand in hand with it. It’s a tango, a waltz, a macabre dance that unites us all, from Olympic athletes to the wandering souls who haven’t yet found their way back to the ether.

Even souls, those floating around, could benefit from this. If only they could find a pair of borrowed legs, perhaps they would understand the joke. Perhaps they would even be encouraged to take a walk. After all, who says the dead can’t enjoy a good ironic stroll in the afterlife?

Walk seriously, ironically, however you decide; but walk every day.

(1) Loya Lopategui Carlos, Program Your Death and Rebirth, EMULISA, Mexico, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0FGMFRD5P

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This post is inspired by the book: “THE WALKER AND HIS SHADOW: MYTH OF A NOMADIC TOWER”(1), section entitled: 5.4 The Forest as a Labyrinth of Symbols. However, the book is a compendium of recommendations and literary creations, in two formats with two purposes, which we have titled Literary and Interactive Interludes. These emerge as creative samples generated by Walking. They are specifically created as representatives of each chapter and section, scattered throughout the book, and with the purpose of illustrating the different “rituals” addressed to convey what humanity has used throughout time as mechanisms to provoke imagination and creativity, away from academic settings.

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Entering the forest has, since ancient times, been a metaphor for entering the hidden realms of the soul. It is no coincidence that initiation tales, medieval legends, and the myths of various cultures choose the forest as the setting for trials, revelations, and transfigurations. The forest is not just a physical place; it is a psychic topography. And its thickness, its clearings, its shadows, its multitude of paths, form a symbolic labyrinth that is activated in those who traverse it with inner attention.

Each tree can be an archetypal figure; each crossroads, an existential decision; each shadow, a reflection of the unacknowledged. Thus, walking in the forest is like reading a coded language, an ancient grammar where the sacred and the wild intertwine. The symbol is not there as an ornament: it is a structure, a guide, a mirror.

Unlike labyrinths constructed by human hands, whose design responds to defined geometries, the forest labyrinth does not obey logical order. It is governed by the organic rhythm of life. Its map is not drawn with lines, but with presences: an animal that silently crosses, a root that becomes an obstacle, a fallen branch that seems to point to something. The walker who enters without wanting to interpret anything, without the will to master, ends up being touched by meanings that emerge as revelations.

This labyrinth, without walls but with hidden directions, teaches trust in the inner senses. The symbolic doesn’t shout, it whispers. It doesn’t impose, it proposes. And in its subtle way of emerging, it demands a new sensitivity: that of someone who has learned to read the world as a mystical text with living signs.

In the symbolic depths of the forest, symbols are not immobile pieces, but entities in motion.

They don’t represent something fixed, but rather awaken something dormant in those who find them. An empty nest can evoke nostalgia for a lost home; a mossy stone, the patience of time; the creaking of a branch, the fragility of the present.

This is the power of the symbol when it manifests itself in its natural habitat: not as a dead sign, but as a living experience.

Walking through this labyrinthine forest means getting lost in the right way. Because here, disorientation is the prelude to a new orientation, and getting lost, the door to a deeper awareness. The forest does not allow itself to be dominated: it demands respect, silence, and above all, a willingness to transform through the symbolic.

Therefore, the forest as a labyrinth does not enclose, trap, retain, or immobilize: it liberates.

And each time one returns from it—whether physically or from an inner immersion—it brings with it a new symbol, an expanded vision, an unknown part of oneself now illuminated.

Below I present the Literary Interlude and later the Interactive Interlude.

Literary Interlude

Myth of the Forest and the Lost Name

It is said that, in a time without dates, there existed a human being who was born without a name. His parents, looking up to the sky at his birth, said: “The forest will tell him.” And so it was that, upon reaching a certain age, the young man set out alone, without a guide, toward the ancestral thicket where the ancient trees dwelt.

He walked for days along confusing paths, among roots that seemed like hands and branches that spoke to the wind. But no tree told him its name.

One night, tired and desperate, he sat at the foot of a leaning oak and murmured: “Am I nobody?”

The forest remained silent. Until a leaf—just one—fell on his shoulder. Then he understood: he must not ask, but listen. He must not seek the name, but let the name find him.

From that moment on, every time he came into contact with a symbol—a split stone, a deer print, a spider web between two branches—he felt something within him respond. As if his soul remembered ancient, forgotten meanings.

Finally, after many days and nights, he reached the heart of the forest, where there were no paths or trails. There, in a clearing where the moss shone like gold, a deer stared at him and spoke his true name. It wasn’t a name of words, but an image, an emotion, an unexplained knowledge.

The human descended from the forest carrying that name in his soul. He couldn’t say it, but he could live it.

From then on, he became a guide to other walkers. He didn’t show them the way. He only told them:

“Your name is there, wherever the symbol touches you. And that place is your forest.”

Interactive Interlude

Map of Personal Symbols

An Inner Forest to Walk Within Yourself

No compass or flashlight is necessary. Just your feet and silence. This forest isn’t on any map, but its paths pulse beneath your skin. Walking through it is like going inward, toward those clearings of consciousness where symbols rise like ancient trees. This map doesn’t tell you where to go, but what to look for as you walk.

Start with a step. Any step.

Stop when you find something that looks at you without eyes: a cracked stone, a fallen branch, a cloud swirling around itself. Don’t name it. Feel it. Come closer. See if it leaves a mark on your spirit. That is a symbol that belongs to you. Don’t explain it: keep it.

Keep moving. Walk without searching, but not without attention. The forest will speak to you with gestures, with repetitions, with shapes that appear unannounced. Perhaps it is a leaf turning in the air, a burnt trunk, a flower growing among rocks. If it stays in your mind, it is because something within you has called it.

Take note, not with words, but with presence. Let your body record. Each symbol encountered is a root extending into your soul. Don’t judge them, don’t order them. You are collecting fragments of a language that is older than you.

When you finish your walk, sit down. Don’t make lists. Don’t search for meanings. Draw, sing, breathe, sleep. All of this is also a way of mapping. Your inner forest will gradually take shape, like the fog that clears in the afternoon sun.

And one day, when you face a dilemma or a difficult emotion, one of those symbols will return. It won’t bring an answer, but it will bring a way to be with yourself. That will be the moment you will know: the forest has spoken.

It’s not a map to get there. It’s a map to keep walking.

Finally, I’d like to say that with this post, we kick off our 8th year of uninterrupted blog development. This brings the total to 197 posts published—many thanks to all the readers who participated and to the hikers from all over the world.

Loya Lopategui, Carlos, El Caminante y su Sombra: Mito de una Torre Nómada, EMULISA, México, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0FDX95MPB

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The future doesn’t wait for us: it’s already breathing among us.

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It manifests itself in screens, algorithmic decisions, coded emotions, and connections that mutate without our noticing. At every moment, we are stepping into a reality that is transforming. However, very few manage to narrate it.

I have just published the essay “Toxic Realism” (1), a narrative, philosophical, and anticipatory manifesto that proposes a new way of looking at the present: not from literary escapism or conservative nostalgia, but from a poetic, ethical, and technological consciousness. It is a call to all those who still wish to understand, write, and live in the time that is theirs.

Toxic Realism views Walking as the backbone of thought and experience:

This approach is not born from theory, but from the body that walks.

In this essay, walking is the radical symbol of lucid thinking. It is not just moving: it is resisting speed, breaking programming, touching the earth, and smelling the present. In an age saturated with hyperconnection, simulation, and emotional automation, walking becomes the most revelatory act: reclaiming space, time, and embodied thought.

What is Toxic Realism?

It’s a way of narrating the immediate present and the immediate future without anesthesia, but without cynicism.

It’s a way of clearly seeing what is already happening—even if it doesn’t yet have a name:

• The digitalization of the soul.

• The entry of humanoids into the family.

• Artificial intelligence that prescribes emotions.

• Friendships and affections mediated by interfaces.

• Language that is distorted by the rhythm of algorithms.

It’s a literary style, but also an analytical tool.

It’s a tool for raising awareness for all those who sense that something is changing profoundly, but don’t yet know how to name it.

A Dialogue Between Literature, Technology, and Consciousness

Toxic Realism isn’t afraid of technology, but it isn’t fooled by its makeup.

It is a call to writers, programmers, designers, engineers, artists, and world travelers to lucidly narrate these transformations.

The essay concludes with an Appendix divided into two parts:

1. Literary Examples of Increasing Complexity (Simple, Medium, and Intricate):

Ideas for novels, short stories, chronicles, poems, and tales that emerge from this vision and allow writers to create works that interpret the mutation of the present.

2. Technological Examples, also in 3 stages:

Concrete projections of what we will experience in the coming years in fields such as affective robotics, intimate data architecture, the algorithmization of behavior, and new generative narrative platforms.

Both sections do not seek to provide answers, but rather to spark ideas, establish paths, and offer possible horizons from this realistic, sensitive, and critical perspective.

Why walk among digital ruins?

Because the ruins are already here:

Time has fragmented.

Language has been aestheticized and emptied.

Emotions have become products.

And consciousness is in danger if it doesn’t awaken.

To walk is to think.

To write is to notice.

To create is to resist.

This book is an invitation to establish works, perspectives, routes, and projects from the perspective of Toxic Realism.

It is a call not to look away. Because what we narrate today… is what will become reality tomorrow.

Or perhaps… it is already living among us.

Toxic Realism is the sensitizing and awareness-raising lever that can help us interpret the whirlwind of changes we have already experienced, but have yet to understand or name. And although in this essay we have developed its application to literature and digital architecture, the truth is that this approach opens up a myriad of possibilities: in art, education, politics, spirituality, and everyday life.

A new narrative, technological, and existential era has begun.

Welcome to it.

And in the midst of this new phase, walking must not be forgotten.

Walking is the founding act of this awareness. It is not an ancient gesture, but a contemporary exercise of presence, critique, and connection with the real world. In a time when everything seems to drive us toward speed, digital confinement, and automated thinking, walking reveals itself as an urgent tool for recovering the body, the environment, and meaning.

Walking every day, even if it’s just a few steps with full awareness, is reconnecting with what is essential. It is the most direct way to inhabit the present, to listen to the murmur of time, and to perceive what is changing around us.

Because, in the end, whoever walks, awakens.

And whoever awakens, can narrate.

And whoever narrates… can transform.

P.S. With this Post we are closing, uninterruptedly, the seventh year of the Blog.

(1) Loya Lopategui, Carlos, Toxic Realism, EMULISA, Mexico, 2025. Available on Amazon, Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0F63MPMGZ.

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Enzymes are molecules essential for life and play a crucial role in numerous biological processes. However, it is important to clarify some concepts to have a more precise vision.

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Enzymes: our tireless little workers

• What are enzymes? They are specialized proteins that act as biological catalysts, that is, they accelerate the chemical reactions that occur in our body without altering themselves.

• How are they produced? Enzymes are encoded by our genes and are synthesized inside cells.

• What are they for? Enzymes are involved in a wide variety of processes, from food digestion to energy production, growth and tissue repair.

Enzymes and youth

While it is true that enzymes are essential for maintaining a healthy and youthful body, they are not the “fountain of youth” in and of themselves. Good health depends on multiple factors, such as genetics, nutrition, exercise (daily walking) and general lifestyle. However, maintaining optimal enzyme activity contributes to healthy aging.

Colloquially, I would say that they are our perfect friends, since in almost all our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual activities we ask them to accompany us. And this is true, very true because there is no action, no matter how small, in which one of them does not appear in action.

Enzymes in our daily lives

It is correct to say that enzymes are present in almost all the activities of our body. For example:

• Digestion: They break down food into nutrients that our body can absorb.

• Respiration: They facilitate the obtaining of energy from oxygen.

• Reproduction: They participate in cell division and the formation of new tissues.

• Nervous system: They are involved in the transmission of nervous impulses.

The most important enzymes and their functions

The list of enzymes is very extensive. Below I present some of the most important ones:

1. Amylase: Breaks down starch.

2. Lipase: Breaks down fats.

3. Protease: Breaks down proteins.

4. Lactase: Breaks down lactose (milk sugar).

5. ATP synthase: Produces ATP, the cell’s energy molecule.

6. DNA polymerase: Replicates DNA.

7. RNA polymerase: Transcribes DNA into RNA.

8. Catalase: Breaks down hydrogen peroxide.

9. Superoxide dismutase: Neutralizes free radicals.

10. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase: Participates in the production of NADPH, an essential cofactor for many biochemical reactions.

11. Acetylcholinesterase: Degrades acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.

12. Pyruvate dehydrogenase: Converts pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, a key molecule in energy metabolism.

13. Cytochrome oxidase: Participates in the electron transport chain.

14. Urease: Breaks down urea.

15. Trypsin: A protease found in the pancreas.

16. Chymotrypsin: Another pancreatic protease.

17. Pepsin: A protease found in the stomach.

18. Lactate dehydrogenase: Converts pyruvate to lactate.

19. Glycogen phosphorylase: Breaks down glycogen.

20. Glucose-6-phosphatase: Releases glucose from glucose-6-phosphate.

Walking and enzymes: a beneficial relationship

The relationship between walking and enzymes is complex and multifactorial. On the one hand, physical exercise stimulates the production of certain enzymes, such as those involved in energy production and muscle repair. On the other hand, good enzymatic activity facilitates the use of nutrients obtained through diet and improves physical performance.

Can walking be bad for enzymes?

In general, moderate exercise is beneficial for health and should not have negative effects on enzyme activity. However, excessive or poorly planned exercise can cause oxidative stress and cellular damage, which could negatively affect some enzymes.

Recommendation: Walking/Enzymes

To make the most of the benefits of walking and maintain good enzymatic activity, it is recommended to do the following:

• Walk regularly: Walk at least 30 minutes a day, at a moderate pace.

• Combine exercise with a balanced diet: Eat a variety of foods rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which are essential for enzyme production.

• Listen to your body: If you feel pain or discomfort, reduce the intensity or duration of the walk.

• Consult a professional: If you have any questions or medical conditions, consult your doctor or a personal trainer.

Enzymes are molecules essential for life and play a crucial role in numerous biological processes. Physical exercise, such as walking, helps maintain good enzyme activity and improves our overall health. However, it is important to remember that healthy living is the result of multiple factors, and enzymes are just one piece of the puzzle.

Let’s continue to accompany ourselves with our friends, enzymes, by going for a walk every day.

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A connection between movement, energy, and consciousness

Walking is not just about moving the body. It is also about mobilizing energies. Human beings don’t just move on the earth; when we walk, we activate a complex system of internal vibrations, emotions, thoughts, and energy flows. Among these systems, the Chakras (Chacras) stand out: subtle energy centers distributed throughout the body, which play an essential role in our physical, mental and spiritual balance.

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We’ve already linked this system to WALK-RWD in previous posts: LISTENING TO OUR BODY WHILE WALKING; THE SYMMETRY OF THE BODY, ITS BALANCE AND WALKING), but now let’s take a closer look at them.

What are chakras?

The word chakra comes from Sanskrit and means “wheel” or “disc.” It refers to energy centers that spin like whirlpools, distributing vital energy (prana) throughout the body. Although there are many minor chakras, traditionally seven major chakras are recognized, aligned from the base of the spine to the crown (center of the head).

Each of these is linked to specific areas of the body, physiological functions, emotions, colors, and sounds. When these centers are open and balanced, the flow of energy is harmonious. When one becomes blocked or out of balance, physical symptoms or emotional imbalances may appear.

Walking as an Energy Activation

Walking is one of the simplest and most profound forms of moving meditation. What many don’t know is that walking can become a powerful tool for activating, harmonizing, and connecting the chakras. Every step, every conscious breath, can resonate with these energy centers, mobilizing energy from the earth upward and from the mind to the body.

Below, we will present how the WALK-RWD system, and specifically walking, can influence each of the seven chakras:

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara) – Red

Location: Base of the spine

Related to: Safety, survival, connection to the earth

Walking barefoot (Post WALKING BAREFOOT. PART I. Types of soil; Future Post – WHY WALK BAREFOOT? PART II), feeling the weight of your body on your feet, and stepping firmly with each step activates this chakra. It is your first contact with reality and anchors you in the present.

2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana) – Orange

Location: Lower abdomen

Related to: Emotions, pleasure, creativity

The rhythmic movement of your pelvis while walking stimulates this chakra. Walking fluidly, without tension, allows you to release retained emotions and open the creative flow (Posts EMOTIONS AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM; THE POWER OF EMOTIONS; AUTOLIBERATION OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS THROUGH SELF-SUGGESTIBILITY; FIGHTING NEGATIVE EMOTIONS WITH THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM, SOLUTION TO PROCRASTINATION).

3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) – Yellow

Location: Upper abdomen

Related to: Willpower, personal power, self-esteem

A brisk and determined walk activates this center. Walking confidently, with an open chest and forward gaze, reinforces a sense of purpose and autonomy (Post THE SYSTEM IS MOTIVATIONAL BY ITSELF; Future Post SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM IN THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM).

4. Heart Chakra (Anahata) – Green

Location: Center of the chest

Related to: Love, compassion, connection

Calm and serene walking, accompanied by deep breathing, allows this chakra to expand. Walking in nature or with a loved one enhances its vibration (Post ENJOYING OUR PERCUSIVE-BODY-RHYTHM MUSICAL WALK; RHYTHM, COMPASS AND CADENCE IN OUR WALK).

5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha) – Color: Blue

Location: Throat

Related to: Communication, expression, authenticity

Walking in silence to listen to the sounds of your surroundings or practicing positive affirmations while walking can open this center. It is the connection between thought and word (Posts WALKING AND READING ALOUD; WALKING AND SPEAKING ALOUD: A THEORY FOR MENTAL REBALANCING; Future Post WALKING WHILE READING POETRY ALOUD).

6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna) – Indigo

Location: Center of the forehead

Related to: Intuition, inner vision, wisdom

Walking in a contemplative state, without judgment, carefully observing the environment, activates this chakra. It is the gateway to deep perception and symbolic understanding (Future Posts WALKING, INTUITION, AND IMAGINATION; INTUITION EXERCISES, TAKING A WALKING).

7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) – Violet or white color

Location: Top of the head

Related to: Spiritual connection, expanded consciousness

A meditative or silent walk can harmonize this chakra. It can also be activated by walking at dawn or dusk, when the skies invite transcendence (Posts HARMONY OF BODY WITH MIND; ADDITIONAL BENEFITS IN CONDITIONING BODY AND MIND; Future Post WALKING: A MOTOR OF THE SOUL AND SPIRIT; MINDFULNESS AND WALKING, A PERFECT SYNERGY, PART 1 OF 3).

Walking as Balance and Total Alignment

Walking consciously can become a holistic energetic practice. It harmonizes not only the physical body, but also the mind and spirit. The chakras are not activated separately; when walking, the entire body vibrates, and that vibration travels through the entire energetic axis.

Walking in harmony with our chakras is, in essence, walking in balance with ourselves and with the universe.

“Each step can be a silent prayer, an invocation of balance, an invisible dance of the energetic centers that dwell within us.”

There is a direct connection between the chakras and the lower extremities and feet, that is, with walking. Let’s see how this physical-soul-energetic relationship works:

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara) and the Feet: Direct Connection

The root chakra, located at the base of the spine, is closely related to grounding, security, stability, and basic needs. Although it is not located in the feet, its energy is projected downwards, through the legs and reaches the soles of the feet (Posts WALKING WITH THE TREES; EMPIRICISM OR THINKING WITH OUR FEET).

Physically, the feet:

• Are the base of the body and our point of contact with the ground.

• Are involved in postural balance and perception of the environment (through nerve endings).

• Activate the proprioceptive system (body awareness).

Mentally and energetically, the feet:

• Function as symbolic “roots” that anchor us to the present and reality.

• When we walk, we generate rhythmic stimulation that can help balance the root chakra.

• Are used in many walking meditation practices and grounding techniques, where walking barefoot absorbs energy from the earth and releases emotional tension.

2. Minor Chakras in the Feet

In addition to the seven main chakras, various traditions (such as Hindu, Tibetan, and Chinese) recognize minor chakras on the soles of the feet, known as “foot chakras” or “grounding points.” These chakras:

• Are located in the center of the sole of the foot, in the arch.

• Are centers of entry and exit of Earth energy (prana or chi).

• Allow us to discharge negative or dense energies and absorb renewing energies.

These minor chakras are essential in energy healing techniques, such as reiki, tai chi, qigong, and certain forms of yoga.

For this reason, we have recommended walking barefoot (Post WALKING BAREFOOT. PART I. Soil Types; Future Post WHY WALK BAREFOOT? PART II).

3. Mental and Emotional Relationship: Feet as a Symbol of Progress and Blockages

In bodily and symbolic psychology, the feet also represent:

• The personal path (where you’re going).

• The will to move forward or, in cases of blockages, the fear of taking important steps (Post # 186-509 – THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM AND PHOBIAS).

• Disorders or tensions in the feet can sometimes reflect existential insecurities, anxiety, or a lack of direction (Future Posts WALKING AND THE MEANING OF LIVING WITHOUT FEAR; THE FEAR OF LONELINESS AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM; THE FEAR OF FREEDOM AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM).

The feet have a clear and functional relationship with the chakras, especially with the root chakra and the minor chakras that connect directly to the energy of the earth. Walking consciously and barefoot, practicing coordinated breathing while walking, or simply feeling the contact of your feet with the ground are real ways to activate and harmonize this energetic system from both the physical and mental levels.

WALKING FROM THE FEET: ROOTS OF THE CHAKRAS AND BODY CARE

When we walk, we not only mobilize our physical body, we also deeply activate our energetic roots. The feet, in this sense, fulfill an essential function: they are the point of contact between the human body and the Earth. From an energetic perspective, the feet channel the vibration of the root chakra (Muladhara), allowing us to connect with stability, inner balance, and existential security (Posts ENJOYING OUR PERCUSIVE MUSICAL WALK – BODY – RHYTHM; RHYTHM, COMPASS AND CADENCE IN OUR WALK).

In ancient traditions, as already mentioned, minor chakras are recognized on the sole of each foot, which act as energy portals. These points absorb and release subtle energy, facilitating emotional cleansing and grounding. Therefore, walking consciously (Post MINDFULNESS AND WALKING, A PERFECT SYNERGY PART 1 OF 3), especially barefoot on earth, sand or grass, strengthens this deep connection between body, mind and vital energy (Posts WALKING BAREFOOT. PART I; Future Post WHY WALK BAREFOOT? PART II).

Just as we take care of our thoughts and emotions, we must also take care of our bodies, and especially our feet, which carry our history and guide us toward our destiny. Some simple recommendations:

• Walk daily, even if only for a few minutes, paying attention to your step, your breathing and your surroundings.

• Massage your feet with natural oils (lavender, mint or eucalyptus) to release accumulated tension.

• Exercise them consciously, stretching your toes, rolling your ankles and strengthening the soles of your feet.

• Walk barefoot whenever possible, as a way to reestablish the natural connection with the earth and recharge your energy.

Our feet are not just functional limbs: they are sensors, roots and transmitters. Learning to listen to them opens a direct channel to our own inner harmony.

EPILOGUE

Walking is not just about moving;

it is about aligning the body with energy,

it is about honoring the feet that support us,

and awakening, step by step,

the consciousness that dwells in each chakra.

Walking is praying with the body,

it is remembering that we are alive,

and that every footprint we leave on Earth

is also a footprint on the soul.

Let’s start walking, becoming aware of our 7 chakras, and see where they lead us.

Traducido al Español