There are three types of exercises: harmonious exercise, physically or emotionally-oriented exercise and spiritually/mentally or energetically-oriented exercise.

Harmonious exercise means everyone can do it and everyone benefits. This is universal exercise and should be the basis of all exercise programs. Examples of harmonious exercise are walking, laughing, body rub, reading, making love, breathing, cleaning, chewing, gardening, swimming, dancing and hobbies.

Today I will consider walking. Walking is the universal exercise. When I say “part of life,” I don’t mean power walking, which is an unnatural stride. Walking in the past was how you got from one place to another. That was part of life. And our idea of walking, what a short walk is, has changed very much. When you walk naturally, your arms swing like a pendulum and your legs do the same. This is setting a rhythm that helps to regulate all of our bodies’ natural rhythms, including the balance of the branches of our automatic nervous system, our heart beat, our digestive system. Plus, walking helps every condition. It makes you more flexible, and if you are tired, it gives you energy. If you are full, your digestion improves. If you are down, it picks you up. Whatever your state is, you benefit, you return to balance from walking, if it is a natural walk, especially outside. This is so-called harmonious or universal exercise. Everyone should do it and everyone benefits from it. Now of course, if you have certain injuries where this can’t be done, don’t try to do it. But under normal circumstances, everyone benefits from walking. It should be done at a natural stride, at a brisk pace. As if you have somewhere to go and you want to get there.