Calm before the storm.

There haven’t been many opportunities to get out walking this week so I grab at this morning.

In the 1980s, Edouard Stiegler, a French researcher working in Afghanistan, was amazed at the vast distances the nomads would cover on foot, up to 60 km a day for days on end.  He found that the nomads practised a walking technique that synchronised their breathing to their steps.

On his return to France, he set out to emulate them and wrote a book, ‘Régénération par la marche Afghane’ based on the Afghans’ rhythmic breathing methods whilst walking. Relaxing the body and mind and supposedly maximising their oxygen usage. He proposed methods to achieve this equilibrium whilst walking on a daily basis, had a cult following and published another instruction book ‘Marche, respirer, vivre’

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marche_afghane

My 52 Ways to Walk book devotes a chapter to his methods, so this morning I am Walking like a Nomad. The basic principle is to take three steps whilst breathing in three times, hold your breath on the next step and then take three steps whilst breathing out three times and hold you breath. I wait until I’m on a quiet lane before I start to practise it. Breathing in whilst walking the first three steps  and breathing out for the next three steps feels good, I soon find a steady rhythm but I have difficulty with holding my breath for the intervening steps. I settle for the 3 – 3 rhythm and after awhile it becomes surprisingly automatic. Apparently one can alter the rhythm for ascending of fast walking, I’ll  leave that to another day. It will be interesting to use this technique on some longer treks, but not 60km.

My walk this morning incorporates familiar lanes to the west of the village, no Mile Lane this time. I’m so lucky to be able to be in the countryside so readily from home.

I’m back before it rains and Storm Austen and then Boelo will arrive. I’m suitably calm from my Afghan nomad walking.