To walk and be free

I'm sitting in my kitchen with the sun beating shafts of light through the window with shadows dancing on my table, and splatterings of light and shade jumping and jostling for my attention on the wall.  It's cold out there and Storm Doris is about to land on our shores, and today I'm awash by a sense of peace and contentment.
This is also the way I feel when I walk.
And I love to walk, and walk and walk.
It's as basic a need as breathing in and out.
It's a time to appreciate the natural movement of my body doing what it was made to do.
Arms and legs, hips and knees, feet, head, neck, shoulders, tendons, ligamaments, bones, joints, cartilage, synovial fluid and membranes working collaboratively without any friction  "protests" or "walk outs" by any member of the "team".  If one aspect really started to complain the knock on effect on the rest of my body would be extremely detrimental!
So as I walk step by step across the ground feeling the wind on my face it serves as a stark reminder that today I am free.
I am so grateful for this freedom.
On a long walk of fifteen to twenty miles my body aches ..the pain isn't debilitating, it has an exquisite quality to it as I rely and trust that my legs will carry me for the duration of the journey.
I trust that my body is able to support me on this quest.
I quietly talk to myself, whispering encouraging words.
I can't afford to doubt myself.
I can't afford to let my body hear the whsipering doubts in my head.
Every step.
Every yard.
Every mile..achieved by my legs striding forward.
Step by step.
Even though today the wind is blowing I'll be heading out to walk a mile or two, maybe more, who knows?
It doesn't matter.
What matters is that with freedom comes choice.

With love to my amazing 3 kids, and my loving, supportive husband Andrew xx

"Every path, every street in the world is your walking meditation path." - Thich Nhat Hanh