A walk does wonders to the spirit. To feel free and relaxed, supple and less lazy one should go for a walk. It is the morning walk that is more exhilarating as we can look at the birds, listen to their sharp calls , see the leaves in a mood of stillness or playfulness depending upon the breeze or await the turn of the wheel when all Nature is about to awaken. The Sun is not yet out and that minute of an interval between night and day, crowns a feeling of mystery.
It is the elation that accompanies a walk which buoys up the day ahead. A walk through the woods would be even more fantastic. One should be able to stop here and there to look at the trees or the birds, have a seat to sit on: a wooden bench or a dead branch. There one should be able to sit and draw in the morning air, taking in the sweet smell of the earth or the fragrance of the flower buds. One should be able to let the eyes feast on the scenery, the green landscape, the flowering shoots or the soft grass sprouting from a tender bed. Then the calm would pervade the mind, which will certainly soothe the strained nerves of a modern existence. Morning is not the time for brooding or rumination. Morning in the presence of Nature is the rejuvenation of the spirit; a time when you could relive your childhood, when the entire world was a corner street where you played in joyful abandon, under the shade of the almond tree. When I want to recapitulate about the day which has been, the first thing that I would want to recollect is the soft breeze or the mild dew that welcomed me when I set out for my morning walk. Human beings were not meant to sit and work for a long time and stay sedentary. As the footsteps start gathering speed, the physiological engine starts to move with the spirit of the day. The morning walker should not let the dead weight of yesterday or the deadlines of the day ahead bother their focus during the walk. Nature does conspire to facilitate this process, if we move out of the city jungle and find some verdant green. I remember my walks in the massive red-sandal park of one lakh trees in the town of Chittor. This beautifully cultivated park takes nearly 60 minutes for a brisk walker to be covered from end to end. Although I have not been to many hill stations, my visit to the Horsley Hills station near Madanapalli of Chittor district one rainy morning offered me glimpses of the ancience surrounding the gargantuan eucalyptus trees.
Consider that all the travelers of the world stepped out to visit the mighty mountains, valleys and deserts , walking with courage, grace and dignity. A walk needs no passports or permits. So slow down and start walking.