How are things going? How are things?

When we walk, we walk well.

Walking, wondering and turning. All three words have the same roots. Whoever wanders, wonders and turns. When you walk, things can turn out well. And you wonder when your thoughts become clear again while hiking. Especially when hiking in witches’ water.

It is said that just 15 minutes of walking a day can extend your life by around three years. Walking calms you down, reduces stress and alleviates depression. Walking can also improve our thinking. For example, we are more likely to have creative ideas while walking. ‘As soon as my legs move, my thoughts begin to flow.’ Said Henry David Thoreau back in the 19th century. It works best barefoot. The feet find their natural position again, all muscles are moved evenly, the longitudinal and transverse arches gain strength and support and this has a relaxing effect on the whole body. Walking barefoot makes a decisive contribution to the health and freedom from pain of the back and intervertebral discs.

A HeXperiment:

Lifting, carrying and standing. In this three-step process, we take a step, a step forward, a step backwards or a step to the side. This is what witch water is all about. WHAT IS IT ABOUT? How many times a day do we ask this question of another person? In its simplicity, the question has the wonderful quality that it answers itself and that no one else can answer it, only you. Try it. Stand in a simple posture with your legs closed and try to take a step forwards; not with a swing as usual, but millimetre by millimetre in slow motion. Lift, carry, stand.

We carefully observe what happens to us when we take one step in front of the other. How we lose our secure footing for a moment and our centre of gravity falls forwards. Walking is a perpetual falling and catching; a rhythmic falling once to the right, once to the left. Or to put it another way: walking is only possible by alternating between securing and releasing, activity and passivity, exertion of will and letting go of will. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL BAREFOOT THINKING.

Traffic noise and sensory overload are part of everyday life for city dwellers and have an effect on the psyche, often without us realising it. We need to find a balance in nature. If you can’t get to the Hexenwasser, a walk through the city or the park is better than nothing. Or simply go barefoot at home for a day.

You can find more information about the barefoot path here: Barefoot path