Dear Wisdom:

I am glad you think walking is good for my cold. I did walk today and most of the days I’ve been sick, but half as much distance per day.

About balance, I am not clear about what kind of balance you mean. If you mean being calm, outside of meditation, then I would say Mindfulness is Living Meditation, where whatever you do, you focus on what you are doing. If you are washing dishes, you listen to the sounds the dishes make, the water running, you feel the soap on your hands, the feel of the dishes, the warmth of the water on your hands, etc. When you walk, you focus on the feel of your foot on the ground, left, right, the sounds walking make. Ongoing, you pay attention to the sights around you, the look, the sound, the smell, the taste (if you eat/ drink), the feel/ touch.

And then there is calming music and hot baths and …walking, aerobic exercise, yoga stretches !- anything to take down the elevator from your head (thinking, thinking…) to your body (stretches is an excellent way, you feel/ focus on a stretch), and otherwise. Got to get out of the thinking mode- that is for sure.

Did I answer the balance part?

anita