Afghan Walk : the vital movement

The Afghan walk is a method that synchronises breathing and movement. In other words, it directs attention to the rhythm of the breath and the steps to increase the vitality and the endurance.

In this post we will talk about the context of walking and breathing, the origin of the afghan walk and how to practice it!

A mindful practice

Walking is familiar to everyone. From the first day we set foot on the ground in balance, a great adventure begins, that of moving in harmony with the gravity. It will take a few years before we start to adapt to it and go faster, to run. Sometimes you will feel out of breath, your fatigue will increase and your muscles will be sore. Listen carefully, 'cause here is the point of overcoming a crucial step, focus on the breath. Bringing your awareness to the breath, the breath gets stabilize.

Through conscious breathing we can send more oxygen to the muscles, tendons, ligaments and in short, to every cell. At the same time, we improve the cleansing process of toxins stored in the body and accelerate the regeneration process.

The result: we feel less tired and more vigorate.

History of the Afghan Walk

In the early 1980s, Edouard Stiegler, a Frenchman with a passion for walking, while on a United Nations mission in Afghanistan, noticed that the nomads, known for their exceptional physical endurance, breathed only through their noses. He began to imitate them and eventually gave his name to the technique now known as the Afghan walk.

Methodology of the Afghan Walk

The Afghan walker coordinates his breathing and steps in this way. On the plain, the basic rhythm is 3-1, but there are also longer rhythms such as 5-0-7-0 (5 inhalation and 7 exhalation steps). On hilly terrain, shorter rhythms such as 2-2 (2 inhalation and 2 exhalation steps) can be used.

It therefore takes us in the same direction as yoga in terms of breathing: improving awareness of the breath and the body in order to vitalise it.

Practising Afghan Walk in the mountains

If this article has inspired you to experience it, contact me to do so yourself!

Hikes of Forest bathing and Afghan Walk in the valley of Tarentaise
During winter in the snow kingdom, with snowshoes. In summer in the flowery meadows, with shoes or barefoot.