St Augustine is believed to have coined the phrase "Solvitur Ambulando" which means "it is solved by walking". (Other ancient writers also have this phrase attributed to them.) A more
idiomatic English translation might be “you’ll find the answer as you
go.”
Whichever is the correct source of the phrase it has been quoted by Dorothy L Sayers, Thoreau, and Bruce Chatwin in their works.
When
you feel stressed a walk is the best cure I know. Once you get outdoors
in the open air, ideally amongst wild nature, then with the wind blowing
around you and in your hair, your own concerns seen to shrink and get
into proportion. Your mind clears and you see much better probably because
of both the fresh air and the exercise.
We
have dogs. They love to walk. They have to go out every day rain
or snow, wind or storm. They make me walk them even when I don't feel
like it or would prefer to be huddled up beside the fire with a good
book.
Setting
out for a walk you can hold some question that is causing you concern
in your mind. Not worrying about it but holding it there gently in your
thoughts as you enjoy the physical aspects of taking a walk. Perhaps you
want to do the same with something that you are worrying about. It is
likely that when you return from the walk the stress will be reduced or
gone and you will see more clearly.
When
you walk in company you often chat about problems you are facing and
often come up
with solutions. Walking alone is essential for writers who
often find it is a time that develops plots and ideas for his books. A
walk can also be a cure for a writers block. If you are not blessed as
I am to live next to beautiful woods maybe when you walk you have to
cross major road
intersections. Instead instead of streams and distant mountain views you
walk past apartment blocks, shops and factories but you can still lose
yourself in the exercise. You are outside. You are taking in the
perspective of the wider world. It is the walking that brings healing
and up to a point it doesn't matter where you walk - though I know which
I would find preferable.
Solvitur Ambulando
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