Lord Shiva is one of the Hindu Gods. He is the great Yogi, the great Teacher and the counselor of all the other Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Above all Lord Shiva is the Cosmic Dancer, the Lord of the Dance. In his ecstatic dancing he is creating the universe with one hand and destroying it with the other.

During my daily 4 mile walks, sometimes I chant to Lord Shiva. What would this Great Guru of all the peoples advise us now? During my walks it is time for solitude, contemplation, introspection and flashes of memories of those loved ones who are no more, and sometimes with teary eyes and above all, connecting with Mother Nature and her ever-changing beauty.

How I got started on this walking program is a long story. I wrote an article about it “Happy Walkings to All.” In Chart Notes, the monthly publication of the Marion Polk County Medical Society in January 2010.
I have been in Psychiatry since 1952 in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and mostly in Oregon. I have come to the conclusion that people of this country have to take responsibility for their own health maintenance, both physical and mental. This is Primary Prevention; however it is easier said than done.
Returning to walking: The following is from a company called Wellness in Washington State:

15 Benefits of Walking

1. Burns calories.
2. Accessible to everyone.
3. No special equipment required.
4. One of the easiest ways to bet active.
5. Reduces stress.
6. Low impact exercise.
7. Improves mood.
8. Helps maintain strong bones.
9. Tones muscles.
10. Builds aerobic mass.
11. Helps maintain lean muscle tissue.
12. Easy way to reduce risk of and aid maintenance of Diabetes.
13. Improves heart and cardiovascular health.
14. Less likely to lead to stress-related injuries.
15. It is free.

Another article I read is called “Walking is a great way to slow mental decline” by Marni Jameson of the Orlando Sentinel. This article quotes from Dr. Jay Van Gerpen, a neurologist of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. According to this story a daily 20-minute walk can cut the risk of dementia.

Finally, on dancing. One of the stars of Bollywood (Mumbai, India), Mithum Chakraborty writes “Every day is not the same in your life. Whenever I get distressed and sad I dance and, through dance, forget everything. If you are upset, dance it out. It gives a lot of positive vibes. There is no point in getting violent and beating up anybody. If you are angry, show your anger through dance. Dance is very close to my heart.”

The reader may ask me, “Do you dance?” Yes, I dance a few minutes every day, to the music of India. Many years back, at the age of 80, I used to attend Expressive Dance sessions guided by a wonderful dancer and teacher.

Also, because of a bit of insanity, I started going to weekly classes of Zumba dancing. After only three months I realized that this high intensity and fast dancing was for young people and not for an old guy. Also, one of my friends teased me that I was going to watch women dance. I was a bit defensive but managed to respond “Maybe a bit of that but mostly for fun.”

Finally, in a lighter note, I share with the readers my 2014 resolution.

Oh Lord Shiva, a new year has come.
My mind is half-gone,
All resolutions forgotten,
Let me dance away to a Bollywood tune,
You, the Lord of Dance, the Natarajan,
You, the Great Guru, do a duet with me under India’s sun.

Let us walk and dance starting today, and not wait until tomorrow, and do it daily. Take it from a self-styled old Guru and psychiatrist; if you start your day with Walking, Dancing, Meditation and Yoga, that is, with a combination of such, you are on the right path for health maintenance.