For months, I remember strolling around Manhattan and going through three experiences at the same time. One of my soul, one of my mind and one of my body.

My soul was in awe of all the culture around me, I felt like I was exploding from inside with inspiration, I felt extasis realizing that this wonderous place was my home now, a place where I belong.

A place where a lot of the people around me shared my same creative essence.

My heart was absolutely encouraged, grasping the possibilities around me.

At the same time, there were times when my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. So many, in total chaos. I couldn’t start a thought when another one had started.

It was busy and loud and overwhelming, I was in angst. What did this mean? Am I loosing my mind?

One of those thoughts was the realization of how uncomfortable I was walking. At every step I would try to adjust my toes and my feet. I wasn’t sure if I should step with the heel first or with my whole sole at the same time. It’s funny now, when I think about it!

This is supposedly the simplest thing in theory and in the practical, walking! but I had not practice it for long enough stretches, so I was suddenly a beginner.

In fact, I remember from my time living in Mexico City, in Polanco; the best neighborhood of Mexico, comparable with some of the best neighborhoods across the world, beautiful! Green, walkable, filled with coffe shops, restaurants, boutiques, conversations, great weather, galleries, museums. Wherever you’d walk towards, you would come across with several interstating things!

But still, I did not walk at all. Now I know how much I missed at that time. But I was just unfamiliar with that culture, of exploring, walking, going around town.

My then fiancé used to say: hey let’s go for a walk, and my response was: what!? A walk? Why are gonna walk? That’s exactly why people invented cars.

I felt so smart at the time! Expressing a compelling case against using our energy and legs to walk. In fact I felt like it was such an idiotic idea.

Of course I was a fool. I had not travel, I had not payed attention to other lifestyles around the globe not even on the tv, which was my favorite sport, by the way. I was very serious at it, I practiced it as much a possible very day. Very disciplined.

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So there I was, in Manhattan, not knowing how to walk. Not knowing how to make myself physically comfortable to walk.

What should I do with my arms and hands? I would wonder.

How much should they move up and down? And what about my posture? I wanted to look classy! I would try to imitate being straight, and looked rather silly lifting up my shoulders towards my ears, pushing my bum out and swinging my hips.

The most mindful walking I had practiced before that moment was going from my table to the bathroom of the restaurant I was, and I was nailing that. I never imagined it would requiere a much more advanced skill set to sustain that walking further distances.

So, exploring the city was different. I was not wearing hills, my feet were on their natural position, who would have imagine that was possible!?

The longer distances was another game changer, not just physically but mentally; I was walking long enough for my mind to catch up and obsess with how uncomfortable my body was. All unaligned and weak. Great! Another distraction.

By the time I would get into an ok walking position, my mind was already wondering around and I had forgotten to maintain my posture.

I imagine, this was only part of what was going through my mind, I’m telling you, my mind was a tornado of on going, never ending, but never fully unfolding thoughts.

Another thing that was against me, is that the way my mind was used to frame my thoughts was in a judgmental manner. Filled with perfectionism and sneaky conceit.

At all times, judging myself for not even knowing how to walk properly.

A year passed, I took all the opportunities God sent me to restore my person in these and more areas.

From ballet classes, to regularly go explore by myself, overcoming the fear of taking the NYC train and becoming a regular, a lot of reading, a lot of meditation, a lot of prayer, a lot of goodness.

I’m still very impressed that within a year my experience was absolutely different.

I could walk with good posture, I was strong to hold my body throughout, and my mind’s dialogue was one of healing.

There are so many things oppressing the essence of the human.

Oh boy, do I know about that. There can be the most seemingly small and innocent things, but in reality, they are growing roots of filthy oppression.

Within two months of moving to Manhattan, there I was, miraculously starting ballet classes. Something I had never even imagined I’d do.

But it was my God’s love and providence, I know that for sure because of the way that idea came to me.

More on that later!