Trekking along Nature

It is terrifying but a profound reality. There are exceptions but an affirmative preponderance of people has been observed to take part in this unfortunate and ghastly activity. That’s right, it’s called ‘Sedentary Lifestyle’. Now I’m quite sure, some of you might be thinking, indeed this is a preposterously absurd statement. How does sitting and working in relaxed conditions ever prove to be ghastly?! In fact, the majority of those who are part of that kind of lifestyle seem to enjoy it a lot. The supreme looking executive attire with a suave sense of command, sitting in a blissful air-conditioned room seated on a staggeringly comfortable swivelling chair quite similar to the throne of the modern world, working tirelessly for hours on desktop computers to make sure that the respective companies those folks work in, are always ending up with flying colours. Now I freely admit that yes, working with diligence certainly allows a person to embark the arena of success. But then if we overlook the work for a second and focus on the conditions in which a person thrives while working, unfortunately the results of a sedentary lifestyle are horrifying.

Pondering upon this, let's take a gigantic step back in time when mankind finally bid adieu to the ape civilization and finally stood upon its two feet with the onset of the Stone Age. The world was a starkly different reality. It was just miles and miles of true mother nature. And mind you, mother nature in itself is extremely dexterous. Humankind due to this, was forced to thrive in physically demanding conditions. When it came to jobs, the word sedentary sounded like its from alien origin. Simply didn’t exist! Humans ended up doing jobs such as farming, building shelters, hunting and most of all, surviving. None of those jobs required the presence of an air-conditioned room with a swivelling chair and a computer.

As we evolved, the mental attributes that we humans were endowed with enabled us to craft the most breath-taking marvels that provided a foundational structure to the modern world. The Industrial age gave birth to machines and manufactured products which then demanded a market for distribution. That marked the emergence of the most prevalent tertiary sector which then commenced the plethora of jobs that involved a multitude of companies. But in the most clandestine way possible, the concept of “Sedentary lifestyle” managed to creep into our demeanour in hindsight and we never even alluded to it.

Stepping into some logical facts, the analysis of our body structure reveals that our body was never designed to be in a sitting posture for long times. We were made to stand and be proactive. The chair has been an invention that has changed our concept of working position and at the same time, made us oblivious of the potential calamity that brews within our muscles when we end up sitting for long hours. The constriction of our calf muscles plummets the ease of blood flow to the legs which can jeopardize the entirety of our bodily equilibrium. I know it sounds cataclysmic, but it’s a true fact. Heart problems and obesity related issues also arise because of it.

I read a reassuring quote somewhere,

“The universe is so well-balanced that the mere fact of the existence of a problem hints at the existence of its solution.”

Such a silver lining does exist at the borders of this dark cloud. The solution lies in our roots itself. We humans should take a break from the profound and obsessive pieces of technology, may it be phones or may it be computers or whatnot, and turn our heads towards being at one with mother nature. There is an assortment of methods through which this can be done. But I’m particularly fond of trekking. Before I elaborate more, here’s presenting a short story that I came across recently which is quite explanatory of this fact.

There was once an eminent king who helmed the throne of a magnificent kingdom. It was surrounded by lush green forests and mountains which were embellished with the presence of a diverse congregation of wildlife. In the centre of the forest lay the powerful kingdom of the king with the most outstanding castles and palaces where the king resided. He had three sons whom he adored. The eldest son was pretty much the laziest human being one could have imagined. He would while away his time feasting on food and laying idle in his gold studded couch. But because he was the eldest, he would receive the lion’s share of all of his father’s possessions. Second, came the middle son. Not as lazy as his elder brother, but he was extremely egoistic. Never walked on his own. He always demanded a horse or a ship to travel. Finally, came the youngest son. Unlike his brothers, he was extremely down to earth and a nature lover. He would spend the maximum part of his time exploring the wonders of nature whilst trekking along the forests and mountains. He was ridiculed for his habits and tagged as a wanderer by his brothers. But he gave them a deaf ear and kept spending time trekking along

 As time passed, the king grew old and decided to hold a contest for electing an heir for his kingdom. The three sons were summoned and the king narrated the task of the contest. ‘As a king, it is very easy to dictate and command power. But it is very difficult to respect and admire the anything that is beautiful in our surroundings. So, whoever of you can find me the most beautiful thing in the forest of our kingdom will be my heir. You may use any mode of transport you prefer.’ The eldest son immediately ordered his servants to bring his golden chariot with the most magnificent group of horses and set off. The middle son opted to ride his horse and so with a group of servants, set off. When the youngest son emerged, he opted to go on foot instead. At the end of the day, all three of them returned to the palace. To the king’s amazement, his first two sons had nothing with them!

The eldest had reached the forest but because of his laziness, he ended up dozing off at that very place. The middle one, due to his inflated ego, never got off his horse to walk. The youngest on the other hand had spent his entire day trekking in the wilderness of the jungle. His exploration had caused him to come across the most charming water lily in a small pond which he had found. And so that’s what he brought along with him. Lo and behold, he became the rightful heir.

Such is the miraculous ability of trekking. Not only does it enhance one’s physical fitness and allows the muscles to ease out, but it also awakens one’s inner explorer. The most famous biologists and researchers did not make groundbreaking natural discoveries by sitting in a room with a computer. They simply went on seamless treks in the most fascinating locations which allowed them to be at one with nature and achieve the sight of such wonders. Going on long treks also teaches some invaluable lessons.

When I myself had gone for a trek at a mountainous hill station, I realized that the comfort provided by city life is simply an ostentatious blanket to the reality. Sedentary comfort in actuality makes one weaker and that’s why my experience hadn’t been a flawless one. I literally had to tug and yank myself ahead on every step I took. It also taught me to not give up on any journey and to keep going nevertheless. Living on limited supply and walking in the most beautiful woods gave me the most enriching experience and also enabled me to observe and spot alluring forms of flora and fauna as well.

When I visited my native place for the very first time, it was a rather remote village which involved going through a long trek on the roads surrounded by fields. And because those areas were remote, the roads weren’t exactly smooth. Rather they were tracks littered with splintery looking stones. Being a person encompassed with the comforts of city life, I used to tread on those roads with shoes. But what flummoxed me that the elders would nonchalantly walk barefoot on the path whilst whistling along to the songs orchestrated by the birds sitting on the trees surrounding the path. When I tried to do so, it was the most dismal experience. I literally felt as if I was walking on a bed of thorns. My soles bled, and I was in an extremely agonizing situation. I initially felt that the elders possessed some form of superpowers. Later it dawned upon me. All they were simply doing was physically and mentally being at one with nature whilst trekking along. So, another terrific ability which trekking provides is the sense of being robust. Something which is shattered by a sedentary lifestyle.

As a closure, I would stay that it might be important to stay focused on the demanding computer jobs and keep at them. At the same time, those jobs hold neither importance nor significance against the physical well-being of a person. Instead of sitting for long hours, one must bask in the magnificence of mother nature with treks or any other mode that enables being at one with nature.

That will certainly be the beginning of a reinvigorated civilization and the end of all kinds of trauma which sedentary lifestyle tends to harvest.

That’s all for this. Hope it was enjoyable

Signing off!