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!
Perfectly elaborated!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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