Monk passes through Lexington in cross-country trek to San Francisco.
LEXINGTON — Late Wednesday morning, an orange-clad monk walked through Lexington on 13th Street as part of a cross country journey destined for San Francisco.
Bhaktimarga Swami, a Hare Krishna monk, is known as the walking monk.
Swami said his walk across the country started last summer on the East Coast, but was delayed in August. He recently picked up where the walk left off, at Seward, Neb.
So far, he has walked for five-and-a-half months. Swami said he hopes to reach his destination, San Francisco, in the middle of September. He will take another delay to drive children to an event due to a prior engagement, which will delay his arrival in California.
“I want to stay as close to the Lincoln Highway as I can. It’s America’s original highway,” he said.
The purpose of his walk across the United States is to promote walking and an active lifestyle with social interactions, Swami said.
“People are very bound to automobiles. We have become slaves to automobiles. Our bodies are made for walking. Your whole physical mental well-being can be enhanced by walking a stretch every day,” he said.
Swami is no stranger to cross country walks. He has previously walked across Canada four times, and walked across Ireland, Israel and other island countries. This is his first walk across the U.S.A., Swami said.
He lives in Toronto, Canada.
The vast diversity of land types makes walking across the United States a different and memorable experience, Swami said.
In Iowa, he said he did a lot of bike trail, while in Illinois he walked along a canal system through most of the state.
Compared to walking, where someone is connected to the environment and able to converse freely with others, riding in a car is an enclosed place where one is “in your own world,” Swami said.
“In a span of 24 hours, every human being is a social animal, we need interaction,” he said.
As he walks, Swami said he carries a long chain of 108 beads, known as a japa. As he touches the meditation beads he often recites a mantra, which is “really about expressing gratitude to the creator.”
Holding the japa is a way for someone to keep their mind peaceful, Swami said.
Common conditions many suffer from, such as depression and stress, could be alleviated by walking, which allows the walker time to exhale, process things and provide oxygen to the brain, Swami said.
Health conditions such as heart disease and sedentary lifestyles could also be combated by more physical movement, such as walking, he said.
“If everyone could just put in one hour of a brisk walk every day, they’ll be okay. It helps the heart accept the elements (nature) as they are,” Swami said.
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