“As you walk, cultivate a sense of ease. There’s no hurry to get anywhere, no destination to reach. You’re just walking. This is a good instruction: just walk. As you walk, as you let go of the desire to get somewhere, you begin to sense the joy in simply walking, in being in the present moment. You begin to comprehend the preciousness of each step. It’s an extraordinarily precious experience to walk on this earth.”

Peter Doobinin, from a Tricycle article, Step by Step

The quote above reminded me of a book I know I have, but couldn’t find (I nearly tore my bookshelves apart looking for it: I’m hoping it’s in a box in the storage room): the book is The Magic of Walking (by Aaron Sussman and Ruth Goode), which contains some excellent writings on walking by luminaries such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Vladimir Nabokov, Thomas Mann, Lin Yutang, and others.

As well as literate writings, the book delves into the psychology, science, and art of walking.

I believe the book is out of print, but if you ever see a copy I highly recommend giving it a try.