Hello and welcome.
This meditation is an invitation to explore mindfulness while walking with your dog.
Many of us discover that walking with a dog is not always the easiest place to practice mindfulness.
There may be stopping,
Waiting and perhaps at times we feel a little impatient.
We have a desire to hurry our dog along.
Rather than seeing these ordinary moments as getting in the way of mindfulness,
Perhaps they can become part of the practice.
You may prefer to listen to this meditation before setting out and simply bring to mind some of these ideas as you walk,
Or you may choose to listen while you walk in whatever way feels safe and comfortable to you.
And so,
Let's begin.
Simply arriving.
Into this wall.
As you begin walking.
Perhaps noticing that you are here.
Stepping out.
With your dog beside you.
No need to begin in any special way.
Just arriving into this moment.
As you walk.
Bringing some gentle attention into the body.
Feeling the contact of the feet with the ground.
Step by step.
The shifting of weight.
The natural rhythm of walking.
There's no need to change your pace.
Just allowing awareness to accompany the moment.
And also noticing your dog.
Walking beside you or moving ahead.
Stopping,
Sniffing,
Exploring the world in their own way.
There's no need for the walk to be perfectly smooth or continuous.
Walking,
Pausing,
Moving again.
This too is part of the walk with your dog.
As you continue.
Allow awareness to widen a little.
Noticing the sounds around you.
A Habsburg song.
Or the wind.
Or people's voices.
Perhaps traffic.
In the air,
On the skin.
Noticing the light.
The space around you.
Letting all of this be included.
And when your dog stops and you stop too.
Just for a moment,
Perhaps noticing what is happening in your own mind.
Maybe there is a sense of ease.
Or perhaps there's an urge to keep moving.
Perhaps a little impatience.
The desire to hurry your dog along.
Whatever is here.
Simply noticing.
And while your dog explores the world in their own way,
Perhaps allowing yourself a moment to pause too.
Perhaps noticing what you might otherwise have hurried past.
A movement of leaves,
A tree or a shrub.
A weed finding its way through a crack in the pavement.
The changing sky.
The feeling of the air.
There is no need to search for anything special.
Simply allowing yourself to notice what is already here.
And perhaps allowing a little patience towards your dog.
And towards yourself.
There's no need to rush.
And when your dog is ready to move again,
Walking continues.
And as thoughts arise,
As they naturally will,
Perhaps simply noticing,
Thinking.
Without needing to follow the story.
And gently returning to the feeling of walking or to the simple presence of your dog.
If it helps,
You might slightly stay with the phrase.
Here,
Walking together.
Just as a soft support for attention.
Letting it come and go naturally.
Walking together.
And each time you notice the mind has drifted into planning,
Remembering,
Imagining,
Simply recognising,
Ah,
The mind wandered,
And gently beginning again.
No judgement.
Just returning.
See ya.
Walking together.
From time to time,
Allowing everything to be just as it is,
Walking,
Pausing,
Thinking.
Noticing the sounds around you.
Noticing the sights around you.
Your dog exploited the world.
And you taking time to explore the world with your dog.
And as the walk comes to an end,
Perhaps pausing for a moment.
Feeling the body.
The breath.
The contact with the ground.
And perhaps noticing your dog beside you.
Sharing this ordinary time together.
Perhaps recognising that these simple moments,
Walking,
Stopping,
Waiting,
Noticing the environment around you.
This can all be part of the practice.
And perhaps carrying something of this gentle awareness with you.
Into the rest of your day.
Thank you for your practice.
Enjoy your walks.
