Hi,
This is Deniz and I will guide you through a walking meditation.
You can practice this in your bedroom,
Out,
On your garden,
On grass,
Wherever you feel safe.
Stand up tall and let your body find a natural comfortable position,
Preferably barefoot.
Shoes are still okay.
Pay attention to how your feet are feeling at the moment.
Feel their connection.
With the floor or the earth underneath you.
Shift your weight a little side to side.
Move a little front to back.
Simply playing with your own weight a little bit.
And seeing how your feet respond to that.
Let them adapt nicely.
To the earth.
Maybe wiggle your toes a little bit.
Feel different parts of your feet getting grounded.
See what kind of physical sensations you notice.
And after you shift your weight side to side and front to back,
Find your center between all those directions.
Start to distribute your weight equally on your legs down to your feet.
Your whole posture,
Pay attention to your hips,
To your spine,
Your shoulders,
And your head at the moment.
Simply check in with your breath.
And allow your breath to flow smoothly on its own rhythm.
And gently,
Very slowly take one step forward where you are.
Let the other foot follow and start to walk very gently.
You can walk to any direction where you are.
You can step backwards,
You can step sideways,
Diagonal.
It doesn't have to look like formal walking.
And it's not about a destination,
It's not about reaching somewhere.
It's all about stepping your feet on the ground consciously.
And start to pay attention to how that feels in your body,
Walking mindfully.
Keep going.
And as your feet move,
See how slow you can get in that movement.
Remind yourself there is nowhere else to be right now.
Notice which part of the foot touches the ground first as you step and which part follow that.
Feel that movement in your whole body and allow your feet to touch different surfaces,
Different materials around you.
Maybe a rug.
Concrete,
Marbles.
Soil,
Grass.
Pebbles,
The sand.
The rock,
Whatever kind of surface you are on.
Allow your feet to explore closely.
What kind of sensations do you notice?
Is it warm or cooler?
Does the surface underneath you softer,
Smoother or is it sharper?
Pay attention to all those feelings.
You might be doing this with your eyes closed if you feel safe.
If you need to.
Check with your surroundings.
You are welcome to keep your eyes open,
Maybe half open.
Keep walking at your own pace and maybe explore different kind of steps.
Try to walk on your heels for a bit.
See how that feels.
Try to walk on your toes.
Maybe one foot on the heel,
Other foot on the toes.
Make it fun,
Make it playful.
Tap into your inner kid there.
Maybe walk on the outer edges of your feet.
Maybe walk on the inner edges of your feet if your ankles allow you to do that.
Maybe one foot on the inner edge,
Other foot on the outer edge.
Give yourself permission to explore and see how it feels paying close attention to an everyday movement which is walking.
See how your breath responds to the movement.
Notice how your mind has been responding to the practice.
Does it feel familiar or unusual?
Is the mind starting to judge or analyze things?
Be aware of that.
Notice what kind of thoughts are surfacing.
Be an observer to anything that comes up and stay connected to your feet,
To the ground underneath.
The earth is there to support you no matter what happens in your head.
Tap into that.
Keep exploring the mindful walking for a little more at your own pace,
Maybe slower,
Smoother,
Nicer,
And more fluid in your body.
Let your body really settle into that state of flow and allow your arms to respond to that movement.
Maybe your spine is swaying side to side,
Allow your head to follow that naturally.
It really doesn't matter how it looks.
One of the most well-known Buddhist monks,
Thich Nhat Hanh,
Said that,
Walk on earth as if you're kissing it with your feet.
You might find that inspiring.
And let's slowly stop.
Take a moment to pause.
Let your feet find their natural stance again.
Stand tall.
Your body may be still swaying a little bit.
Allow that to happen.
Notice how your breath is at the moment.
If it's possible,
Close your eyes now.
Pay attention to all inner physical sensations.
See what your body has to tell you.
Notice what kind of feeling this practice have created in you.
Moving your body consciously,
Freely.
Can help release tension.
It can help.
Finding your ground again in the moments of overstimulation or distress.
And let's take three deep breaths together to finish the practice.
Deep breath in to your nose.
Out through your mouth.
Deep breath in.
Exhale out the mouth.
One more time,
Deepest breath in.
Exhale with a sigh.
Stay in this slow and gentle state.
Be an observer to any thought or emotion.
I would highly recommend journaling to process this practice.
Thank you for meditating with me.
Have an awesome day.
