In this practice we'll be doing a walking meditation.
So begin by finding a space where you won't be disturbed,
Choosing a walking path about 10 to 30 paces,
Either indoors or outdoors.
If you like,
Perhaps taking your shoes and socks off so that you can feel the floor underneath you.
And start by standing still and really sensing the weight of your body at your feet and feeling your muscles supporting and stabilising you.
And then slowly taking your first step,
Allowing the body to shift its weight from right to left and slowly lifting your right foot,
Noticing the sensations of this lift and then stepping forward,
Striking the floor with the heel.
Noticing the shift of body weight as you move onto the flat of your foot,
The pressure of the floor underneath you.
As this happens,
Noticing the left foot peeling up off the floor and then moving forward to take its step,
Noticing again the lift,
The landing and the weight shift of this step.
Continuing to walk slowly in this way from one end of your path to the other.
Sense each step fully as you walk in a relaxed way to the end of your chosen path.
When you arrive,
Stop and pause for a moment.
Feel your whole body standing,
Allowing all your senses to be awake.
Then slowly and mindfully,
With intention,
Turn to face the other direction.
Before you begin walking,
Perhaps pause again to collect and centre yourself.
If it helps,
You can even close your eyes during these standing pauses.
And then when you're ready,
Beginning to walk again,
Tuning in to the lifting,
Moving,
Landing of each step.
Perhaps following your breath with each step.
On the in-breath,
Lifting and moving.
And on the out-breath,
Placing and landing.
Experimenting with this if you choose.
As you're walking,
It's quite natural for your mind to wander.
Whenever it does,
You might mentally pause,
Perhaps noting inwardly the fact of thinking or planning or worrying or judging.
And then gently return your attention to the sensations of the next step.
No matter how long you've been lost in thought,
You can always arrive right here,
Bringing presence and care to the moment-to-moment sensations of walking.
During the walking period,
You might alter your pace,
Seeking a speed that allows you to be most mindful of your experience.
And in this way,
You'll move back and forth on your pathway,
Discovering that you're not really going anywhere,
But arriving again and again in this moment that is right here.
Feeling free to take some time to expand your awareness to around your body.
Feeling the air on your skin or your face.
Or perhaps tuning in to the sounds around you in this moment.
Remembering if your mind wanders,
You can always pause at any moment and come back to the soles of the feet and the ground underneath them.
And then narrowing your attention once more to the finer details of each step.
The floor underneath you,
The pressure,
The touch,
The body movement,
The muscle activity,
The weight shift.
And then as we come to the end of this practice,
Perhaps pausing wherever you are,
Just standing there,
Closing your eyes if that feels comfortable,
Really tuning into standing.
And so you can use the walking meditation to calm and collect yourself and to live more wakefully in your body.
Practice at home first,
And then you can extend your mindful walking in an informal way when you go shopping,
Whenever you walk down the street,
Or walk to and from your car.
You can learn to enjoy walking for its own sake,
Instead of the usual planning and thinking.
And in this simple way,
Begin to be truly present,
To bring your body,
Heart and mind together as you move through life.
