Mindful walking meditation.
We will engage in a meditation through mindful walking,
An active meditation bringing full bodied presence to the simple act of taking one step at a time.
Feel the truth and miracle of each footstep as you awaken to the sights,
Sounds,
And feel experiences of the present moment constantly unfolding around you.
If possible,
Find a space either indoors or outdoors where you can comfortably walk back and forth for about 10 to 15 steps before needing to turn around.
Begin by standing still with your feet hip width apart,
Distributing your weight evenly between both feet.
As you inhale,
Notice the feeling of the ground or floor beneath you,
Its textures,
Temperatures,
And solidity supporting you.
On your exhale,
Allow your body to relax more fully while maintaining an alert posture.
Gently scan over your body and consciously release any areas of unconscious gripping or tension,
Especially in the jaw,
Shoulders,
And belly.
When you feel ready,
Begin walking at an incredibly slow and intentional pace.
With each step,
Bring your full somatic awareness to the sensation of lifting and placing one foot in front of the other.
Notice the shifting of weight from the back foot,
The gradual transference to the front foot,
And the eventual commitment of your full weight into that next step.
Move with great presence and care.
With soft eyes gazing a few feet in front of you,
Really feel your feet making contact with the ground below.
Observe the changing patterns of pressure,
Texture,
And temperature through the soles.
Commit to being fully embodied and attuned to the physical experience.
If your mind begins to wander into thoughts,
Plans,
Or judgments,
Simply notice this with acceptance,
Then return your attention to the immediacy of walking by looking down at your feet or feeling your breath moving.
You may want to slow your pace even further at times to cultivate a sense of meditative tranquility amid the moving stillness.
With each step,
Feel yourself being fully arrived and present,
Not rushing to get anywhere but completely inhabiting this one sacred footstep.
Let's do this for 30 seconds.
Focus on each slow moving step and being fully arrived and present at each step.
As you continue walking meditation,
See if you can open your awareness to include not just the feet,
But the subtle movements reverberating up through your legs,
Core muscles,
And spine with each stride,
An indulating wave from the soles up.
Notice any sounds in your environment emerging and dissolving,
Possibly birds,
The wind,
Arms up and overhead with each inhalation,
And releasing them down with each exhalation while continuing to walk,
An embodied mudra of mind and body united.
Let's do this for 15 seconds by simply synchronizing your motions by reaching your arms up and overhead with each inhale and releasing them down with each exhale.
In these final minutes,
See if you can meet each step wholeheartedly as if it were your first and only footprint.
Be completely available to the sight,
Sounds,
Sensations,
And aliveness of this one sacred step.
Repeatedly do this for these last several steps,
Focusing on the sight,
Sound,
Sensation,
And aliveness of each single sacred step.
When you are ready to conclude,
You can transition to standing still or finding a seated position.
Take a couple grounding breaths following the air flowing freely in and out of your body,
Absorbing this anchored presence.
As you exit meditation,
Notice if you can carry this keen embodied awareness with you into the next moments and activities of your day,
An open hearted presence meeting reality directly as it continually unfolds.
Return to this walking meditation anytime you need to slow down,
Get unstuck from fixations,
And reconnect to the profound simplicity and grounding truth available in taking one full step,
One full breath at a time.
