Welcome.
You don't need anything special to begin this practice today.
Just yourself and a place to walk.
Could be outside in nature,
In a park,
On the sidewalk,
Or even just in the room around you.
Wherever you are,
It's a great place to start.
Begin by standing still for just one moment.
Feel your feet connected to the ground beneath you.
It's solid and connected.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Allow your shoulders to relax and your body to settle a little bit.
When you're ready,
Take your first step,
Noticing how your foot meets the ground,
The heel,
The toes.
Feel the gentle roll of your weight as you shift from one foot to the next.
Start walking at a natural pace.
No need to rush,
No need to slow down.
Just let your body move,
And move in a way that feels comfortable to you,
That feels natural,
Authentic.
And as you're walking,
Notice the world around you.
What do you see?
Colors,
Shapes,
Textures,
Buildings,
Trees.
Is there something that's catching your eye,
Catching your attention?
A particular building,
A particular sign,
The way the light hits the ground.
Let your eyes take the world in.
Then bring awareness to the sounds.
Listen for the layers of noise around you.
Maybe you hear birds,
Dogs,
Footsteps,
Traffic.
Let the sounds in,
And let them go.
Kind of like waves on the shore.
Hear the world around you.
Now feel the world around you.
Notice the air on your skin.
Is it warm,
Cool,
Somewhere in between?
What does it feel like to walk?
What does your body feel like in motion and movement?
Feel the world around you.
And if your mind starts to wander,
Gently guide it back to this moment.
You can use your footsteps here as an anchor,
With each step saying to yourself,
Here.
Right foot touches the ground,
Here.
Left foot touches the ground,
Now,
Here,
Now,
Here,
Now.
Letting the pattern of right foot,
Left foot,
Here,
Now,
Bring us back to the moment.
And take this time to be fully present.
No destination,
No goal.
Just this moment,
Step by step.
Even if you know where you're going,
Even if there is a destination.
We forget how long a present moment can feel.
It's like making an hour out of one minute.
Keep walking,
Keep feeling,
Keep hearing,
Keep seeing.
And notice that's all happening automatically.
You don't have to work too hard.
You just naturally take in the world around us.
You just forget to notice that.
We forget to slow down.
Bring yourself back to the movement,
Right foot,
Left foot,
Here,
Now.
Staying in the present moment.
And whenever you're ready to finish,
Pause for a moment,
Take a deep breath in,
And out.
And see if you can summon some gratitude for your body,
That it can move you,
That it can support you.
We can take our health and body for granted sometimes.
It's important to remember how much it does for us.
And as you return to your day,
Try to bring a little bit more of this awareness with you.
You can come back to this practice at any time.
