Welcome to this 15-minute walking meditation.
In this practice,
We'll be paying mindful attention to the sensations of movement,
Intentionally shifting our awareness from the mind into the body.
While the instructions will pertain to walking,
Feel free to adapt the practice to another movement if walking is not available to you,
Such as stretching arms or moving a wheelchair over surfaces.
Any movement that's accessible that you typically do without too much notice.
The goal here is to practice moving out of the thinking mind and into a direct physical experience of movement.
So choose a place for your practice where you can move freely without feeling self-conscious about being observed.
Beginning this practice by standing comfortably here with this body that God created.
The feet hip-width apart,
Weight evenly distributed,
Making sure that the knees are unlocked.
If it's comfortable for you,
The arms can hang naturally at your sides,
Or you might choose to clasp them lightly behind you or in front of you.
Becoming aware of your surroundings now.
Taking in any sights,
Sounds,
Smells,
Noticing any physical sensations,
Thoughts,
And feelings that are passing through your awareness in this moment.
And becoming aware that God is with you here,
That you stand on holy ground,
Allowing all of these things to be just as they are in this moment in God's presence.
And as you ground yourself here,
Receiving these words from Isaiah chapter 40.
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles.
They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk and not faint.
Noticing God's strengthening and renewing presence with you in this place.
So you're here in this body,
In this moment,
In this space,
All at once,
Grounded in the earth,
The top of your head reaching up toward the sky.
And you can move your attention now to settle on your feet.
The tops of your feet,
The soles,
Each toe.
Making a shift from thinking about your feet to feeling them directly.
Noticing whatever sensations are there to be observed,
If any.
Perhaps noticing sensations of contact,
Pressure,
Smoothness,
Roughness,
Softness,
Firmness,
Temperature.
There's no need to name sensations,
But do your best to feel whatever is there.
And beginning now to very slowly shift your weight onto your left foot.
And then moving back to center.
And slowly shifting your weight onto your right foot.
And then coming back to center once more.
And you can continue this slow shifting from side to side at your own pace.
Seeing if you can be aware of any sensations that are occurring as you make these small movements.
Perhaps stretching,
Trembling,
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Whatever is here.
And then coming back to stillness for a moment.
And as you're ready,
Beginning to walk at a normal speed.
As you practice paying attention to your feet.
You can use the same gentle attention to movement that we just practiced.
Bringing a steadfastness and sensitivity of attention to the physical sensations of your feet,
Touching the ground.
And then gaining a light awareness here of what is around you,
Allowing it to go by as you return your attention over and over to a deeper awareness of the movement of walking.
Notice that your mind is wandering.
See if you can gently let go and bring your attention back to the sensations of walking.
Step,
Step,
Step.
Touch,
Touch,
Touch.
And as you're ready,
Beginning to slow down a bit.
See if you can be aware of what it feels like as you lift your heel.
Lift the whole foot.
Shift your weight.
Move the foot through space.
Seeing what it feels like as your foot touches the ground.
And your weight shifts once again.
If it's helpful,
You might use a quiet up,
Down,
Up,
Down in your mind.
But keep that in the background,
So that you can maintain a focus on the sensations in your foot and your leg.
If you find that your sense of who you are is again lodged in your head,
Behind your eyes,
Then move your attention back down to your feet.
The physical sensations of your feet moving through space,
Touching the earth.
And now you can slow your pace down even more,
So that very mindfully you feel your leg moving up,
Forward,
And down.
And then the next leg,
Up,
Forward,
And down.
You might see if it's possible to finish one step completely before you lift the other foot and shift the weight.
Tuning into the specific sensations associated with each part of each step,
Lifting the heel,
Shifting the weight,
Lifting the whole foot,
Moving it forward,
Placing it on the ground,
Shifting the weight as you lift the other heel and repeat the process.
The rhythm of this slow walking is quite different than the way that we usually move,
And it can take some time to get used to.
If you find that you're losing your balance,
You might try speeding up the pace a little.
And you can also try speeding the pace if you're having trouble slowing down your mind or focusing on sensations.
And then when you're ready,
If you choose,
You can see if you can slow down again a little bit.
And so practicing in this way as best you can,
Working with your speed to find the pace that best supports your practice.
Most of your attention is on your feet and legs,
But you might want to check in with the rest of your body as well.
Becoming aware of sensations in your legs,
Hips,
Back,
Perhaps noticing pressure,
Fluidity,
Stiffness.
There's no need to name these sensations,
But simply feel your body as best you can.
And noticing here how you're treating yourself.
Are you frustrated?
Are you harsh?
Are you judgmental of your body's natural capabilities and limits?
You don't need to change these thoughts and feelings,
But acknowledge them.
Allowing yourself to change your speed if it's helpful to you,
Knowing what you're doing as you're doing it.
And then bringing your attention back to your feet,
Step by step.
Bringing your attention back to walking once again,
Can you feel the slight bounce as your foot meets the ground?
Can you feel the security of the earth holding you up?
Allowing yourself to adjust your pace to the speed that allows you to remain most mindful.
Noticing where your attention is right now.
Has your attention moved back into thinking,
Back into what is around you?
Noticing the stories and narratives that pull for your attention and allowing your attention to come back to walking.
Doing your best to use the physical sensations of walking to anchor your attention in this moment,
This step,
And this moment.
And now as you're ready,
You can simply stop where you are and stand.
Notice what it feels like at the point where your feet meet the floor or the earth.
Take in what you see or hear around you.
Acknowledge God's presence here with you in the moment.
And remember that at any point moving forward,
You can bring this mindful awareness to a movement.
Becoming aware of how your body feels when you stand,
Sit,
Walk,
Climb stairs,
Reach for the phone,
Lift a fork at mealtime.
Open the door.
And so taking your time as you gently move on to your next activity,
Moving here with a God who renews and strengthens you.
Go in peace.
