Welcome to this 10-minute walking meditation designed to help you slow down,
Connect with your breath,
And experience the healing rhythm of nature.
Whether you're in a forest,
A quiet neighborhood,
Or simply walking indoors,
This practice invites you to step out of the noise of daily life and into a deeper sense of presence.
As you walk,
I'll guide you through some sensations in the body and the world around you,
And then also into the stillness within.
There's no goal here or destination,
Just one mindful step at a time.
When you're ready,
Get yourself to a place outdoors where you can start to cross the threshold out of the everyday life and into the more-than-human world.
Let's begin this walk.
As you cross over the threshold,
Take a moment to stand with your feet on the ground,
Just still in this moment before you move.
Taking in a deep breath through your nose,
And exhaling gently through your mouth.
Feel both feet connected with the earth beneath you,
And the right foot and the left.
Notice the temperature of the air,
The scent of a pine,
Or leaves or the dirt.
Let yourself arrive fully in this moment.
Now begin to walk slowly,
Taking one step in front of the other.
There's no rush,
No hurry to get anywhere,
So let your steps be soft and intentional.
Notice the imprint from the foot that you leave behind on the earth.
And in which frequency are you leaving those imprints?
Are they fast,
Or full of anxiety,
Or slow and intentional?
Feeling the way that your foot lifts and moves through space and then lands again.
And feeling the right foot and then the left.
Walking slowly,
Mindfully,
Heel to toe,
Each step just a gentle bow to the earth.
As you walk,
Visualize yourself moving through a beautiful wooded path,
Or maybe that's where you are,
Somewhere in nature,
And just take a look around and observe your surrounding.
If you're imagining this scene,
Sunlight filters through the trees above,
Peeking through the branches,
And shining in little spots onto the forest floor.
Or maybe you observe,
With your sense of sight,
What other elements are present with you in this walk.
And maybe experiencing a soft breeze as it dances through the leaves and through the hair and the clothing on your back.
And with your sense of hearing,
You can start to hear the whispers of birds,
Maybe in a distant calling.
You might notice a stream with water running in the distance.
And with each step,
Allow yourself to become lighter.
Your breath begins to slow and deepen.
Breathing in and breathing out with each pair of steps.
The forest holding you gently without demand,
Just supporting you in this walk forward.
And pausing for a moment,
In your mind's eye,
Start to notice all of the textures and shapes around you.
Maybe bringing your gaze to the bark of a tree,
Or picturing moss on a stone,
Or the curve of a fern as it's starting to unfurl.
What arises in you here,
In this quiet time?
Closing your eyes and with a breath in,
Acknowledging this place of peace,
This sanctuary for your heart to soften here.
As you continue walking,
Imagine the path gently curving ahead.
With each step,
You leave behind stress,
Noise,
And the weight of expectation.
With each step,
You return to your true nature,
Steady,
Present,
And whole.
With each step,
You leave behind your stress,
The noise,
The weight of the expectation.
And with each step,
You return to your true nature,
Steady,
Present,
And whole.
Continue to walk in this way,
A slow,
Easy walk forward,
Letting the feet gently massage the earth as you walk,
One step at a time,
Mindful of your surroundings,
And looking for hidden gems or treasures that might be right in front of you.
Any landscapes that catch your eye,
And anything else you can observe about this environment.
Breathing in the smell,
Exhaling to let it go,
Breathing with nature.
And when you're ready,
You can continue to walk if you're outdoors on a path.
And if you're somewhere else visualizing this scene,
You can slowly allow this to fade.
If you're walking,
Continue to bring your awareness to you each step.
And if you're closing up this practice,
Continue with this awareness throughout the rest of your day.
Walking through this forest or whatever environment you may be in,
Taking a breath in to notice how you feel,
And exhale a big sigh out the mouth,
Making it audible,
Letting something go.
And then we'll close with just repeating these three affirmations.
I am grounded.
I am here.
And I am home.
And enjoy the rest of your time bringing in the sense of awareness and coming back to your true nature.
This is Erin Joy.
Namaste.
