Hi,
My name is Asa.
Welcome to this guided walking meditation.
For this meditation,
You'll need a peaceful,
Private location,
Either indoors or outside,
With a short path,
Which you will slowly and mindfully pace.
In order to better feel the sensations in your feet,
It's best to practice walking meditation while barefoot,
However,
Socks or shoes are okay if needed.
Begin standing at one end of your path.
Leave your eyes open with a soft gaze on the floor ahead of you.
Set both feet hip-width apart.
Reach the crown of your head up and align it over the center of your body.
Draw your shoulders back and down,
Feeling a slight opening around your chest.
Relax your arms by your sides or gently clasp your hands in front of or behind you.
Make any additional adjustments to bring your posture into alignment.
Slowly begin to deepen your breath.
Bring your full awareness to your body breathing.
Focus your attention on wherever you notice your breath the strongest in your body.
And if any thoughts float through your mind,
Simply recognize them and then kindly bring your attention back to your body breathing.
Bring your awareness to your feet.
Notice how the ground feels beneath you,
The texture,
The temperature,
How firm or soft it is.
Feel into your feet,
The heel,
The arch,
The ball of the foot,
And the toes.
Notice if your feet and toes feel warm or cool,
Or if you feel any tingling,
Pulsing,
Or any other sensations.
Without picking your feet up,
Gently shift your weight from one foot to the other.
Notice the changing sensations when more or less weight is placed in each foot.
Now try gently shifting your weight forwards and backwards.
Keep your heels and toes on the ground and observe the changing sensations as your balance shifts.
When you're ready,
Slowly and mindfully lift the heel of your right foot.
Notice your weight shifting into your left foot as you lift more of your right foot coming onto the ball of the foot and toes.
As if in slow motion,
Continue lifting the rest of your right foot off the ground,
Briefly balancing on your left foot,
And then carefully set your right foot down in front of you,
Landing your heel in line with your left toes and then rolling through the arch until the ball of the foot and all of the toes come to the floor.
Pause here and take a breath.
When you're ready,
Lift your left heel slowly and mindfully,
Shifting your weight forward and into your right foot as the ball of your left foot and then the toes come off the ground.
Carefully set your left heel down in line with your right toes,
Followed by the ball of the foot and then lastly the toes.
Pause and take a breath.
Continue walking slowly and mindfully,
Standing tall,
Shoulders relaxed,
Breath gently flowing.
If you'd like,
You can try synchronizing your breath with your movement.
Inhale as your foot lifts and exhale as it lowers.
Slow,
Gentle breath and slow,
Gentle movement.
Let your feet be your anchor.
Whenever thoughts pop into your head,
Notice them and then redirect your attention to the sensations in your feet.
Walk at your own pace until you reach the end of your path.
Whenever you reach the end of your path,
Plant both feet in line with each other and pause.
Slowly turn around,
Pause again and take the first step when you're ready.
Slowly make your way down your path again and back to your starting point.
Continue mindfully walking back and forth along your path.
If your mind is particularly busy,
Try moving even slower.
The slower you move,
The more focus is needed to maintain your balance.
Alternatively,
If you find the balancing part to be a bit more challenging today,
Try moving a little faster,
Decreasing the time spent balancing mid-step.
You're welcome to continue your walking meditation or if you'd like to close out your practice,
Bring both feet in line with each other on your next step.
And here,
Feeling your feet connected to the ground once more.
Take a moment to notice how you're feeling after having practiced a walking meditation.
And if you'd like,
A moment of gratitude for our beautiful Earth,
For supporting us and sustaining us,
And for your feet,
For carrying you throughout your life.
Thank you for practicing this guided walking meditation.
I wish you a wonderful rest of your day.
