This is a walking meditation.
All you need is a space to be able to walk.
It doesn't have to be a very big space.
As long as you can take about 5 steps or so and then you can turn around and do it again,
It's okay.
You can also do it outside,
In the park or you can do it in your bedroom.
So before you begin,
Make sure you have chosen your space.
And then when you are ready,
Standing in an upright position,
Becoming aware of your body,
Noticing the weight of your body on the soles of your feet.
You might want to close your eyes,
Noticing how you are standing right now in this moment.
You might want to take a deep breath.
And as you breathe in,
Allowing your back and your spine to stretch up towards the sky.
And you can even imagine from the crown of your head,
You being lifted up towards the sky.
And your tailbone goes down towards the ground.
Planting both feet firmly on the ground.
And you might want to play with the weight distribution on your feet.
So you can rock from side to side,
Noticing the weight on your left feet and your right feet.
Moving back and forth,
Noticing the weight of your body on the tips of your toes and then backwards.
And finding a neutral balance position.
Taking in the sounds around you.
Taking in the temperature,
Feeling the temperature in your body.
And then if you had your eyes closed,
You can open them and we are going to start walking one step at a time.
You can walk very slowly or you can walk more or less at your normal pace.
Maybe slow it down a little bit if you are a fast walker,
We are not trying to get anywhere.
So taking your first step and noticing how your weight shifts to be supported by one of your legs and then you take the step and your body starts to move forward.
You may want to walk really slowly to begin with,
Just to notice all the movements that are required to walk.
Taking another step and noticing how your body moves from side to side as you step,
Move forward and step again and move forward.
Noticing the sensations on the soles of your feet as you move.
And if you are in a small space,
You probably reach the other side of the room,
You can just stop,
Notice your body and then turn around consciously and mindfully.
Continue taking steps in the opposite direction,
You are moving forward again,
Noticing how you are breathing,
Noticing the changing landscape even if it is in your bedroom as you move through space,
Taking in the colours and the shapes but maintaining a soft gaze,
Not over focusing too much.
If you reach the other side again,
Turning around and continue walking.
Now noticing the movement of your arms as you step,
Allowing your shoulders to relax,
Noticing any unnecessary holding in your body as you step.
Perhaps your shoulders can drop,
Your arms can swing easily,
Perhaps your back can loosen up a little bit as you walk step by step.
Now if your mind wanders off,
Just not seeing what you are thinking about and then bringing your attention back to the sensations of the body,
Your weight,
Your body moving through space from one feet to another.
And this walking itself can be seen as a metaphor,
So as you step and you move forward,
You leave behind the previous step and you have to keep moving,
You have to keep letting go of the previous step in order to move forward freely.
So if you are becoming stuck with thoughts in your mind,
You can leave them behind as you step,
As you take the next step,
You are moving forward constantly in the present moment with the sensations on your feet,
The sensations of your muscles using just the right amount of tension to hold your weight.
Now one leg,
Now another and your hips moving,
Your torso moving,
Your arms,
Your shoulders.
Keep moving through space,
Feeling each step,
Now this step,
Now another and allowing your attention to be present in your body as you move in space meditation.
Not seeing if you are speeding up and maybe you want to slow down,
Allowing your mind to slow down as your body slows down and feeling every sensation and every movement necessary for a step to develop and another step to be born.
Not seeing if you are holding your breath and allowing your body to breathe naturally with your belly expanding and contracting as you breathe in and out and as you step.
In a moment we are going to come to a standstill,
Just taking a few more steps consciously,
Mindfully and now standing still,
Noticing your feet in contact with the ground and your legs supporting your body,
Your spine,
Your head and your face,
Your arms and your shoulders.
Breathing in and breathing out naturally.
You might want to close your eyes and not seeing any changes from a few minutes ago when you were standing still before you walked mindfully.
You might want to carry forward this mindful attention as you move through your day.
