Start walking at your normal pace,
Allowing your hands to fall by your sides,
And noticing if you're in a rush,
And if you are,
That's ok too.
So begin by noticing your mood as you start walking,
And just taking in whether you're feeling anxious,
Alive,
Tired,
Energized,
Or maybe neutral,
And also noticing any thoughts about your day ahead.
So we're not going to push these thoughts away,
We're just acknowledging that's what's going on for us at this time,
But also making a clear intention to stay with this meditation,
Rather than entertaining those thoughts.
And now,
Loosening those shoulders,
Taking a deep breath in as you walk,
Breathing out,
And shifting your attention to the soles of your feet on the floor,
Noticing those contact points where your feet meet the ground,
And then gently moving up to your calf muscles,
Feeling them tense and relaxed as you walk,
Up to your thighs,
Noticing the work that they're doing to keep you walking,
And now widening your focus to include the soles of your feet,
Your calf muscles,
And your thighs,
Just tuning into a sense of them working together to keep you moving,
And now expanding your awareness further to include your upper body,
And your arms swinging by your sides,
Feeling the whole movement of your body now,
As your body carves a shape into space,
Constantly leaving and arriving at the same time,
Moment by moment,
Feeling your body swinging in rhythm as you're walking,
And relaxing your body as you do this,
Loosening your shoulders a bit more,
And also noticing the sensations in your hands as they move through the air,
And if your mind's wandered off into thoughts about the day ahead,
That's okay,
Just gently bring your mind back to your body moving in rhythm,
So continuing with the rhythm of your walking,
Walking with a sense of uplift,
Of dignity,
Maybe adjusting your head so if you're looking down,
Maybe look up a bit more,
Pay attention to the world around you as well,
Whilst also staying in your internal world,
So balancing your internal world with the outer world in equal measure,
Now coming to a standstill,
Standing and noticing how you are right now,
Having spent this time mindfully walking,
Maybe noticing all the subtle movements you're making,
To remain upright,
You might notice these movements in your feet,
Or in your legs,
Being curious about all the muscles playing their part in keeping you upright,
And now take a deep breath in,
Breathing out,
As we end your walking meditation.
