Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Standing at one end of your walk,
With your feet parallel to each other,
About hip width apart.
Checking that your knees are not locked back,
So that there is some softness in the knees and they can gently flex.
Allowing your arms to hang loosely by your sides,
Or hold your hands loosely together in front of your body.
Directing your gaze softly,
Straight ahead.
Bringing the body into an upright posture.
Now bringing the focus of your awareness to the bottoms of your feet.
Getting a direct sense of the physical sensations of contact of the feet with the ground.
The weight of your body transmitted through your legs and feet to the ground.
You may find it helpful to flex your knees slightly a few times to get a clearer sense of the sensations in the feet and legs.
When you're ready,
Transferring the weight of the body into the right leg.
Noticing the changing pattern of physical sensations in the legs and feet.
As the left leg lightens,
And the right leg takes the support of the body.
With the left leg lightened,
Allowing the left heel to rise slowly from the floor.
Noticing the sensations in the calf muscles as you do so.
And continuing,
Allowing the whole of the left foot to lift gently until only the toes are in contact with the floor.
Feeling aware of the physical sensations in the feet and legs,
Slowly lift the left foot,
Carefully move it forward.
Feeling the foot and leg as they move through the air.
And placing the heel on the floor.
Allowing the rest of the bottom of the left foot to make contact with the floor.
As you transfer the weight of the body into the left leg and foot.
And feeling sensations of lightening in the right leg and the right heel leaving the floor.
Feeling the weight fully transferred to the left leg,
Allowing the rest of the right foot to lift and moving it slowly forward.
Noticing the changing patterns of physical sensations in the foot and leg as you do so.
Placing your attention on the right heel as it makes contact with the ground.
And transferring the weight of the body into the right foot as it is placed gently on the ground.
Allowing yourself to be aware of the shifting pattern of physical sensations in both legs and feet.
In this way slowly moving from one end of your walk to the other.
Allowing your awareness to be particularly on the sensations in the bottoms of the feet and heels as they make contact with the floor.
And noticing the sensations in the muscles of the legs as they swing forward.
When you reach the end of your walk,
Turn slowly around.
Being aware of and really appreciating the complex pattern of movements through the whole body as it changes direction.
Perhaps taking a short pause at the end of your walk before you begin walking in the other direction.
Continuing to walk up and down in this way.
Being aware as best you can of the physical sensations in the feet and the legs and of the contact of the feet with the floor.
Keeping the gaze directed softly ahead.
As you walk gently up and down in this manner.
Selecting the pace of walking that suits you.
And perhaps from time to time expanding your awareness to include sensations in the rest of the body.
In the arms and hands.
The head and neck perhaps.
And then returning your attention to the sensations in the feet and the legs.
And when you notice that the mind has wandered away from awareness of the sensations of walking.
Gently but firmly escorting the attention back to the sensations in the feet and legs.
Using the sensations as the feet contact the floor.
As an anchor to reconnect with the present moment.
Just as you use the breath in the sitting meditation.
Continuing to walk in this way gently up and down.
Taking a short pause at each end of your walk.
Perhaps walking for 10 or 15 minutes or longer if you wish.
To begin with walking at a pace that is slower than usual.
To give yourself the opportunity to be fully aware of the sensations of walking.
And once you feel comfortable with this.
You can experiment with walking at faster speeds.
Up to and beyond normal walking speed.
If you're feeling particularly agitated.
It may be more helpful to begin to walk fast with awareness.
And then to slow down naturally as your mind and your body settle.
And as often as you can bringing the same kind of awareness that you cultivate in walking meditation.
To your normal everyday experiences of walking.
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