Walking meditation,
Also known as mindful walking,
Is an active practice that requires you to be consciously aware and moving in the environment rather than sitting down with your eyes closed.
This practice offers the opportunity to bring you closer to nature and your body.
It also helps strengthen your concentration,
Makes you more aware and connects you to the present moment.
Walking is a great way to integrate mindfulness into your everyday life and has been practiced as a meditative technique for thousands of years.
Try to wear comfortable clothing and shoes if possible.
Begin by standing still and becoming aware of your body and how it feels.
Notice your posture.
Feel the weight of your body pressing down toward the ground.
Become aware of all corners of your feet pushing into your shoes,
The big toe,
Little toe,
The heel.
Become aware of all the subtle movements that are keeping you balanced and upright.
Allow your knees to bend very slightly and feel your hips as your center of gravity.
Take a few deep belly breaths and bring your awareness into the present moment.
Now beginning to walk at a slightly slower than normal pace.
While you won't need to think about the process of walking,
You will need to be aware of what's going on around you.
So take care to notice cars,
Other people,
Road signals and the like as you're doing this exercise.
With each step becoming aware of the gentle heel to toe rhythm as each foot makes contact with the ground.
Breathing naturally and fully,
Filling your lungs with each inhalation,
Being careful not to strain or struggle in any way.
Perhaps a sense of letting go as you breathe out,
Letting go of your day thus far and bringing your awareness to this moment.
Try to maintain a soft body and breathing awareness as you walk naturally and easily.
Focus your attention on the rhythm of your steps.
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right.
Allow this rhythm to soothe and relax you.
Begin noticing what you see going on around you.
Perhaps there are people walking past,
Maybe there are trees,
Cars,
Advertisements,
All the other things you'd expect to see around you.
Notice the colours and shapes,
The movement and perhaps the stillness too.
There's no need to actually think about what you're seeing.
Simply to see it and acknowledge it is enough.
Continuing this relaxing walk,
Enjoy the movement of your body.
Feel your body becoming energised as your muscles move.
Feel your limbs moving.
You can meditate as you walk by focusing your attention again on your footsteps.
Count your steps as each foot touches the ground.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
As your attention wanders,
Direct your focus again to your footsteps.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Feel your energy increase with each step.
When each foot touches the ground,
Feel the energy rising all the way from your feet up through your legs,
Your hips,
Your body,
Your arms,
All the way to the top of your head.
The slight vibration when your foot lands on the ground serves to increase those feelings of being calm and energised now.
Notice the ever repeating pattern of your steps.
It's almost as if your feet are a wheel,
Rolling and rolling.
One part contacts the earth while the other part is in the air.
If time slowed down,
You would notice that almost imperceptibly,
The weight shifts from one part of the wheel to the next,
And the next,
And the next,
Until what was the bottom of the wheel is now the top.
No part of the imaginary wheel and no part of your feet remains on the ground for long before transferring the weight to another part of your feet.
Continuous motion,
Increasing energy.
When your attention drifts away from the sensations of walking and breathing,
Take notice of those thoughts,
Moods or emotions without judgment and gently guide your awareness back to the present moment,
Back to the walking.
The motion is very relaxing.
Imagine the rhythm of your feet.
It is like waves flowing in and out,
Ever repeating.
Allow your breath to flow smoothly,
Also ever repeating like waves.
In and out,
In and out.
Can you hear the sounds of your footsteps?
This is a calming and relaxing rhythm,
Just listening to this repeated beat.
Notice all the repeated rhythms,
Footsteps,
Heartbeat,
Breathing,
The smooth cycle of rhythms that allows you to proceed forward at a leisurely walk.
The sound of the birds chirping.
Turn your attention now back to your surroundings.
Notice the environment around you,
The surface you are walking on,
The temperature,
The colours,
Sounds,
Smells.
When it's time to end the meditation,
Allow yourself to come to a gentle halt.
Pause,
Once again experiencing yourself standing still as you feel the earth beneath your feet.
Notice any energy tingling around the body.
Feel the grounding energy of that connection to the ground and how your awareness doesn't stop there but can go down and further down.
Take a few deep breaths as this session comes to a close.
Can you bring this sense of energy and awareness to the next moments of your day?
