Welcome.
My name is Celia Roberts.
I'm the founder of the Biomedical Institute of Yoga and Meditation.
And today we're practicing walking meditation in Myanmar at the Kaku Temple Pagoda.
This is a truly beautiful place.
Hundreds of pagodas.
You can hear the bells in the background.
Perhaps you might hear the gentle voices of others as they practice their meditation around the pagoda.
Allow all these sounds to become part of your practice.
You truly hear and now with me.
Standing tall as we practice walking meditation,
We usually choose a line of about 10 meters to practice on.
A clear line where we can keep our head tall and our feet fully in contact with the earth.
If you can practice barefoot,
This will be better for your concentration.
Monks in Myanmar usually practice with no shoes.
Find your breath in your abdomen as you stand tall.
Feel both feet in contact with the earth fully.
We'll begin by lifting the left foot.
The pace that we're teaching or practicing today is very slow.
It's broken into three stages.
We lift the foot,
Pull the foot,
Place the foot.
You say these three words as you practice.
Lifting,
Pulling the right foot,
Placing.
The three words are simple.
Lifting the left foot,
Lifting.
Pulling,
Placing.
The right's foot,
Lifting,
Pulling,
Placing.
Facing our left foot,
Lifting pulling placing.
Lifting our right foot,
Lifting pulling placing lifting the left.
Lifting,
Pulling placing.
Continue work gently,
Mindfully,
With deep attention to each footstep in contact with the earth.
In a Mahasi Umm Siyadaw meditation or retreat centre in Myanmar,
You'll practice seated meditation,
Walking meditation,
Seated,
Walking,
Seated walking,
One hour each.
This will go on all day with very slow attention to meal times,
Twice per day.
Mahasi Umm Siyadaw brought this meditation practice in depth to the west.
Jack Kornfield,
Joseph Goldstein,
Followed his tradition in his footsteps under the guidance of Dipa Ma who achieved first stage enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition,
Theravada,
By practicing walking meditation around the temple.
I invite you to really place all your attention into this moment,
Into the feet,
Gently touching the earth.
Hearing the bells,
Feeling the feet,
Breaking the footsteps into three stages,
Lifting,
Pulling,
Placing,
Lifting,
Pulling,
Placing,
Lifting,
Pulling,
Placing,
Lifting,
Pulling,
Placing,
Be aware of the breath and the footsteps.
In contact with the earth.
When you've finally reached your 10 meters or a place where you'd like to turn,
Then you consciously turn,
Feeling each foot turning.
And you might note using the word turning,
Turning,
Turning.
You return back along the same line of passage and again begin lifting,
Pulling,
Placing.
Lifting,
Pulling,
Placing.
Be very mindful of each sensation in the foot as it comes in contact with the earth,
Feeling the temperature,
The sensations,
Everything as small as you can,
Being aware in contact in the here and now.
Looking for the bells of the kakku gota.
And to you,
I wish you metta,
Metta bhavana.
Concentration on compassion.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be filled with deep compassion and may you be at peace.
Standing gently,
Practicing standing meditation and just stopping wherever you are,
Breathing gently throughout your whole body.
Seeing all the sensations of standing,
Simply standing,
Breathing,
Feet in contact with the earth,
Standing meditation,
Listening for the bells.
May your whole life be truly blessed.
And may all those who come into contact with you come to know deep peace,
Mindfulness and compassion,
May your whole life be truly blessed.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be filled with deep compassion.
May you be at peace.
Noting the breath,
The feet touching the earth,
The body.
May your attention to the moment be infinite and your mindfulness be deep.
I wish you well.
Thank you.
