And to practice,
Select a quiet place where you can walk comfortably back and forth,
Indoors or outdoors.
And you'll be walking about a dozen to thirty paces in length.
So keep this in mind as you select a place.
And then begin by standing at one end of this walking path with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
And let your hands rest easily by your side,
Just wherever they are comfortable.
And stretch your toes out wide.
Feel your feet as a solid foundation beneath you,
Maybe rocking back and forth,
Swaying slightly.
And now begin to open your senses to see and feel the whole surroundings around you.
Notice the environment.
Notice the space that you are taking up within this environment.
Notice the sounds,
The lighting.
And after another moment of becoming mindful in this way,
Just bring your attention back to focus on the body.
Center yourself by feeling how your body is standing on the earth.
Feel the pressure on the bottoms of your feet and the other natural sensations of standing.
Let yourself be present and alert.
Now begin to walk a bit more slowly than usual.
Let yourself walk with a sense of ease and dignity.
Just relax and let your walking be easy and natural.
This is if you were like a king or a queen out for a royal stroll.
Really pay attention to your body.
With each step,
Feel the sensations of lifting your foot and leg off of the earth.
And then mindfully place your foot back down.
Feel each step mindfully as you walk.
And if it's helpful,
You can inwardly whisper to yourself,
Lifting and placing with each step.
And then when you reach the end of your path,
Just pause for a moment.
And center yourself and then carefully turn around.
Pausing first so that you can be aware of the first step as you walk back.
And then you can begin again.
And you might experiment with the speed,
Walking at whatever pace keeps you most present.
And walking back and forth,
You might just naturally realize that you're not trying to get somewhere.
You're just learning to be present just where you are.
It's moving slowly,
Aware of each step.
And as with focusing on the breath and sitting meditation,
Your attention will wander away many times.
Just as soon as you notice this,
Just acknowledge where it went softly.
You might say wandering or thinking,
Hearing or planning.
And then return to feel the next step.
It's just like training a puppy.
You'll need to come back a thousand times.
And whether you've been away for one second or for ten minutes,
It doesn't matter.
And just simply acknowledge where you've been and then come back to being alive here and now with the next step that you take.
And if you feel at any moment that you've lost connection with walking,
You can always stand quietly,
Studying yourself in the present,
And then begin walking again.
And being present with every step.
Noticing each time you lift your foot off the earth and then the slow and soft placement of it back on the earth.
Walking back and forth,
Nowhere to be.
Just present right here with your body.
And the next time you reach the end of your path,
Pause.
Center yourself.
Feel your body rooted into the earth.
You can bring some extra movement into your body,
Maybe rolling your wrists or inhaling your arms overhead.
Maybe you need to shake your arms and your legs.
And take a deep inhale and a slow exhale.
And when you feel ready,
You can move forward with your day.
