Hi and welcome to your indoor walking meditation for self-care.
In this practice,
We'll explore something we do every day,
Walking around our homes,
But we'll turn it into an act of self-care.
By making walking into a mindfulness exercise,
We create a space for ourselves to be fully present,
Curious,
And aware in the here-now moment.
Turning something we do all day long into a moment of connection to self and an opportunity to release physical and mental tension.
In my own meditation practice,
I often use indoor walking to transition my body and mind away from work.
Since I work from home,
This becomes a ritual self-care and marks the shift for me in the same way a commute might for someone else.
So to begin,
Remove shoes or socks so your feet can be fully on the ground.
Find a comfortable space within your home where you don't have to navigate too much furniture.
Ideally,
A clear straight path where you can take multiple strides forward,
Pause,
Turn,
And walk back.
Once you have your path laid out,
We'll begin by simply standing in place.
Sensing the weight of your feet connecting to the earth beneath you,
Lift the toes up and down,
Feeling the shift in your position.
Rolling up onto the balls of the feet and back down a few times.
With both feet flat on the floor,
Try rocking from side to side,
Seeing if you can notice when you feel most centered.
Releasing any movement now,
Letting hands fall to your sides and coming into Tadasana,
Mountain pose.
Feet about hip-width distance apart,
Crown of the head reaching up so you can feel the space along your spine.
Check in with the upper body,
Making sure the neck and shoulders are loose and comfortable.
With the eyes closed or your gaze gentle,
Take a deep breath into the belly,
Letting it expand into the ribs and chest before exhaling fully out the mouth.
Repeating this breath pattern two more times at your own pace.
Slowly open your eyes and we'll begin walking.
Keeping a natural pace,
Not too fast or too slow,
But something that feels comfortable to you.
Remembering that as you reach the end of your path,
You'll pause,
Turn around,
And walk back to where you started.
Pause,
Turn around,
And walk back.
Finding a rhythm that feels good at this moment,
Not overthinking here.
Instead,
Let yourself be curious.
What do you notice about your pace or your stride?
Is the body wanting to race along with the mind?
Let your awareness be gently focused on the whole body.
You might find,
Like I often do,
That the busier the mind feels,
The faster the feet want to go.
So can you let any and all of this arise,
But without judgment,
Just noting and noticing and embracing that idea of curiosity?
It isn't uncommon for the mind to find this activity silly at times,
Too.
When those thoughts arise,
Don't fight them.
If you feel the urge to laugh or smile,
Go for it.
Starting to focus on what walking feels like in the upper body,
Beginning with the head,
Neck,
Shoulders.
What is your posture like here?
Can you release any tension by lowering the shoulders or adjusting your neck?
Next,
Feeling the sensation of the arms.
Maybe they sway back and forth,
Grazing the sides of your body,
Coming into contact with your clothes or the skin.
What are the fingers doing?
Are they relaxed?
Are you making a fist or any kind of shape?
Exploring with curiosity and simply noticing.
As you continue to find your rhythm and notice sensations in the body,
You may also notice that mental chatter.
It's okay to get distracted.
Simply acknowledge the distraction and come back to the practice.
Walking,
Witnessing and maybe laughing.
Let your focus travel to the chest and belly.
What movements do you sense here?
What openness can you maybe create by letting things soften?
Shifting awareness from the upper body to the lower body.
How are the hips,
The moving the focus into the feet?
Notice the sensation of each foot hitting the floor,
Heel to toe,
From one side to the other,
Staying with the rhythm of your feet.
If you find yourself overthinking the exercise,
Just continue to let those thoughts come and go.
Being curious when they arrive and then moving that curiosity into the rhythm of your feet.
Starting to slow the pace down,
Preparing to come to an end,
But coming to stillness in a way that feels easeful,
Not losing the awareness you've cultivated.
Find your mountain pose once again and in this moment of stillness,
Shift awareness from body to breath.
Feeling your breath move and you can choose to rest your hands on the belly or chest if this helps and either closing the eyes or letting the gaze soften.
And for a moment before we transition away from the practice,
Thank yourself for making space in your day to walk as an act of self care and connection.
Take a deep inhale in and exhale with a sigh,
Gently opening your eyes when you're ready.
Thank you for joining me in this mindfulness exercise and I'll meet you back here again soon.
