Welcome to today's meditation.
I'm Chelsea Pottinger and we'll be guiding you through a walking meditation to connect you to the present moment.
By practicing a walking meditation you are heightening your awareness of your mental,
Physical and emotional state.
This technique will help you to develop a greater understanding of your surroundings and move forward with intent and purpose which will then carry on through to your day-to-day life.
Before we begin,
Make sure that you will be walking in a safe place,
That you keep your eyes open and are able to hear your surroundings.
No matter how busy and overstimulating the city may feel around you right now,
Just begin by taking a deep breath in here.
Feel the connection of your feet to the ground and exhaling out.
Grounding down and giving yourself a moment here to settle.
When you're ready,
Let's begin walking.
Just noticing the space around you,
An awareness of what's around you.
It could be the shape of a building,
It could be a tree dancing in the wind,
It could even be the color of the sky.
Just an awareness of what you can see around you.
You may feel called to walk slow or maybe you feel like walking fast.
It doesn't matter,
Just allow your body to find its own rhythm.
Walking at a pace that feels comfortable and relaxed to you.
Focusing here on the movement of your feet as one comes into contact with the ground and the other descent.
Feel how the balls of your feet,
The slightly padded area just below your toes,
Push off the surface as the other sole lands gently.
Taking notice of the muscles here in each foot,
Contracting and relaxing.
Now begin to notice how other parts of your body feel as you walk.
Just observe any sensations within the body.
Witness these feelings without judgment and letting that go.
As you are still walking in this comfortable pace,
Place your attention on your hips and notice how they coordinate the way you walk.
Notice your shoulders,
Are they tense or relaxed?
If they feel tense,
Taking a big shoulder roll here and allowing your shoulder blades to melt down your back.
Notice the rise of your breath in the chest with each step.
Inhale,
I'm aware of my in-breath.
Exhale,
I'm aware of my out-breath.
For the next few moments,
I will guide you through using your senses to ground you to this present moment.
Let's start with what you can see.
Intentionally look around you and pay close attention to your surroundings.
If you are outside,
Maybe you can see trees blowing in the wind or someone walking past,
Perhaps it's cars driving by on the road.
Purposefully really look at what is in around you and see it like you've never seen it before.
Observing this without wishing it was different.
Let it be as it is and just watching it.
Now notice what you can hear.
Notice any sounds around you.
Are there birds nearby?
Can you hear the arrival of a train?
Can you hear the muffling noise of human footsteps?
Listen closely,
Pay attention to all the little noises your ears can hear.
Now placing your attention on what you can smell.
Can you smell the drifting scent of coffee beans?
Can you smell the fresh air or fresh bread that's just come out of an oven wafting out from a cafe?
Breathe deeply in through your nose and focus on what you can really smell.
If any thoughts or feelings come up,
Just let them wash over you and pass through.
Now moving awareness to what you can physically touch.
Maybe you touch the texture of the clothes you're wearing.
Maybe you're outside and you can touch a tree or grass.
Truly feeling a connection with the earth grounding you to this moment.
Maybe it's the temperature of the air on your skin.
Notice how the sensation on your fingertips changes.
Maybe the grass feels wet.
Maybe your clothes feel smooth.
Letting any thoughts and feelings pass by.
Just taking a moment now to notice how you're walking.
Have you slowed down or sped up?
How does your body feel?
How are you holding yourself and your posture?
Taking two deep breaths with me.
Inhaling for one,
Two,
Three,
Three,
Four.
Hold.
Exhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold.
And one last time.
Inhaling for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold.
Exhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold.
Beautiful.
I hope you enjoyed this walking meditation to connect you to the present moment and the gift of life.
Remember to stay curious throughout your day.
Express gratitude for what you see,
Hear,
Smell and touch.
Allow yourself the permission to explore the world like a child again.
Have a magnificent day.
Namaste.
