Welcome to this walking meditation.
Sometimes sitting still just doesn't feel right.
Your body wants to move,
And that's okay.
This practice is about meeting yourself where you are.
As Jack Kornfield reminds us,
There's enough suffering in the world.
No need to add more during your meditation.
Let's begin.
If it's available to you,
Step outside.
Feel the air.
Sense the sky above.
Bring your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Let your knees be soft,
Unlocked.
Keep your hips neutral.
Your feet point forward,
Steady and aligned.
Shoulders relaxed.
Arms gently resting by your sides or loosely clasped.
Let your hands float naturally.
Though you are standing,
Invite a deep sense of ease into your body.
Now,
Let's take a deep breath together.
Inhale through your nose.
Exhale through your mouth.
Breathe into your belly.
Let it expand gently.
So often,
We breathe into the chest,
But deeper breath involves the diaphragm,
A wide muscle below the lungs.
In Chinese medicine,
The kidneys are said to help pull the diaphragm down,
Allowing your lungs to fully open.
Take another breath in through the nose and slowly out through the mouth.
Let your shoulders soften.
Let the breath become a wave,
A rising and a falling.
Now,
Come back to the body.
Sense your alignment.
Feel your feet on the earth.
Close your eyes if that feels safe.
What do you feel in your body?
What sensations are you aware of?
Are there areas that are tight?
Areas that are relaxed?
Areas that need stretching?
What can you smell?
Is the air sweet?
Does it smell earthy?
Or maybe it's something else?
Simply observe.
Now,
As we begin walking,
Know you can keep your eyes open or closed.
Open eyes widen awareness.
Closed eyes draw it inward.
Your anchor now is not just the breath,
But the sensation beneath your feet as well.
Gently begin to shift your weight side to side.
And when you're ready,
Slowly lift one foot.
Let the toes be the last to leave the ground.
Move through the air slowly and place that foot down with awareness.
Heel first,
Then the sole,
Then the toes.
As that foot becomes grounded,
The other foot begins to rise.
Slowly,
Again,
The toes being the last to leave.
Move through the air slowly and with intention.
Placing that second foot down with awareness.
Heel first,
Then the sole,
Then the toes.
Continue a few mindful steps in silence now.
If it feels natural,
You can begin to sync your breath with your steps.
For example,
As your foot lifts,
You begin your inhale.
As your heel touches down,
You begin your exhale.
Let's do that again.
Lift and breathe in.
Place and breathe out.
Continue a few mindful steps with your breath in silence now.
Things to remember.
Go as slow as you can.
Tara Brock says if she goes half as fast,
She experiences twice as much,
Just like life.
When thoughts try to enter and scoop you up to take you away from the moment,
Gently bring yourself back to the breath or step or both.
It's the process.
It's what meditation actually is.
Just coming back again and again and again,
Just like life.
Take breaks when you want and stop when you want.
Try to start out with three minutes a day and increase it more and more.
At Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California,
A typical walking session is 45 minutes long.
Something to work up to.
I hope you enjoyed this session.
Thanks for walking with me today.
You are not a drop in the ocean.
You are the entire ocean in a drop.
Rumi
