This is guidance for a 15-minute silent mindful walking practice.
Finding a place inside or outside where you can slowly walk up and down from one end of your walk to the other for up to 10 steps.
Somewhere where you can practice without worrying if people can see you.
In this practice we are bringing awareness to our actual experience as we walk.
If walking is not an option for you,
Perhaps the principle of bringing awareness to a certain movement could be practiced with any movements that are possible for you.
My words will serve as guidance but of course only do what you feel comfortable doing.
Coming to stand at one end of your walk.
Inviting a straight,
Dignified and yet relaxed posture.
A posture that signals to ourselves that we are about to affirm our commitment to our health and well-being.
Placing your feet parallel to each other,
About hip-width apart.
As best you can allowing some softness in the knees so that they are not locked back.
Letting your arms hang loosely by your sides or holding your hands loosely together in front of your body.
Allowing a soft gaze but directing it straight ahead.
Now bringing your attention to the bottoms of your feet,
The soles of your feet.
As best you can receiving a direct sense of the physical sensations of contact of your feet with the ground.
And getting a sense of the weight of your body transmitted through your legs and feet to the ground.
It may be helpful to bend the knees slightly a couple of times to feel this more clearly.
And now gently transferring the weight of your body into your right leg.
As best you can noticing the changing pattern of physical sensations in the legs and feet.
Especially as the left leg lightens and the right leg now takes over the support of your body.
Noticing this weight and balance transfer with a kindly curiosity.
Now that your left leg has lightened,
Perhaps a sense of emptiness in the left leg.
Perhaps clothes have shifted ever so slightly.
Allowing the left heel to rise slowly from the floor.
Noticing these sensations in the calf muscle as you do so.
And continue allowing the whole of the left foot to lift gently until only the toes are in contact with the floor.
Bringing full awareness to the physical sensations in the feet and legs,
Slowly lift the left foot and carefully move it forward.
Feeling the foot and legs as they move through the air and placing the heel on the floor.
Allowing the rest of the bottom of the left foot to make contact with the floor.
As you now transfer the weight of your body into your left leg and foot,
Perhaps you can feel a sensation of emptying in the right leg and the right heel leaving the floor.
With the weight fully transferred to the left leg,
Allowing the rest of the right foot to lift and moving it slowly forward.
Noticing the changing patterns of physical sensations in the foot and leg as you do so.
Perhaps also noticing how your mind is responding to this slow pace of practice.
Or is your mind predicting what touching the floor will feel like?
Placing your attention on the right heel as it makes contact with the ground.
Transferring the weight of your body into the right foot as it is placed gently on the ground,
Allowing yourself to be aware of the shifting pattern of physical sensations in both legs and feet.
Taking your time to slowly move from one end of your walk to the other in this way.
You you you When you reach the end of your walk,
Turn slowly around.
Noticing how slowly turning around feels.
Which part of your body moves first?
Which muscle groups are involved?
As best you can,
Really appreciating the complex pattern of movements through the whole body as it changes direction.
You Perhaps taking a short pause at the end of your walk before you begin walking in the other direction.
How eager is the mind to walk faster in the other direction?
Perhaps remembering your intention to move with total mindful awareness.
That in this practice we are bringing awareness to our actual experience as we walk.
To be aware as best you can of the physical sensations in the feet and legs and of the contact of the feet with the floor.
Keeping your gaze directed softly ahead.
You you And as you walk gently up and down in this manner,
Respecting a pace of walking that suits you and perhaps from time to time expanding your awareness to include sensations in the rest of the body.
Such as the arms and hands,
The head and neck perhaps and then returning your attention to the sensations in the feet and the legs.
You you If you notice that the mind has wandered away gently but firmly escorting the attention back to the sensations in the feet and legs using the sensations of your feet making contact with the floor as an anchor to reconnect with the present moment.
You you You could experiment with walking at different speeds perhaps if you feel inclined to do so.
You you you And when your practice comes to an end,
Taking a few moments perhaps to consider how you could bring the same kind of awareness that you cultivate in walking meditation to your normal everyday experiences of walking as often as you can.
