Hello and welcome to this walking meditation.
Wherever you are in the world,
On your walk,
Try and embrace openness.
Embrace the space.
Allow yourself to be undisturbed.
And as you begin to walk,
Be tall with your spine.
Notice your feet.
Notice your feet as they touch the ground with each and every step.
And begin to notice the pressure in each foot as your heel touches the ground.
As it rolls and the balls of your feet make contact with the earth,
Followed by your toes.
And whether you're barefoot or wearing shoes,
Notice the pressure with each and every step.
And as you continue to walk and focus on these sensations in the feet,
Can you now bring awareness to the breath?
And notice if the pace of the breath is in sync with the pace of your steps.
And the breath usually corresponds with movements that we're making,
When we're slow,
Steady or still.
The breath is the same.
And when we pick up the pace and begin to add speed,
The breath mimics this.
So you allow yourself to be slow,
Steady and calm,
To be mindful with each and every movement.
Allowing the breath to flow with your movement.
Inhale deeply and exhale slowly.
Be in the present moment.
And feel your feet lifting,
Moving through the air and then gently landing on the ground.
And take a few moments here to continue walking in this mindful manner.
And this simple act,
Walking,
Brings us back to the present when we focus on our body.
And noticing any thoughts that may come up.
If the mind begins to race to wander,
Bring the attention back to each and every step.
Feeling more and more grounded as your feet touch the earth.
And as you continue to walk,
What can you see?
And not getting too involved with the scenery.
Just noticing things in your view straight ahead.
Maybe you're out in nature.
Maybe you're walking on a treadmill.
Maybe you're at a beach,
In a forest,
In a field,
On a mountain.
Wherever you are,
Just begin to notice things that are close by.
And then shift your focus to things further away.
And now can you use your peripheral vision?
Maybe seeing the things on either side of your body.
Using our sense of sight to bring us back to the present.
And now let's change our focus to anything you can hear.
Listening to this meditation.
And what noises can you hear in the background?
Maybe there's cars,
Traffic.
Maybe there's the sound of trees rustling in the wind.
Maybe there's a stream,
A river,
Or a body of water close by.
Maybe you notice the sound of your feet as they touch the earth.
On a road in the sand.
Maybe lightly pressing into the grass.
Are there people around you?
Can you hear voices,
Talking,
Laughter?
Can you hear birds,
Insects,
Or animals around you?
Continue to walk and just notice the different sounds.
And as you continue to walk,
Are there any predominant smells?
Take a deep breath in through the nose.
And sigh it out through the mouth.
And tune into your sense of smell.
Is there a smell in the air as it enters your nostrils?
The smell of the ocean,
The beach,
Trees,
Plants.
Maybe it's the smell of a city.
Maybe there's a smell of perfume on passers-by.
Maybe you can smell your own scent or the scents of others.
Not labeling good or bad or indifferent,
Just noticing.
And continuing on our journey together.
Taking another deep breath in through the nose.
And sigh it out through the mouth.
And with the mouth closed,
Become aware of the tongue.
Is there anything you can taste in the mouth?
Maybe it's a very subtle taste.
A very delicate taste on the tongue.
Maybe you don't taste anything.
And open the mouth.
And breathe in fresh air through the mouth.
Notice the temperature of the air on the back of the throat as it enters the mouth.
And close the mouth again,
Continuing to breathe in and out through the nose.
Do you taste anything different?
Maybe your sense of taste interacts with your sense of smell.
Maybe the texture of the tongue feels different after opening the mouth and inviting in fresh air.
And now notice the sensations on your skin.
What can you feel as you walk?
What temperature is the air on your face?
How does it feel?
Does it wake you up?
Does it calm you down?
Does it soothe you?
Does it relax you?
Does it make you feel cooler or warmer?
Just noticing without judgment,
Without opinion.
How does it feel in your body to be walking?
What pace are you now walking at?
Is it different to before?
How do your arms move?
Do the elbows bend?
Are your fingers relaxed or engaged?
Do the hips sway left and right?
Are you tilting forward or upright?
How's your posture?
Where does your head sit in correlation with your shoulders,
With your hips?
Are you walking heavy or treading lightly?
Notice any stiffness in the body as you continue to walk.
Can you relax the shoulder?
Open up the chest just a little bit more.
Can you be strong in the trunk of your body with that core engagement to lengthen the spine?
As your leg muscles,
Your quads,
Your glutes,
Hamstrings,
Calves all engage with each and every step without you even noticing.
Having focused on the five senses,
The body continues to move automatically.
And that's the magic of this vehicle that we travel around this 3D world in.
We have a beautiful body that can manage all of these physical tasks without us consciously even having to tell it what to do.
Can you raise the edges of the lips here and bring a smile to your face?
Notice as the cheeks rise,
Maybe your eyes squint a little bit.
And taking a moment of gratitude here for this beautiful body,
For the energy that keeps us moving.
That untapped prana that we can always call upon.
That life force that runs through our veins.
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you body.
And as this meditation together comes to a close,
Maybe you continue on your journey,
Continuing on your walk.
Can you be present in each and every moment with each and every step until you reach your destination?
Thank you for walking with me on this journey.
Until next time,
Namaste.
