Mindful Walking

Bringing mindful awareness to everyday activities is a supportive informal mindfulness practice that can help us spend less time on “auto-pilot”! Start by bringing your attention to your feet and notice your experience while walking, if the mind wanders, bring it back to noticing your feet again and enjoy the practice. Feel your body while walking. After a few moments, start to notice what walking feels like in the rest of your body. Take a moment to notice what you feel right now!

Transcript

Mindful walking. In this type of mindfulness meditation practice we have our eyes open with soft gaze look at the floor while we're walking. So let's stand up mindfully and start off by getting grounded and connecting to your feet in mountain pose. Stand in a tall and strong but also comfortable and relaxing position with your feet hip-width apart. Balance on both feet evenly. Now gently lift one foot then place it back down. Then gently lift the other foot and place it back down. Take a moment to notice how your feet feel on the ground. Try moving your weight around a little to see how it feels. Lean forward and backward. Then side to side. Then find the center. Begin taking a slow walk. Start to notice how your feet feel as you walk. What is the sensation like in your heels, In your feet, In your toes? After a few movements start to notice what walking feels like in the rest of your body. What happens to your legs and hips when you walk? What about your arms? Can you feel walking in your neck and your face? Try to practice your walking long enough to notice the rhythm of your walk. If your mind starts to wonder while you are taking a walk that's no problem. Just notice where it's wandering to and then gently bring it back to how your body is feeling during your walk. When you're ready to finish your mindful walk come back into mountain pose just like you started. Take a deep breath and send the thank you thought to your feet and go to your seat and sit mindfully and finish this mindful walking practice. Thank you!