This exercise teaches you to witness the feelings and sensations in the physical body as you move through space in a normal walking pattern.
Through the lens of a mindful observer,
You may notice how the body shifts and adjusts and compensates and cooperates,
All while building the strength of your concentration and focus.
This practice should take about 5-10 minutes and you'll be walking around either in a circle inside or outside of the circle.
It's best to walk in a circle,
But not in a circle.
It's best to walk in a circle,
But not in a circle.
Now to walk at a very natural pace,
One that's a little bit slower than usual.
Let go of the motivation to get somewhere or to complete something and just walk freely.
Noticing your environment,
The space that you're in,
The things that are surrounding you right now.
And now bring your attention to how your feet move.
Notice where they first hit the ground.
And notice the movements that take them from heel to toe.
That rolling sensation of the body weight from heel to toe.
Your full attention is down at the soles of the feet now.
And still walking,
Noticing where you are in space and where you're going.
But very strong,
Focused attention at the feet.
Noticing how they shift your weight from one to the other,
Back and forth.
Cultivate a sense of curiosity,
As if you've never walked before.
What are all these new sensations?
Without altering or changing the way you're moving,
Just focus in on the feelings that are shifting as you move across the space.
Start to notice the legs moving along with the feet now.
How that weight is transferred down through the ankle joints.
Flexing and extending.
How do the leg movements affect the feet and the ankles,
And vice versa?
Which one moves which?
What sensations are there?
How do the legs feel as they move through space?
Are they feeling heavy or light?
Energized?
Fatigued?
Something else?
Do the right and left legs feel like they're moving equally?
Supporting you equally?
Just continue to walk,
And perhaps slowing down even more now.
A gentler pace where you can really hone your attention in on these body sensations.
Still walking in your straight line or on your pathway,
Or if you're inside,
Going around your circle,
Slowly and mindfully.
Beginning to move your attention up to the hips,
Observing how they sway or shift back and forth,
Side to side.
Watch how the body responds to the shifting of weight from right to left.
How everything stays balanced.
Does the right side feel any different from the left as you move through space in this way?
Notice the torso,
The ribcage,
Chest,
Back,
And notice how the breath moves them,
And how they move with the hips,
The legs,
And the feet.
And observing the arms now,
Swinging naturally from the shoulder joints opposite the legs.
Notice the movements the arms make on their own as a response to your body steadily moving forward.
Now bring your focus to the shoulders and the neck.
Notice how they feel as you continue to walk,
Slowly but naturally.
Do they stay tense,
Restricted,
Or are they loose and flowing with the rest of the body?
And now the head and face.
Notice your head and your face.
Are they moving to plot your course?
Do the eyes scan where the feet will go?
And notice any sensations there.
The head,
The face,
The eyes.
Notice any rhythms or subtle movements as you continue to walk.
Try to be present with the information that might be rising up from any area of your body.
Perhaps from your body as a whole.
Maybe there's emotional information or a certain sort of feeling present.
Maybe it's not just the physical.
Try to notice all of the layers.
Anything that pops up.
Mindfully taking notice,
Observing,
Yet staying unconcerned.
Notice if your mind wants to go somewhere else.
Does it want to start thinking or daydreaming or planning as if it feels it needs a destination?
Or does it feel quite comfortable to stay right here in this moment,
In rhythm with the walking body?
Keep coming back to your body as you continue your walk,
Feeling your feet again as they make contact and roll over the ground or the floor,
And scanning your body for rising sensations all the way up to the top of the head.
We'll spend the next couple of minutes walking this way in silence.
Now come to a still point.
Slow down until you've stopped,
Your feet right under your hips,
Body balanced,
Knees softly bent.
Close your eyes here for a moment and reflect on the experience and any information that just came to you,
That came to light.
Notice if anything stands out and,
As always,
Try not to judge or critique.
We're just gathering information.
Now open your eyes and try to infuse your next walk or commute or hike with a little bit of mindful awareness like this by simply slowing down just a tad and paying a little more attention to your body in this present moment as you walk.
