This is a walking meditation where you will use the sensations of walking as the anchor for your present moment awareness.
Find a space where you can walk comfortably back and forth,
Indoors or outside,
At least five or more paces in either direction.
Begin by standing at one end of your walking path with your feet firmly planted on the ground,
Resting with a stable foundation about hip-width distance apart.
Take a few full deep breaths,
Mindfully releasing any tension that you're holding.
Let your hands rest easy at your sides and start by opening your senses to the fullness of your surroundings.
Breathe in and notice the smells.
Open your sense of hearing to receive the sounds in this place.
Let your eyes soften and take in the shapes and colors of the space that you're in.
Notice the temperature of the air around you,
The presence of the air on your skin,
The sensations of your feet on the ground.
Close your eyes if it feels okay to do so and bring your attention to focus fully in the body.
Feel how your body is standing on the earth.
Connect to the pressure on the bottoms of your feet and the other sensations of standing.
You might notice if your body is subtly shifting or swaying the small micro movements to keep you upright.
Feel the strength of your legs,
The engagement of the muscles holding you.
Check in with your hips and pelvis and just notice the sensations of gravity on your body.
And you can allow your tailbone to tuck slightly under and let your spine arise naturally from this place,
Almost as if you had a string attached to the top of your head pulling you upwards towards the sky.
Allow your shoulders and arms to relax downward like a shirt on a hanger.
Listen to the sensations of standing in this way.
Slowly open your eyes and let your gaze be soft and directed downward.
In a moment but not quite yet,
You will take a single step forward.
As you prepare to take this step,
Notice your body subtly shifting,
Preparing you for this movement anticipating.
And then with either foot,
Take one slow step fully attending to the movement of lifting and lowering your foot.
Follow this step with another,
Just as mindful.
And when you're ready,
Follow this with another and another,
Moving into a slow walking pace.
Relax your body.
Let your movement be easy.
Pay attention to your body,
To the sensations of lifting your foot and leg off the earth and mindfully placing it back down.
Bring this full awareness to each step.
And when you come to the end of your path,
You'll simply pause,
Center yourself,
Slowly turn around and then pause again so that you can be aware of the first step as you walk back.
Continue to walk in this mindful way.
You can experiment with the speed,
Moving faster or slower.
Walking at whatever pace keeps you the most present,
Feels the easiest and most restful in your body.
Keep your awareness on the sensations and the experience of walking.
And when your attention drifts elsewhere,
Gently redirect it back to your present moment experience.
Stay with the experience of walking on the earth,
Staying connected with the present moment sensations in your body,
Your feet lifting and placing,
Lifting and placing.
If it's helpful,
You can even say this quietly to yourself,
Lifting,
Placing,
Lifting,
Placing.
And when your attention wanders,
You can softly acknowledge where it went and then return again to feel the next step.
Wherever you are,
Come back to stillness.
Allow your feet to rest solidly on the ground.
You can close your eyes or keep them open and just notice the sensations present for you in stillness,
The reorienting of your body in this new posture.
You can notice the rise and fall of your breath.
You can also notice the rise and fall of your body in this new posture.
