Hi there,
Welcome.
This meditation is different than many of the others in that this one involves being on your feet and walking.
This is,
Well,
It's a walking meditation and this is an effective way to anchor your awareness in the present moment in body sensation and in where you are in and what you're doing at that moment,
Especially when you're upset and you can't seem to calm yourself down.
So I invite you to stand up and as you're standing,
Feel the soles of your feet on the ground.
Begin to notice the sensations,
The sense of touch in the soles of your feet against the floor.
Perhaps to better feel the sensation,
Try gently rocking forward and backward on your feet and side to side,
Being careful,
Being mindful of how far you're rocking.
Perhaps make little circles with your knees,
Feeling the changing sensations in the soles of your feet.
Notice how the floor supports your entire body.
And if your mind begins to wander,
Just bring your mind back,
Gently call it back and refocus your attention on feeling the soles of your feet once again.
And now begin to walk very slowly,
Noticing the various changing sensations in the soles of your feet.
Taking note of the sensation of lifting a foot,
Stepping forward and then placing that foot on the floor,
Noticing the shift in balance from one foot to the other.
And now doing the same thing with the other foot.
And then one foot after another,
Lifting,
Stepping forward and placing the foot on the floor,
Being mindful of your body and of the sensations against your feet as you walk.
Perhaps try walking differently,
Maybe instead of walking forward,
Try walking backward one or two steps and notice the change in different sensations as your body shifts its weight from one foot to the other.
And maybe you can try extending your focus from the soles of the feet to the ankles,
Maybe up into the lower legs,
The knees,
The thighs,
Maybe up all the way into the hips,
Noticing the changes that take place as you shift one leg and one foot in front of the other.
Noticing how it feels to walk,
Inviting the mind back anytime it wanders,
Avoiding the tendency to be harsh or critical,
That's okay,
The mind wanders and that's alright.
Simply inviting it back to the sensation of walking.
And planting one foot in front of the other.
And now coming back to a standing position once again.
And beginning to expand your awareness not just from your feet but to your entire body,
Allowing yourself to feel whatever you're feeling and allowing yourself to be just as you are.
And this is mindful walking.
This is a practice you can do outside or inside,
With shoes on or off,
Whatever feels most comfortable for you,
Doesn't matter what situation you're in,
Where you are.
Simply taking that time to notice how it feels to walk,
How it feels to stand still,
And how to shift your weight from one foot to the other.
So thank you for practicing this meditation with me.
And whenever you need to use it again,
I would invite you to do so.
