Welcome to the Renature Walking Meditation.
I'm Clara and I'll be your guide for this practice.
I hope you found a pleasant space that you can be present in and find some quiet focus,
Hopefully in nature.
And as we get ready to begin here,
I invite you to consider whether you can take your shoes off and walk on the grass or directly on the soil for more energetic grounding or earthing as it is sometimes called.
You can also keep your shoes on if that's not a possibility and just really pay attention as you walk to how you're showing up,
How you're landing with your feet in this place.
Walking meditations can be done more casually where you walk alongside a trail or wherever you feel like going,
Or you can walk in a straight line and pick a point to turn around and do that back and forth if that's easier.
That is the more formal Zen practice of doing it from Japanese Buddhism.
Generally walk in a straight line for about 10 to 12 steps and then turn around and do it again and again.
Choose whatever is best for you and the environment you find yourself in.
As long as you're able to be as present as possible.
Just a side note here as well that walking meditation is not about speed as much as it is about mindfully noticing your steps on the earth and feeling your body move through time and space.
So picking a rhythm and a speed that allows you to do that.
You can also apply this type of practice to trail running and really immerse yourself into the sensory experience of running outside.
So let's take a deep breath together to really get us centered and grounded in this moment.
And before you start to walk go ahead and look around and set an intention.
It might be something like what are you hoping to receive from this guided practice today from this walk?
How would you like to feel by the end of it?
And once that's clear you can hold that intention in your mind and your heart.
Go ahead and gently start to walk.
Maybe feels right to start more slowly in the beginning giving you the time and the awareness to let Mother Nature draw you in,
Welcome you into her space.
Really feel your feet land on the ground,
Your body move through the air,
The vertical axis of your spinal column keeping you up,
The top of your head and your tailbone aligning as your feet gently lift and land on the earth over and over again.
And for every step that you take see if you can lengthen your breath allowing your presence to deepen and more of your full self to arrive in this space.
Shedding what came before this moment and whatever comes after the next moment.
And remember that if you have thoughts or emotions that's okay.
It's perfectly human.
And once you've found a comfortable pace to walk in whether you're following a trail or walking about a dozen steps before you turn around on a straight line,
You can start to orient your attention to the soundscape around you as you move.
Notice what you hear.
Is there a bird song present in this soundscape?
Maybe there's wind and the rustling of the leaves.
Maybe you hear frogs or insects or any other kind of animal.
What sound draws you in the most?
And if you stop walking for a few moments,
What sounds are you able to hear that you hadn't noticed before?
Go ahead and play around with your sense of hearing for as many steps as you'd like.
When you're ready we'll activate the visual sense allowing your vision to widen and take in all the details of nature around you.
Notice any movement around you whether it's animals,
Insects,
Birds,
Plants moving in the wind perhaps.
It maybe feels natural to ask yourself how you might be perceived by the natural environment around you.
How do you think the trees or the plants are interacting with you?
And as you walk you can allow your eyes to wander,
Your gaze to browse the landscape around you and let yourself be attracted to certain things that you see.
Maybe you want to slow down and linger at a particular spot because you feel a sensation like joy or awe,
Curiosity.
This is a time of playful exploration,
No right or wrong.
And maybe you want to try touching things that you see,
Activating another sense,
Making sure to do so safely if you do touch any plants.
The sense of touch also shows up through what we feel on our skin,
Whether that's the breeze,
The sun's rays or maybe drops of rain.
If you change the pace of your walking can you feel more?
Feel the weight of your body in contact with Mother Earth through your feet and feel the magnetic pull of the Earth's core underneath you,
The interconnectedness that comes from that.
You're belonging on this planet,
You're belonging on the earth.
And whenever you feel complete go ahead and stop walking and maybe you want to stand with your eyes closed for a few moments,
Noticing what has changed in your internal state with this walking meditation since the beginning of the practice.
What feelings or emotions are you aware of?
What do you feel in your physical body?
Maybe you want to formulate a sentence of gratitude for the earth,
For the nature that you were just walking in.
Remembering that you can do these practices any time,
Especially during your workday when you take a break,
Go outside,
Go for a walk and open your senses.
It will serve you well.
