So for this practice you're going to want to find a comfortable place where you won't feel self-conscious.
So you could do it in the garden,
On the grass,
Or in a room where you've got some space to walk.
And to start with you're going to find a standing place connecting with your feet on the ground.
And barefoot is preferable,
But it doesn't have to be.
And so your feet are hip distance apart.
And you find your mountain pose,
Steady.
Now you're going to begin to take a step,
And this is a slow step,
Becoming aware of your foot.
Taking your right foot,
Lifting the heel of the ground till your toes are on the ground.
And then lifting the foot off the ground,
Becoming aware of the sensation of moving your leg forward and placing your heel on the ground once again.
And then allowing the whole foot to find its surface again.
And then doing the same with the left foot.
Raising the heel,
Lifting the toes off the ground,
Foot in the air,
Placing the heel on the ground.
And now just allowing your walk to begin in a slow and steady way.
Lifting and placing one foot at a time,
Becoming aware of the sensation of taking the steps.
The sensation through your feet,
Heels and toes,
And your calves.
And you may want to stop and pause,
Just become aware of your body as you stand and take a moment.
Perhaps you're turning to walk back in the other direction,
Or just continuing from where you are,
One step at a time.
Just continuing at your own pace,
In your own way,
With each step in the walking process being the anchor of your attention.
So this is sometimes an automatic movement,
And yet we're bringing attention as we do to focus of our breath as the anchor.
We're using one step at a time as the anchor of the practice.
So Thich Nhat Hanh,
Vietnamese monk,
Offered us this thought that some people think that walking on water is a miracle,
But he says walking on this earth to him is a miracle.
So you may wish to change the pace of your walking.
You may want to sense into taking a slightly faster step,
But still keeping attention on your foot from heel to toe,
From right to left foot,
Just easily paying attention to the step.
And the walk could even take a step backwards,
Noticing the sensation in the body as you do that,
Pausing to become aware of the sensations in your body as you stop for a moment,
Noticing any change in your body,
And then continuing one step at a time,
Lifting your foot,
Noticing your foot as it is in the air before taking the step,
Placing the heel on the ground,
Taking the next step.
And you can continue this for as long as you wish,
Perhaps another five or ten minutes,
Or you can come to stand,
Just taking your pose,
Your mountain pose again,
Feet hip distance apart,
Softening the knees and the hips,
Just noticing how it has been to slow down and focus on step by step for these moments,
Not to be rushing anywhere,
Just to be present with your body right here.
