Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
If you've listened to some of my previous lessons,
You know that I'm not one to hold to convention or tradition when it comes to meditation.
For me,
Sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down all work equally well.
It's the breath that is an essential part of meditation and mindfulness.
So,
It won't come as a surprise to many of you that I also get in touch with my breath while I'm walking.
My dog Chip and I walk more than five miles every day,
And on most days I'll get in touch with my breath while we walk.
It's all a part of my philosophy of getting in touch with your breath throughout the day and making your meditation practice an integral part of your life.
Getting in touch with your breath while walking is a natural choice if you are trying to be in the present moment,
Because if you aren't present,
You'll trip over your own feet.
So,
If it's a wonderful way to get in touch with your breath,
Be in the present moment,
Get some exercise,
And be more in touch with your surroundings.
I'll add a somewhat tongue-in-cheek disclaimer saying that if you want to be mindful while walking,
Please don't close your eyes unless you're stopped to ponder something.
And,
I do encourage you to stop and smell the proverbial roses along the way.
When walking with Chip,
He always loves to stop and investigate things along our path,
So I'm encouraged by him to stop frequently.
Our goal during our walking meditation is to be aware of our breath,
To be very conscious of the world around us.
Now,
Since I'm not walking where you'll be walking,
I'll simply describe what I do in my surroundings and you can adapt it to yours.
So,
As we begin,
Let's take a deep breath through our nose,
And then exhale through our mouth,
Letting out a sigh,
And we're off.
Continue to follow your breath and be very aware of your breath going in and going out.
Since we're walking,
Your breathing might be faster than when you're at rest,
And that's okay.
Our goal here is to be mindful as we explore our world in this moment.
Continue to follow your breath in and your breath out as we move on down,
Move on down the road.
Walk at whatever pace you feel comfortable with,
And as you move through your world,
Take note of all the things you encounter along the way.
Chip and I often come across squirrels,
And his nature is to want to chase them,
But when he's being mindful,
He just admires them from afar.
Perhaps you'll encounter some birds along your path.
Today,
I encountered a beautiful male cardinal,
And I admired his brilliant red plumage.
Gazing around,
I also saw his mate,
And it makes me smile because I know that cardinals mate for life.
Her plumage is more brownish than his,
But with hints of red beneath.
As they fly away,
Together we glance at the sky.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Looking ahead,
I can see some subtle changes in the color of the leaves of a sugar maple tree.
I think to myself that fall and winter are on the way.
I hear a sharp cry from a bird and look to see a blue jay streaking overhead.
Being in the present moment means living completely in the moment you're in.
That means not worrying about things in the past,
Because those things are gone and unchangeable.
It also means not spending a lot of time worrying about the future,
Because it doesn't even exist.
The only moment we're concerned with is this one,
And in this moment we're walking,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
On our walk today,
I stop fairly often because Chip likes to investigate things and I like to observe.
I stop to examine some unusual looking bricks that a neighbor built a mailbox out of.
I examine the pavement as we walk along,
Taking note of any defects so I don't trip.
It's as easy to be mindful while walking as it is any time else.
In some ways,
It's even easier because you're moving through the world.
All you have to do is have the intention to be mindful and stay in the present moment,
Then move your feet.
Being in this moment,
I want to experience as much as I can.
I want to feel the wind on my skin and in my hair.
I want to touch the bark on the trees and the leaves on the shrubs.
I want to feel the sun on my skin.
And I want to see and appreciate any people or creatures that I come across along the way.
As you walk,
Sniff the air to see what's going on around you.
On our walk today,
I pass a beautiful bunch of marigolds and pansies and the air is lightly scented.
I can also detect a hint of pine from the spruce trees we're passing.
And there's a hint of smoke in the air and I'm certain that someone had a fire last night.
There's always so much going on in the world and even if it seems all is quiet,
All you have to do is stop and listen and observe to see all that's going on around you.
The movement of the leaves in the trees.
The meowing of the cats that are trying to get back into the house.
The bark of the neighborhood dogs communicating with each other.
So much going on even though at first glance it seems like there isn't.
There's movement and sound all around you.
Things to see and smell and feel if you just remain in the present moment.
Breathing in and breathing out.
By taking a walk in this way,
We can accomplish several things at once.
We can get in touch with our breath.
We can get some valuable exercise.
We can truly live in this moment and experience the wonder of it all.
We can come to more fully appreciate everything in the world around us.
How often have you walked and not even noticed the flowers along the way or the birds overhead?
How many times have you listened to someone and not heard them?
How many times have you seen beauty but never noticed it?
By walking in your world in a mindful way,
Allowing yourself to notice all the beauty and wonder all around you while following your breath,
You will never see the world the same way again.
The world that you may float through now will come alive.
It will be more meaningful to you and to all those around you.
Because if you can be more present,
You will impact every aspect of your life and you too will find peace.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.
And I truly hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Till next time.
