Hi friend.
Thank you so much for being here.
Let's go for a walk.
If you've pressed play,
I assume you're already outside or on a treadmill ready to get moving.
If not,
Feel free to pause here and get yourself laced up and ready to walk.
Whenever you're ready,
Let's begin to walk.
This is your time.
Time to connect to your body,
Your breath.
Finding a little stillness in the mind through movement in the body.
Begin to settle into a pace that feels good for you today.
Softly inviting your awareness inward just like we do with our seated practice.
Noticing how it feels when your feet hit the earth beneath you.
Maybe you slow it down here to start and really place each foot with intention.
Maybe even rolling your foot heel to toe.
Just really dropping into your body here.
Bringing all awareness to your feet.
And if you've slowed your feet way down,
Go ahead and come back to a regular natural pace.
Breathing with intention,
With awareness.
Maybe even practicing syncing your breath to your movement in whatever way works for you today.
Finding a sweet little rhythm.
Just you and your breath.
As you move,
Take a moment to relax your shoulders away from your ears.
To soften muscles of your face.
Your forehead.
Your jaw.
And just take a mental scan of your body.
Notice how you feel.
And be honest about it.
No need to judge it or try to change it.
Just notice.
Notice any sensations you may be experiencing.
Any tension that may be holding space in your body.
Send a little breath to those spaces.
Bring some awareness to your spine.
Maybe lengthening it slightly by squeezing the shoulder blades together.
Feeling this broadening through the collarbones and opening in the chest.
Reaching the crown of your head toward the sky.
Feeling a little taller as you walk.
This may be a big movement,
A subtle movement,
Or just an intention.
Or just bringing a little bit of awareness to our spine and our posture.
If your breath has grown shallow and quick,
Invite it to slow down.
Breathing deep and smooth.
Maybe you practice matching the length of your inhale to the length of your exhale.
Keeping your shoulders relaxed as you move.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
For the next few minutes,
Give yourself permission to set your worries aside.
To put your responsibilities on hold.
To press pause on your to-do list.
Just for now,
There's nothing to do but be with yourself.
As challenging as that may be,
There's nothing to do but walk and breathe.
To find yourself in this moment.
Take a second now to consider what does presence mean to you?
What does it feel like?
Look around you as you walk.
Can you notice all the details of your world?
The colors.
The immaculate design of nature.
Can you find the beauty?
And beyond that,
Can you feel it?
Allow all of your senses to get involved here.
Listening to my voice and the music.
Listening to your breath.
Your footsteps.
Any sounds around you.
Feeling the air on your skin.
The way your body feels as you move.
The way your breath feels you.
Noticing any smells.
Just be present.
Maybe you rub the tips of your fingers together.
Fingerprint on fingerprint.
Really feel it.
Feeling your skin on your skin.
Feeling your feet on the earth.
Really notice how it feels to be alive.
To be you.
Right here.
Right now.
Breathing and walking and being.
As thoughts begin to arise in your mind,
Allow them to pass through.
Try not to attach any labels to them or create stories around them.
Just notice and let them go.
If you find yourself being carried away by a train of thought,
It's all good.
Just notice when you can and bring it back to the present moment.
Bringing your awareness back to your body.
To your breath.
Feeling your feet on the earth.
Feeling the energy moving through your body.
Feeling the life that surrounds you.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
If your mind has wandered,
Invite it back to your breath.
Settling into presence once more.
Feeling your body.
Noticing the world around you as it is in this moment.
Nature.
The gentlest mother.
Impatient of no child.
The feeblest or the waywardest.
Her admonition mild in forest and the hill by traveler is her.
Restraining rampant squirrel or too impetuous bird.
How fair her conversation.
A summer afternoon.
Her household.
Her assembly.
And when the Sun goes down,
Her voice among the aisles incites the timid prayer of the minutest cricket.
The most unworthy flower.
When all the children sleep,
She turns as long away as will suffice to light her lamps.
Then bending from the sky with infinite affection and infiniter care,
Her golden finger on her lip will silence everywhere.
Nature.
The gentlest mother by Emily Dickinson.
Start to deepen your breath.
Maybe slowing your pace.
Just taking a final moment to check in with yourself.
To notice how you feel.
To relish in this sweet moment of presence with yourself,
Your breath,
And your body.
Thank yourself for showing up.
For giving yourself the space and the time to connect and slow down.
To be present.
Feel free to continue your walk for as long as you'd like.
Remembering to notice your breath.
To feel your feet on the earth.
And to truly see the beautiful world around you.
I am so grateful that you took me along on your walk today.
I can't wait to find stillness in body or mind with you again so soon.
Until next time,
Take care.
