Okay,
This is going to be a meditation that we do while walking.
Whether it's with your dog,
Or whether it's by yourself,
Whether it's to start the morning.
I'm actually going to be walking while doing the guided meditation so that it can be a full effect of the experience that you're having.
Just know that I'm having it too right now.
Take a couple breaths in.
Out.
One more time.
One of the things that's so great about meditating is you can pick anything for your mind to focus on.
You can hear some birds in the park.
You can hear cars driving by.
Your footsteps.
The wind.
Your breath.
So while you're walking,
Pick anything to focus on.
Any one object.
I'm going to pick my feet,
So I'm going to focus on that.
Like I said,
You can pick anything,
Just stick with it and continue your focus on it.
That's going to be our exercise for the day.
Using our mind to focus on one thing and catching ourselves when we wander from that one thing.
The mind is very similar to the body.
It's like a muscle and focus can be trained and strengthened just like a bicep or a glute or abdomen.
So right now in my mind,
I'm going right foot,
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left foot.
If that annoys you,
You can count.
Just keep focusing on that one thing.
And if a thought comes in your mind or you get distracted,
That's okay.
Just come back to the one thing that you're focusing on.
For me,
Right foot,
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left foot.
Rest,
Just sit there.
Something else that's helpful to do when focusing is whenever you have an interrupting thought,
Whether it's anxiety or distraction or anger or even something happy,
Is just learning to take note of it,
Label it as it is.
Oh,
There's an anxious thought.
Oh,
There's a sad thought.
And then returning back to the object of focus.
There's a sad thought.
Right foot,
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left foot.
There's an anxious thought.
Let's go back to the steps.
Right foot,
Left foot,
Right foot,
Left foot.
Choosing whatever object of focus that you want to have.
Right foot,
Left foot,
Left foot,
Left foot.
Again,
If you've strayed off of your focus on your object,
That's okay.
Just return back to it.
None of it's okay.
Okay.
Good.
Okay,
Now I want you to take your focus off of your one object and view everything around you in full effect.
So whether it's trees,
Whether it's the sky,
A bird,
The fences around you if you're walking in a park like me,
Any and everything around you.
Take as much as you can in a beautiful sunset or sunrise.
Now I want you to thank yourself for taking the time for self-care.
You can even give yourself a little pat on the back or a hand over your chest or a simple I'm proud of you,
Telling that to yourself.
Whatever it is,
Just finding a way to affirm and thank yourself for treating yourself with self-care today.
