Thank you for joining me for this walking meditation.
This meditation practice is not about getting anywhere.
We will be walking together and the act of walking itself combined with our practice of mindfulness will create the space for our meditation.
You can walk in a circle,
You can walk back and forth.
You could walk from where you are now to another destination.
But keep in mind that the pace of your walking and the time it takes you to get where you're going can all be part of this practice of mindfulness.
I'll invite you to find a place where you can stand still at the beginning of your walk.
Plant your feet firmly.
Take a moment to wiggle your toes and feel the entirety of your foot connecting with the earth.
Noticing if you're wearing shoes how your feet feel in the shoes.
Let your arms fall down at your side and become heavy,
Drawing your shoulders away from your ears.
Rise through the crown of your head,
Drawing your spine into a tall line.
How does it feel to stand here and take up space?
Standing in your dignity and worth.
What emotions are you feeling?
Find your breath.
Breathing deeply and fully.
Perhaps you could take your hands,
One to your heart and one to your belly,
So that you can feel your breath expanding and contracting.
Sending your energy outward and then allowing it to return into your center.
Take a moment and if it's safe to do so,
Close your eyes.
Maybe gently dropping your chin towards your chest,
Lengthening the back of your neck.
And setting an intention for this practice.
This could be a word or a phrase that you'll take with you if the mind begins to wonder.
Perhaps it's an idea or a reason for practicing.
Perhaps it's the concept of a destination.
You'll use this walking meditation to embody the metaphor of journeying towards your destination.
Take one more deep,
Full breath.
When you're ready,
Release your hands back to your side.
Take your gaze forward.
When you're ready,
Take the first step.
Continuing to breathe as you walk.
Here at the beginning of your walking practice,
Pay special attention to your feet.
As they meet the earth and move you forward.
Notice if your pace immediately goes to your regular walking speed.
Maybe you choose to slow down a bit today as part of this mindfulness practice.
Notice of each movement,
Step,
Breath.
Notice the posture of your body as you walk.
Can you keep your shoulders relaxed?
Your heart lifted.
You keep your breath flowing.
Draw your awareness for a moment to your arms.
Are they relaxed at your side?
How do your fingertips feel as you move through this meditation?
Once you've established your pace,
Your conscious movement,
And the steadiness and the ease of your body,
Allow your awareness to gently turn outward.
Feeling the sounds and the sights around you.
Do you feel the sun on your skin?
Do you notice a particular sound in your environment?
Are there other people around you creating a web of energy?
What do you feel?
Are there smells that take your attention?
Can you notice these things without becoming attached to them?
Acknowledging the thought or the sensation and letting it go.
If the mind wanders and begins making bliss,
Worrying,
Thinking about the past or the future,
Gently bring it back to your intention.
Reminding yourself why you're practicing today.
Why you're walking.
And where you're going,
Even if the where is nowhere.
Once more,
Come back to the sensation in your feet.
The conscious awareness of touching each foot fully to the earth as you step.
What does it mean for you to take the next step?
What does it mean for you to take the next step?
We'll walk for just a little longer.
Prepare to find a place to stop.
You can use this stop as a check-in and then keep going.
Or you may choose to finish your meditation.
Come to a stopping place and once more find yourself standing still.
Notice the energy that you've created swirling in and out of the body.
Notice the sensation on the backside of your body.
Allow that to represent all that which lies in your past.
It is behind you now.
And it supports you.
Notice the sensation on the front of your body.
And allow that to represent all that lies before you in the future moments.
It is all possibility open to you.
You can choose to step in any direction.
Once more,
Notice your presence exactly where you are.
Standing tall embodying this moment,
Your worth and your dignity.
Visualize yourself reaching your destination.
How does it feel?
Maybe once more place a hand on your heart and a hand on your belly.
Softly close your eyes and gently draw your chin towards your chest.
And perhaps say to yourself,
Thank you.
Thank you for accompanying me on this journey.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
I wish you great joy and an abundance of love on all of your journeys.
