In this practice,
You will experience a walking meditation to practice awakening your senses and tuning into your breath.
Let's begin by arriving to your walk.
No rush,
No destination.
Let your arms hang loose.
Let your feet meet the ground.
Notice the subtle rhythm of your steps,
Left and right,
Left and right.
Notice your pace.
Let your attention drop out of the mind and into the body.
Feel the contact of the earth through your feet.
Notice the weight of gravity and how your body responds.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
You are here.
You are now.
Let's begin the walk.
Let's first pay attention to what you see.
Let your gaze soften.
Feel your eyes softening.
Rather than searching for something to look at,
Let your eyes receive.
Notice light,
Color,
Contrast,
Movement.
Let the trees and the buildings and the shapes around you become textures.
Notice patterns and shapes.
Let your nervous system register safety through what's neutral,
Soft,
And alive.
Notice the symmetry you see in nature.
Let your eyes land on something and then gently look away,
Just noticing,
Shifting your focus through your sight.
Keep walking and now shift your awareness to your ears.
What can you hear?
The obvious sound of my voice,
The music underneath.
Notice what you hear a little farther away.
Is there any rhythm to the noise you hear around you?
Can you hear the sound of your feet,
The sound of your breath?
Let yourself notice the sound.
Let all the sounds rise and fall.
Just listen and walk.
Now become aware of your skin.
Notice the air touching your face,
Your arms,
Your neck.
Is the air warm or cool?
Is it still or moving?
Notice how your clothes feel on your body,
How the air feels at the tip of your nose,
As you breathe.
Feel the swing of your arms and the strength of your legs.
Let your body feel itself in motion,
Alive,
Engaged,
And responsive.
Notice any sunlight on your skin.
Maybe pause for a moment in stillness and take in the sunlight.
Closing your eyes,
Notice the light behind your eyelids.
Bring your awareness now back to your walk,
Back to your body.
Let's explore your nose.
Bring your attention to what you smell.
What does the air smell like today?
Earthy?
Sweet?
Is there a flower blooming nearby?
Maybe the smell of a home-cooked meal or a restaurant.
Just feeling it,
Taking it in,
Letting your body register,
Noticing,
Expanding our awareness.
And then bring your awareness to your mouth,
To your tongue.
Notice any leftover flavors in your mouth.
Maybe a final sip of your morning coffee or some water.
Just notice what's there in your mouth.
Letting these subtle senses wake up with awareness.
Bring your attention now to your breath,
Your inner current.
Keep walking and noticing your breath.
Where do you feel it the most?
In your nose?
In your chest?
Down in your belly?
Let the breath move in and out without effort.
No control,
Just awareness.
Notice all of your senses aware and expanded.
Feel the earth below your feet.
Soften your body into your walk.
Each breath as a reminder to walk with ease and awareness.
As your walk continues,
Bringing all of your senses into one soft awareness.
Let yourself feel alive and rooted from your rhythmic movement.
Returning again and again to your breath,
To your senses,
To your rhythm.
Keep breathing and moving and noticing life through awareness,
Through presence.
Keep exploring your body as you walk.
Taking in the outer world through your senses.
Inviting harmony with your inner world as you move through.
Keep walking,
Keep enjoying this bilateral movement in your body and bilateral music in your ears.
The music will play for a few more moments as this practice comes to an end.
Feel free to repeat it as many times as you'd like.
