Washing Away Anxiety (Walking Meditation)

Hi love! This is an active meditation to be practiced while walking. Put on comfortable shoes and dress warmly for the weather. Find a safe spot, like a park or a treadmill at the gym, where you can use earbuds. Walk at a slow to moderate pace, around 3-4 miles per hour. If you’re on a treadmill, you can add a slight incline for a gentle challenge, but listen to your body—you don’t want to be out of breath. Hit play when you're ready to begin this practice.

Transcript

Hi love!

This practice is an active meditation and it should be practiced while walking.

So make sure you have good comfortable shoes on and it's important that you stay warm so no matter the weather outside make sure that you have enough layers for your walk.

Try to think of a spot outside where it'll be safe for you to use earbuds while you practice this meditation such as in a park or at the gym on the treadmill.

Hit pause to get ready and come back when you can begin this active meditation practice at the park or at the gym.

So for this practice you would want to walk at a slow to moderate pace something like three or four miles per hour so that would make it a brisk walk.

If you are on a treadmill you can even increase the incline a little for a slight challenge.

You just don't want to be out of breath so make sure to listen to your body.

Now be aware of your posture.

Stuck energy like anxiety can't move freely if we're crouched over which constricts the belly and the breath.

So as you walk keep your awareness on your posture rolling your shoulders back to open up the chest slightly,

Sucking in the lower belly slightly,

Activating the core,

Spine is straight so you can breathe freely.

Still keeping your eyes open observe the environment around you and notice the colors and objects.

As you do so name these objects and colors in your head.

For instance red car,

Tall green tree,

Brown bench,

My black shoes or if you are on a treadmill observe and name the gym accessories around you.

This practice helps us reorient ourselves in the room or in the environment and bring us back into the body,

Bring us back into the present moment.

So keep doing it for the next minute or so.

I'll watch the time.

Now take a deep breath in through your nostrils and notice how does the air feel.

Is it cool?

Is it warm?

And gently exhale out.

Again inhale bringing awareness to the temperature of the air flowing in and a big exhale out.

Another one.

Inhale and this time as you exhale out feeling all the worries anxieties flowing right out.

Last one.

Deep inhale through your nose and a big exhale out.

Let it all out through the mouth.

Now as you keep walking bring your awareness to your feet.

Can you feel the heel touch the ground,

The gracious movement of your foot and finally the ball of the foot touching the ground.

This slow wave-like movement of your feet walking.

You can even slightly push into your feet while walking or move your toes inside your shoes if you can't feel your feet.

Keep your awareness on your feet and the movement of each foot for the next minute or so.

I'll watch the time.

Good.

Now take a deep breath in and a big exhale out.

Now try to spot a bench or somewhere to sit as we slowly close off this practice.

If you are on a treadmill you can slowly reduce the speed.

Try to think of a spot where you can take a few minutes to sit down and not be disturbed.

Perhaps the locker room.

Taking the time to slow down.

Catch your breath if you need to.

Now you can hit pause if you need more time to find a place to sit and hopefully be undisturbed.

So now that you are sitting down,

Your feet are flat on the ground.

Spine is straight but in a comfortable position.

You can close your eyes now or you can keep them open with a soft gaze.

Deep breath in and out.

Can you feel any kind of movement or tingling sensation in your body?

The energy moving could be from your eyelids twitching when closing your eyes,

Heartbeat,

Or perhaps you can feel the blood flow in your limbs or your feet might feel a little numb.

That's okay,

Just observe.

Observe the energy moving in your body and if you need to move in any way to release that extra pent-up energy,

Feel free to do so.

Good.

Now visualize roots growing from your feet.

The roots are traveling down,

Down into the ground where you can feel secure,

Grounded,

And safe.

Stay in this grounded space for as long as you want.

If you want to journal or free-write on whatever that needs to be released and let go,

Feel free to do so after this practice.

And only when you're ready to come out of this practice,

You can slowly move your toes,

Move your feet,

Come back into your body,

And take all the time you need to keep moving on with your day.

Thank you so much for practicing with me.

I am so proud of you and you did an amazing job today.

Namaste.