Slow walking meditation.
If possible,
Find a quiet place to walk either outside or in.
If you have a physical disability that makes it difficult to walk,
You can also do this practice as a movement meditation.
Moving any part of the body in tune with the breath,
Like opening and closing the fists.
You could also do this in a wheelchair or with crutches or a cane.
Please take care of yourself.
And end the meditation when you feel you've had enough.
So begin by simply standing.
Or sitting.
And noticing sensations in the body and the breath.
As they come and go.
Notice where the body meets the ground,
Feeling the sensations here.
Notice the space all around you.
You might even do a little bit of orienting to support the system to settle into the space.
When you feel ready.
On your next inhale,
Lift one of your feet,
Move it forward,
And on the exhale,
Place it in front of you.
With the next inhale.
Lift the other foot.
Little bit forward.
And on the exhale.
Place it in front of you.
Take small steps.
As it can be harder to maintain your balance when walking slowly.
Allow yourself the time to get used to this pace,
Which may feel unfamiliar.
And once you've got the hang of it,
The invitation is to drop your awareness more and more deeply into the felt sensations as the body moves through space.
Notice the sensations of the feet as they meet the earth.
Can you feel the stillness there?
Allow yourself to feel supported by the ground with each step.
Notice the sensations of air and clothing moving against the skin.
Notice how this is changing as you move.
You might choose to continue walking in a particular direction in this way,
Or if you don't have a lot of space,
You could simply pace back and forth.
If you're pacing.
Just stopping when it feels right.
Taking a breath.
Slowly turning around and beginning again.
As you continue to walk.
The invitation is to slowly notice.
More and more of your thoughts,
Emotions.
Images,
Impulses.
Coming and going in the body and the mind.
And as with physical sensations,
Simply allowing them to move through you.
You can also include sounds and visual sensations in this walking meditation.
Becoming aware of everything that's here as you continue to move through space.
Initially,
You might become aware of a part of you that wants to go faster.
Boy,
That's getting bored.
Or that isn't sure what it should be doing.
So the invitation is to also simply notice these parts,
Allow them to be here.
Allow any associated thoughts or emotions to also arise.
And pass away.
While continuing to walk.
You can take all of these parts with you in this walking meditation.
Lifting the foot on the in breath.
Placing it on the out-breath as best you can coordinating the movement with the breath.
And as you continue noticing any effect this is having on your whole system.
Any signs of settling.
Like the heart rate slowing.
The breath slowing and deepening.
The muscle tone softening.
And the energy across your whole body beginning to feel more balanced.
Are integrated.
If slow walking feels too hard for you for whatever reason,
You can walk at any pace that feels supportive,
Maintaining awareness as you go.
As you continue with this walking meditation,
You might start noticing a deeper sense of ease or joy or okayness or contentment.
Arising in your being.
Even a sense of peace.
Stillness,
Steadiness.
If anything like this begins to happen,
The invitation is to really allow yourself.
To also include these sensations and energies in your awareness.
Dwelling within them and even enjoying them.
Allowing them to resource and nourish you.
As you continue to walk.
Continue this practice for as long as you've got time for.
Or as long as it continues to feel supportive to you.
And when you're ready to bring the practice to a close.
Feel free to stop walking and just stand,
Sit,
Or lay down for a little while.
Resting in the fruits of the practice,
Noticing the effect it's had on you.
Dwelling here for a while.
Before continuing on with the rest of your day.
