This is a guided meditation for walking meditation.
So to do walking meditation,
First we begin just by standing upright,
Feeling our feet on the floor,
On the ground,
And breathing.
Noticing our breath as it comes in and as it goes out.
If you want to do a formal position of the hands for this meditation,
You make a loose fist with your left hand with the thumb on the inside,
And then you take your right hand and place it over your left hand and put your hands just below your sternum.
Then to begin walking,
We begin with as we breathe in,
The right foot lifts up a little bit and then swings forward just half a step,
And then as you place your foot back on the floor,
Then you breathe out.
So breathing in,
Then the left foot comes up,
Swings forward,
And as you place that foot on the floor,
You breathe out.
So your walking is guided by your breathing.
And you just allow your breath to be however it is.
Sometimes people find it to be helpful to begin with some more deep and slow breathing.
But really you're just breathing and feeling your breath in your whole body as you walk.
And if it feels awkward to you to coordinate your breathing with your walking,
Then you can just breathe and walk slowly and not worry about coordinating the breathing.
And what you do with your mind during walking meditation is really the same as during sitting meditation.
So as thoughts arise,
Just let them arise and then let them fall and return your attention to your breathing and your walking.
Whatever arises,
Whether it be thoughts or emotions or physical sensations,
Just allowing yourself to be present with these but not to get carried away by them and setting your intention as focusing on your breathing and your walking.
And as you breathe and walk in this way,
You might allow a sense of gratitude to arise.
Gratitude for your feet and your legs for holding you up.
Gratitude towards your body for being a container in which you can practice.
Gratitude for the earth that is supporting you with each and every step.
And gratitude for the place in which you find yourself able to do this walking meditation.
And when we hear the bell,
We just do a simple bow and then we can return to our seats.
