Mindful Walking Meditation

This practice can be used by anyone for a quick moving meditation for calm and relaxation. It can be used to help students become calm, focused, and centered in a classroom. It leads them in a short, slow, and silent walk.

Transcript

We're going to do some mindful walking,

So come to standing.

Begin by noticing your breath.

Allow your belly to expand on the in-breath and fall on the out-breath belly button in towards your spine gently.

Then start to take a very slow,

Silent walk.

Move as slowly as possible.

Gently place each foot down.

Mindfully place feet one in front of the other.

Soften your gaze,

Looking without really noticing.

Maybe looking at the floor just a foot or so in front of where your feet are.

Gently move around others in the room without engaging in conversation.

And continue to walk,

Focusing on the movement and going very slowly.

As we do this exercise,

You might find that your imagination or your thoughts will want to intrude with stories about the past or the future.

That's okay.

That's just what minds do to try to protect us,

Giving us stories to keep us alert.

For now,

Just allow those thoughts to come and go without engagement or judgment.

Let them flow by as if you were the sky and the thoughts were clouds drifting across.

If you find yourself caught up in a story or a worry,

When you notice that that has happened,

Bring yourself back to this moment.

Maybe by noticing the next step that you take or by noticing your breathing,

Noticing whatever your soft gaze is focused on.

Return to this moment of nurturing your body and mind with self-compassion.

Continue to allow everything that has happened before now to fall away and let go of everything that will happen after.

Bring yourself to this moment,

To noticing what it feels like to take that next step.

Pay full attention to the walking.

Now,

Once again,

Bringing yourself back to this moment.

Pause.

Notice how you feel.