If you can,
Begin by giving the dog a few seconds to sniff around and just stand and feel into your feet,
Feel the weight of your body,
Feel the balance when you're holding yourself up.
Then when you begin walking,
Similar to a breath meditation or any other walking meditation,
Simply be aware with the sensation of your feet touching the ground.
And you may walk a little more quickly than you're used to in a walking meditation,
But still you can try to feel as much sensation as possible.
And here the tension might be a bit more rough,
Might be a bit more broad.
So instead of feeling different sensation of the different parts of your feet touching the ground,
Maybe it's just a broader sense of step,
Step,
Step.
Just be with that and follow that.
And as in any other meditation,
Once you notice that your mind has wandered,
Try to let go and gently bring it back to the feeling of your feet touching the floor.
Then inevitably the dog will stop to greet another dog or to sniff or to do their business and when that happens,
Just feel your whole body,
Feel the sensation of your feet standing,
The ground supporting you and try to get an understanding of how your whole body feels.
Try to notice if there's any sense of leaning forward,
Which you want your dog to finish up,
Is there annoyance,
Agitation.
Continue to just notice that and be with that.
And then when your dog continues,
You continue to feel sensation of your feet touching the floor.
When you notice you've been distracted,
Your mind has wandered,
Again coming back to the sensation of your feet walking.
And as this meditation comes to an end,
I invite you to keep going with this as long as it feels beneficial to you or bring the awareness more fully to your walk,
Engaging with your dog,
Playing with them,
Giving her a treat.
Thank you for taking the time to practice today.
Have a great day.
