Meditation for Beginners - Lesson 10

05:49

Meditation for Beginners - Lesson 10

Type

talks

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Beginners

Plays

1

Meditation does not have to happen while sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed. You can meditate while moving. Walking meditation teaches us to bring attention into the body as it lifts, moves, places, and shifts through each step. In lesson ten of this beginner meditation course, I explain how to practise slow walking meditation, how to use the feet as an anchor, how to turn consciously, and how to carry the same awareness into normal everyday walking. This practice can be especially useful when the body feels restless or when seated meditation seems nearly impossible. The point is not to walk in exaggerated slow motion everywhere you go. The point is to realize that awareness can remain present while life is moving. Beginner practice: Walk slowly for five minutes while noticing the stages of lifting, moving, placing, and shifting. Then continue at a normal pace while remaining aware of the feet.

Meditation Walking Meditation Beginner Movement Awareness Mind Body Connection Restlessness Mantra Movement Awareness

Meet your Teacher

Kingston, ON, Canada

Meet your Teacher

Kingston, ON, Canada

Transcript

Hey everybody Jason here and welcome back. So today's lesson today we're going to talk about walking meditation. Now, A lot of people believe meditation has to happen with your eyes closed, Or it has to happen when you're sitting still. But walking meditation teaches us to bring awareness directly into movement itself. Now, This is super important because the goal isn't to become peaceful only while sitting in a quiet room, Right? Eventually, Meditation has to enter the rest of our lives. For this lesson, You know, Choose a place where you can walk safely and, You know, You don't have to choose a beautiful trail, You know, A hallway works, A room works, A backyard works, Whatever it is. You can walk in a straight line for several steps, Turn around and then return. It doesn't have to be very big. So you begin by standing still and you feel both feet touching the ground. You can use shoes, But I would recommend taking your shoes off as long as it's safe. And then notice the weight of the body, Right? Feel your legs supporting you, And I mean really, Really feel them. And then let your arms just hang naturally, And then place your hands loosely in front of you, And then begin by taking one breath, Right? Before moving, You know, Notice your intention to walk. Now, This is something most people usually miss, And I think all of us do from time to time. You know, It's the mind decides to move and the body follows pretty much almost immediately. But during walking meditation, We slow the process right down enough that you can actually observe it. So you begin by lifting one foot, And you do this super deliberately. You feel the heel rise, And you feel the weight shift into the other leg. And then you move the lifted foot forward, And then you place the heel down. And then, The rest of the foot, Shift the weight, And then move to the other foot. Now, You don't need to walk in some exaggerated slow motion, But move slow enough that you can feel each stage, Right? Lifting, Moving, Placing, And then shifting. You can even repeat those words quietly in your mind, Right? Like lifting, Moving, Placing. Or simply just feel the movement without labels, But your eyes should remain open for obvious reasons. And look a few feet ahead rather than staring directly at your shoes or your bare feet. So remain aware of your surroundings so you don't walk into anything. And when you reach the end of your walking path, Stop, Right? Just stop. Feel the body standing, Really just standing there, And then turn slowly. And then notice the movement of turning. Right? And then begin walking back. So the mind will wander just as it does in any type of seated meditation. You know, You'll start planning, You'll start remembering and judging probably how weird you look actually doing the practice. And when you notice, Just simply return to the feet, Right? Feel the next step. You know, Walking meditation can be extremely helpful when you're restless. You know, Some days sitting just isn't your game and it might feel absolutely impossible. So instead of forcing the body to remain frozen while the mind becomes increasingly agitated, Just walk. This is perfect for it. Let the energy move. But actually walk with awareness, Right? The practice can be used. . . At a normal pace. You might practice walking to the car, Or walking through the store, Walking even down a hallway to work. You don't have to move dramatically, Like slowly in public, Just feel several steps. Notice your feet touching the ground. Notice the body moving through the space around you. And notice the breath continuing while you walk. Every three conscious steps can interrupt a long, Long period of automatic behavior. And you can also combine the walking meditation with mantra itself. You can repeat one part of the mantra with the left step and then you can repeat another part of the mantra with the right. Or you could even coordinate the mantra loosely with the breath as you move, If doing it from left to right is too much for you. And again, Don't force it, Just do whatever works for you. Walking meditation teaches us that stillness, It doesn't always mean the body is motionless, Right? There can actually be an inner steadiness while moving is actually happening. You know, The body walks, Sound occurs, People pass, Thoughts appear, And awareness remains present within all of it. You know, For this lesson, Practice 10 minutes of simple walking meditation. You know, Walk slowly for the first five minutes and then walk at a normal pace while trying to maintain the same quality of attention. And really guys, Feel each step. Really, Really, Really feel them. And when the mind begins to run ahead, Return to the body that is actually here. Thanks for listening guys. Namaste.