Mindful Walking Meditation
Mindful walking is a form of meditation that can be helpful in our daily life. Like many other forms of meditation that uses focus, in walking meditation we use the experience of walking as our focus. It is meditation in action.
During mindful walking, our journey is less about the destination, Instead of walking on distracted autopilot, it’s about bringing more awareness to this everyday activity.
In mindful walking meditation, we become mindful of our experience while walking. This means we bring our attention to the process, and the movement of our legs (left, right, left, right); we keep our focus on that experience. There are some differences between walking meditation and sitting meditation. Obviously one of them is we keep our eyes open during walking meditation, that difference alone implies other changes in the way we do the practice.
In walking meditation, we do not withdraw our attention from the outside world, we have to be aware of the things outside ourselves, such as tripping over, other people we might walk into, and many other things that we will be more aware of than when we are doing sitting meditation, especially if we sit inside. Other factors include the wind, the sun, the rain, the sound of nature, and of humans and machines. By tuning into your environment and the sensations in your body as you walk, it can help you to focus on the present moment.
One of the biggest differences, however, is that it’s easy to do.
For most people, being more intensely aware of their bodies while doing walking meditation is much easier than the sitting forms and practices of sitting meditation. When the body is in motion, it is easier to be aware of it compared to when you are sitting still, the experience can be intense, and you can find intense enjoyment in the practice. There are several different kinds of walking meditation, but the most common is walking meditation done outdoors. For the first try, you may want to find a park or open space where you will be able to walk for twenty minutes without encountering traffic. And what a great time of year to get started!
How to do walking meditation
After you have decided or chosen a park where you can do your walking meditation, here are some steps on how to do walking meditation:
Start by simply Standing
Simply begin the walking meditation by standing. Just stand on the spot. Be aware of the weight being transferred from your body through the soles of your feet into the earth. Be aware of all the subtle movements that go on in order to keep us balanced and upright. Our ability to be able to stand upright should not be taken for granted. So be aware of the constant adjustments that you’re making in order to maintain your balance.
Walking
After being able to do the first step, you can begin to walk at a fairly slow but normal walking pace, and in a normal manner. Remember that we are not changing the way we walk; we’re simply going to be aware of it.
Awareness of the body as you start your first steps of walking, keep attention to the soles of your feet, be aware of the alternating patterns of contact and release; be aware of all the different sensations in your feet, everything from the contact between the toes, the feeling of the inside of your shoes, the fabric of your socks, and let your feet be relaxed as you can.
The bottom line of this step is to be aware of each and every little thing that you do with your body in the process of walking, including the focus of your eyes, relaxing your eyes, and not allowing yourself to be caught up in anything that’s going to pass you.
Whatever else captures your attention, come back to the sensation of walking. Your mind will wander, so without frustration, guide it back again as many times as you need.
Sounds
Now for a few minutes, expand your attention to sounds. Without labeling or naming the sound, or getting caught up in whether you find them pleasant or unpleasant, just notice the sounds around you. Notice sounds as nothing more or less than sound.
Smells
Shift your awareness to your sense of smell. Don’t push or force yourself to smell anything at all. If you can smell something, just bring attention to the sense of smell, whatever you discover. Simply notice any smells around you.
Sight
Now, notice what you can see. Notice colours and objects and whatever else you see. Patiently coming back each time something grabs your attention, or even if something needs addressing, like avoiding an obstacle. Staying natural, not overly rigid, not daydreaming and drifting, but with sustained awareness.
Feelings
Initially, we are not talking of emotional feelings, but just the feeling of tone that you’re having. Things that feel pleasant and unpleasant, inside and outside of your body. Do not cling to them or push them away, just notice them, and allow them to drift by.
With thoughts and emotions, just notice your emotional state, such as: Are you bored? Are you content? Are you irritated? Are you feeling very happy to be doing what you’re doing? Noticing these things with no particular judgment and simply noticing them.
Balancing Inner and Outer
If you can be aware of both the inner world and the outer world in equal balance, then the mind settles at a point of stillness, calmness, and clarity.
Balance your experience between the inner and the outer.
As you walk, keep his open awareness of everything around you, wherever you are. Nothing to do, nothing to fix, nothing to change. Fully aware, and walking.
Return to the Physical Sensations
In the last moments, come back to awareness of the physical sensations of walking. Notice the movements in your body with each step. Notice how your feet feel as you walk.
Stopping
After every step has been experienced for a while, just bring yourself to a natural halt. You’re not freezing on the spot but you allow yourself to come to a stop and just experience yourself standing. You can then begin walking again until you feel naturally you’d like to stop again. Just repeat this process until you feel you would like to close the walk.
Simply standing and experiencing you, and finally bringing the meditation to a close.
How did you feel? What did you notice around you?
Consider how you might bring this kind of awareness into the rest of your day.
Enjoy this time, especially if you are out in nature, though you can do this anywhere.
Learn more about Mindfulness
Interested in learning more about mindfulness? Learn more about my Mindfulness X Programme. Read more about mindfulness and the stress-busting power of camping.