Walking meditation is a simple, yet effective way to bring attention to your body and the world around you. It can be practiced in a variety of spiritual traditions and can help you connect with your environment in new ways.
When practicing walking meditation, walk slowly and consciously. Scan your body from the soles of your feet to the top of your head, paying attention to sensations that arise during this movement.
Mindfulness
Walking as meditation is a great way to engage with your thoughts, improve concentration, and help you build awareness. It can be practiced any time you’re out for a walk, or it can be done as part of a mindfulness meditation session.
Start with a slow, steady pace. If you’re new to walking meditation, try a softer pace and gradually increase it as your practice develops.
Next, pay attention to your feet touching the ground and any other sensations in your body, such as your heart rate or the way you breathe. This isn’t about being analytical, but about paying close attention to what’s going on right now in your life.
If you find your mind wandering, use a non-judgmental stance and bring it back to walking gently. This is a core skill of mindfulness and can help you become more patient with yourself as you learn to meditate.
Meditative walking
Walking meditation is a great way to get into the practice of mindfulness. It is also a good way to release stress and tension in the body.
The key is to take your time and walk slowly with a mind on the breath and movement of your body. It can be a challenging experience to focus on your breathing and the movement of your feet as you walk, so use a guided meditation or listen to a podcast to help you at first.
Walking meditation is best practiced in a quiet, serene environment. Avoiding traffic, fellow walkers, weather, and other distractions is important.
Guided meditation
Guided meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation where the person meditating is led through the practice by another party, usually a teacher or other meditation practitioner. This can be done in a class, by reading through a meditation script someone has prepared or by listening to an audio meditation online or on a meditation app.
Guides often use mental images and visualizations that dispel past wrongs and bring healing light to the meditator’s mind, body and spirit. They also instruct the meditator to relax specific muscle groups and to become aware of their breath.
Before starting a guided meditation, it’s best to set an intention. Whether you’re meditating to be more focused and productive at work, have better relationships or show more compassion to your spouse, this intention will help anchor you during your practice and give you something to return to when your thoughts wander.
It’s also important to choose a good time for your practice, as it can be difficult to stick to a habit if you don’t make it a priority. Most people find it easier to meditate first thing in the morning or last thing at night, when life is quieter and more relaxed.
Getting started
Walking as meditation is a great way to get started with mindfulness meditation. It also offers a gentle alternative to a sitting meditation practice and can be used as a bridge to integrate mindfulness into everyday life.
The key to getting started with walking as meditation is to set a goal that feels reasonable and manageable. Start by walking around a small area for about 10 to 15 steps, turning around after each step and breathing mindfully before continuing.
After that, begin walking in a steady, even pace. You may find that your mind wanders, but guide it back gently.
Walk as much or as little as you need to in order to feel comfortable and centered. As you become more proficient at walking mindfully, you can expand your focus beyond the feet to include other body parts. When you’re ready, you can take your practice outside in nature or on a walking path near your home or work.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://quietmeditations.com/andy-puddicombe-founder-of-headspace/
