Meditation in Motion

Are you finding it hard to take time out for meditation? Did you know you can take meditation with you, on the go?

Taking a walk? Transform it into a mindful meditation practice.

Find a place

·         For your walking meditation you should choose somewhere safe where you don’t need to be alert to traffic and safety.

Anchor & ground yourself

·         Before you start walking take a moment to notice yourself standing.

·         Feel your feet on the ground.

·         Notice how you are standing.

·         Invite your spine to lengthen and your shoulders to soften.

·         Stand in a way that feels balanced, upright, relaxed and present.

Connect to your Breath

·         Bring your attention to your breath.

·         Take a deep inhale, hold the breath for a moment and then sigh the breath out. (Repeat a few times as necessary)

Begin to walk

·         Slowly (at a comfortable pace) begin to walk, bring all your awareness to your footfall, placing the foot mindfully and with a reverence on the earth. Feeling first the heel of the foot, the arch and then as you spring off the ball of the foot to pace your next step.

·         Walk like this for a few moments using your footfall and awareness to your breath as an anchor to hold your awareness and focus on the present.

·         Begin to find a natural rhythm of movement.

Outward Awareness

·         Mindfully begin to scan your surrounds, inviting and receiving everything with a friendliness, making space, expanding your awareness.

·         Notice where you are

·         What sounds can you hear?

·         What do you see?

·         Do you feel the sensation of warmth or coolness on your skin?

·         Is there a breeze or is it still?

·         Settle into the comforts of your surrounding with awareness and gratitude mindfully walking like this, safe and cocooned in your natural environment for a few moments.

As you graciously settle here, walking rhythmically, begin to return your awareness to your physical/internal body.

 Internal Awareness

·         What sensations do you feel right now?

·         Can you notice the sensation of lifting your foot?

·         Are you aware of the sensation of your foot touching the earth?

·         Notice the arms moving naturally

·         Become aware of the hands, loose and relaxed

·         Notice your shoulders, neck and jaw, are they relaxed and released

·         Expand the focus of your awareness to include the experience of your whole-body walking.

·         How does it feel the whole body moving in this way?

·         Settle into the comforts of your whole-body awareness walking with gratitude and ease.

Now – holding the awareness of your body moving and the sensations; expand your awareness to include everything in your environment from sights and sounds, to smells, and sensation.

Can you be fully aware and present of walking in the middle of this very dynamic experience.

Conclusion

·         When you are ready to end, simply come back to standing still.

·         Finish with a full deep inhale and a long, slow exhale.

Namaste

Enhance your practice:

·         Practice stopping while you’re walking – PAUSE. If you can stop while walking, then you’ll be able to stop when doing your other daily activities, whether that is at work, tending to children, cleaning the kitchen, watering the garden, or eating breakfast.

·         Initially do not include other activities like walking the dog, walking to the train or a brisk walk to the shops as part of your meditation. Our walking meditation is simply walking. Walking and not arriving is the technique we wish to practice. Enjoy every step in the moment as each step brings you home into the present moment the only place where life exists, the here and now.

·         Be aware of the contact between your feet and the Earth. Walk as if you are kissing the Earth. Practice gratitude for every step and walk with an attitude of reverence; walking lightly and gently on sacred ground.

·         As with all meditation practice, the moment we notice that our mind has strayed to thinking, dreaming, memories or planning, we pause in the moment and then return to our anchor, the breath.

·         Practice being ‘never too tight and never too loose.’

Enjoy your practice. 😉