Welcome to your walking meditation.
This meditation is a great tool to use to decrease distress through physical and intentional movement within our bodies.
Walking meditations have been shown to have many benefits including boosting our blood flow,
Reducing anxiety,
Inspiring creativity,
And improving our overall well-being.
I invite you to take a moment to set an intention for your practice today.
You may ask yourself,
What do I want to feel more connected to in this moment?
It could be a single word,
Compassion,
Openness,
Focus.
Setting an intention gives our mind an anchor,
Something to come back to again and again.
Now start off by locating an area of space about 15 to 30 paces long.
It doesn't have to be exact.
Simply find an area where you can safely and comfortably walk back and forth,
Back and forth,
Again and again.
This could be outside in nature,
At home in your living room,
Or in your office at work.
Once you've arrived at your space,
Locate your starting point.
Let's start to bring awareness into our body by first accessing standing meditation.
Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.
Bring your awareness to your feet.
Notice the sensation of your feet on the floor.
What is beneath you?
Perhaps you are barefoot and feel sand or grass beneath your feet.
Or maybe you feel a plush carpet supporting you.
If you're wearing shoes,
Notice the way your feet feel in the shoes you're wearing.
Can you observe the structure they provide?
Or perhaps the material feels tight around a certain area of your foot.
Feel free to wiggle your toes and engage with the ground.
Moving up from your feet,
Observe how your body feels in space.
Notice how your body supports your weight.
Try shifting your weight towards the right and then the left,
Observing any changes and sensations that arise.
Now return to center and bring awareness to your posture.
Start to stand up tall,
Feeling the sensation starting from your feet rooted to the ground.
Create openness in your chest,
Riding your shoulders slowly down and back,
Feeling more aligned.
Notice your arms in space and allow them to rest in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Maybe your arms hang loosely at your sides.
Perhaps you place them behind your back,
Joining together at your lower back.
Notice what position your body feels most called towards.
Now begin to walk along your path slowly.
As you take a slow step forward,
Notice how it feels to lift one foot in the air.
What sensations arise as you place your foot gently on the ground,
Connecting with the earth?
Notice the experience of placing your foot on the ground.
Heel first,
Rolling forward towards your toes until it is firmly planted on the ground.
Slowly and with intention,
Observe your experience of walking,
First with one foot and then the other.
You notice your sense of balance?
What might be coming up for you?
Continue walking along the path.
Be careful not to rush.
In this moment,
You have nowhere to go,
Nowhere to be.
Just here,
In this moment.
When you get to the end of your path,
Mindfully turn around.
Observe the sensation of your body moving and turning in space.
Then again,
Continue along your path,
Observing all that comes into your awareness as you move.
Your mind may wander at any point.
Simply notice this and let the thoughts float away like a cloud in the breeze.
When your mind starts to wander,
Bring your focus back to your feet and the sensation of your body connecting with the ground.
Continue to walk,
Non-judgmentally,
No expectations,
Nowhere you have to be but here.
Simply notice the movement and flow of your body in this moment.
Continue to walk until you are ready to stop or you reach the end of your path.
Once stopped,
Take a deep breath in,
Return to your intention and connect with it once more.
Exhale slowly.
Once more,
Take a deep breath in and exhale and thank yourself for making time for yourself today.
