For this walking meditation,
First find a place for your walking practice.
Preferably a place that's relatively flat and without traffic.
A place that lets you listen safely to the instructions.
Before you start walking,
Take a moment to be where you are and notice yourself standing.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Feel your body standing and notice how it's feeling.
Invite your spine to lengthen and your shoulders to be soft.
Stand in a way that feels upright,
Relaxed and present.
Bring attention to your breath.
And take a deep breath in and a slow breath out.
Now notice where you are.
What sensations are you experiencing?
What do you see in front of you?
Perhaps a specific color or shape or any movements.
What sounds do you hear?
Do you feel warmth or coolness?
Is there a breeze or is the air still?
Now consciously begin walking at a pace that feels right to you.
Notice the physical sensations of lifting your feet.
And the sensation of your feet making contact with the ground.
Focusing on the very particular experience of your foot touching the ground.
Your heel,
Your foot and your toes lifting.
If it helps,
You can say to yourself contact as each foot contact with the ground.
Contact,
Contact,
Contact,
Contact.
And begin to widen the focus of your awareness to include the experience of your whole body walking.
What are the range of sensations you are experiencing in your body?
What does it feel like for the body to move in this way?
Now as you walk and are still aware of your body,
Expand your awareness even further.
Include the range of everything you're experiencing in your environment.
From sights and sounds to smells and sensations.
Can you be fully aware and present of walking in the middle of this very dynamic experience?
You may try alternating your focus from the contact of your feet on the ground to being aware of your whole body walking.
To being aware of the wider environment.
Or simply pausing to appreciate something in your path.
Continue walking in this way for as long as you like.
When you're ready to finish,
Come back to standing still.
And finish with a full breath in and a long breath out.
You can close this practice or continue on your walk.
