This meditation is going to be a walking meditation.
This may be different for some people and it's a good practice.
I think that it's extremely valuable to bring our practice into different aspects of our life rather than just sitting.
So for this meditation,
Find a place to walk back and forth at least 10 feet.
I like to have about 10 to 15 feet.
And start at one end and simply plant your feet there.
Our last meditation addressed the first foundation of mindfulness,
Which is mindfulness of the body,
And is often worked by looking at the breath.
However,
There's a lot more going on in our bodies than just the breath.
So standing here,
Feel your feet on the ground.
Feel how the earth has you completely supported.
Just with the force that you are pushing down on it,
The earth is pushing back up,
Holding you there.
Feel the sensation of your feet on the ground.
You may very slowly pick up one foot and take a step forward.
And as you take this step,
Feel the sensations on your foot as your heels,
Then your toe,
Touch the ground.
There's no need to label,
To judge,
To wish for it to be different.
Simply feel how it feels.
Pick up your other foot,
And as you pick it up,
Feel your foot come up off the ground,
Into the air,
Moving forward,
And touching down.
Take a few steps in this manner,
Finding a pace that works well for you.
Some people like to take a step with each breath,
Or a step with each inhale,
And a step with each exhale,
Or a few steps each breath.
You may focus on one aspect of the step,
Like coming down,
Feeling the sensation of the foot hitting the ground slowly,
Or you may focus on the movement as a whole.
You may focus on the movement as a whole,
Or you may focus on the movement as a whole,
Noticing that when your foot comes up off the ground to take a step,
All the muscles in your leg are at work to make this happen.
When you get to the other end of your walking space,
When you get to the other end of your walking space,
Slowly and mindfully turn around,
And walk back.
Slowly and mindfully turn around,
And walk back.
When your mind wanders,
When your mind wanders,
Which it will,
Come back to the steps you're taking.
There's no need to judge or be harsh.
There's no need to judge or be harsh.
There's no need to judge or be harsh.
An indicator for many people that they've lost their concentration a little bit is when they begin to speed up.
They begin to speed up.
You may go even a little deeper You may go even a little deeper and be aware of your body moving through space,
Your torso,
Your body moving through space,
Your torso,
Your body moving through space,
Your torso,
Your body moving through space,
Your torso,
Your legs doing the work,
Your legs moving forward.
Your legs moving forward.
Your legs moving forward.
Again,
When your mind wanders,
Come back to the sensations at hand.
There are many things going on right now in the present moment The muscles in our entire leg working,
The sensation of our foot coming off the ground,
Moving through the air and stepping down,
The sensation of our whole body moving forward.
If it helps you,
You can use a mantra like lift,
Step,
Or lift,
Forward,
Down,
Down,
Whatever works for you.
When you're ready,
You can stop walking.
This practice is a great way to take the first foundation of mindfulness,
Which is mindfulness of the body,
And to practice it in a different way other than just mindfulness of breathing.
To practice it while we're moving.
Much of our day we spend moving,
And this practice can really help us be present throughout our day.
