If the waves of bad news about the economic crisis have been weighing you down, make a date with yourself sometime this week and try out the walking meditation in this article. This meditation, which doesn’t require you to remain in a fixed position for prolonged period, will help you to find your center and loosen your grip on the worries and fears in your mind.
Even if you are an experienced meditator, walking meditation can also offer you something, as it trains your focus and concentration during a state of movement which cannot otherwise be experienced in other static forms of meditation.
How to Do Walking Meditation
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Find an interruption-free stretch of level ground. It can be either outdoor or in your own room, but practicing walking meditation in nature will help you to open up yourself more and allow healing to take place faster than doing it indoors.
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Gather nine stones, pebbles or any placeholders you can find and line them in a straight line in front of you. The distance between each milestone should be the width of a normal stride you’d usually take. Take off your shoes, if possible, so that you can feel the ground intimately.
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Relax your body and stand at the first milestone with your arms hanging loosely by your sides. Soften your gaze and rest it downwards a few steps ahead of you to prevent any visual distraction. Spend a couple of minutes to do a few cycles of slow, deep breathing.
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When you are ready, say aloud or under your breath “Now I will let go of all my fears and worries.” (Feel free to change the affirmation to suit your life situation.) As you speak, consciously lift up one foot and slowly take a step forward. Feel your heel and toes as they touch the ground.
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At the second milestone, I like you to be mindful of as many bodily sensations as you can when you take the next step. Reconnect to your body: feel your leg muscles and notice how your arms sway as you walk. Feel the warmth of the earth, or the coolness of the tile as you press your foot against the ground. Open your ears to the ambient sounds and observe how they form an orchestra even without a conductor. Sniff the air for the scent of the season or the aroma of your neighbor’s next meal. Take note of all these sensations without judgment or a running commentary; just be aware of them.
When you are ready, say “I now let go of all my fears and worries”, and take another slow conscious step forward.
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Continue putting one foot in front of the other, keeping full attention on your body and the environment as you walk from one milestone to another. During the course of walking, be conscious of what’s in your mind. If your mind has wandered, just stop, bring your concentration back and then continue. Every time you reach a milestone, imagine yourself shedding another layer of your fears and worries and becoming lighter and stronger. Do this until you reach the last milestone.
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Pause at the last milestone, turn and retrace your steps. But instead of repeating the same mantra, say “I can meet every situation in my life with love, confidence and strength.”. Remember to retain your focus on every step that you take. When you are back at the first milestone, turn back and begin all over again from Step 3.
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Continue walking for about fifteen to twenty minutes. When you are ready to end this meditative journey, stop and spend a few minutes watching your breath. Then bring the renewed strength and vitality into your life.
Afterword
It’s interesting how daily activities like walking which we have taken so much for granted can be so calming and meditative when we focus our full attention on them. Though simple, this dynamic form of meditation can teach us about the importance of living in the present moment, and also reveal the transient nature of our emotions.
Every step that we take is a step that is happening now. This step is not the same as the one before it (the past), and neither is it the same as the one we are going to take (the future). Although we can retrace our steps, no two steps are ever the same. The past has passed. It is the step that you are taking now that really matters.
Likewise, as you try to offload your worries and fears with every step, learn to appreciate the fact that your sufferings are caused either by recollection of some past events or an anticipation of the unknown future, and are therefore unreal. In walking meditation, by applying mindfulness on your bodily sensations, you are focusing on what you are really experiencing now, instead of entertaining the imaginary images in your mind. You may also come to realize how quickly your emotions shift when you bring your focus back to now. Because regardless of what you are going through inside, unless you are clinging to it in some way, your emotions will pass sooner or later.
Enhance your meditation experience and learn more useful techniques from our Meditation Resources »
Hi….I like your articles on this blog….:)
Hi Pierre,
Thanks, I’m glad to hear that. Perhaps you can let us know which articles resonate with you the most.
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