Meditation doesn’t always have to be done sitting in one place. You can actually meditate while walking. Walking meditation is commonly used in Zen, Taoist and Buddhist traditions as a more active route to mindfulness.
Meditation of any kind is simply a process of developing greater awareness and mindfulness as also enhancing health. In a walking meditation, you get to enjoy the benefits of walking (health) and meditation (mindfulness) simultaneously. Walking meditation allows you to be more present in your body and in the present moment. The simple experience of alternating steps with the left and right foot naturally helps create a meditative state.
Where: Walking meditation is best done outdoors. Choose a place to do the meditation where it is possible to walk in a continuous movement without having to make sudden turns. A circular path would be the best.
When: This mediation can be done as one of the first things in the morning, during a lunch break, before bed, or anytime you feel a need to calm the mind or increase your awareness. Give yourself at least 20 minutes a day.
How: It’s good to be dressed comfortably. Go barefoot if you can to let your feet touch the ground directly. Before starting to walk, stand still for a moment or two while being aware of your weight that is being transferred through the soles of your feet into the earth. Be aware of all of the small, subtle movements that go on within you in order to keep you balanced and upright. Allow your awareness to be with your body. Take some deep breaths. Focus your attention on the sensation of breathing. Then allow the breath to return to normal. Now begin walking.
Walk at a relaxed, fairly slow but normal pace. It’s not changing the way that you walk; but simply to be aware of it. When you are walking, your primary focus has to be on the sensations of walking. It’s natural to be distracted by your surroundings. Sometimes you will notice that you are not focused on walking but rather on seeing or hearing — a very common experience. When that happens, just note, the ‘Seeing’ or ‘Hearing’, and bring your attention back to what is going on internally again. If you want to look at something, acknowledge this intention, stop walking, look at what you want to look at, then continue walking again with your focus on the steps. The idea is to have your attention on the physical experience of walking. The entire body is involved in the act of walking — from alternation of the left and right foot to the swinging of your arms and hips. Allow your awareness to move through every part of the body, noticing the sensations as you walk. Gradually scan all parts of your body in your mind – your ankles, skins, calves, knees, thighs, hips, pelvis, back, chest, shoulders, arms, neck, head. When you become aware of tension anywhere in the body, let it go. Allow that part of your body to relax. Allow your ankles, belly, shoulders, arms, neck — all of your body — to relax. Let your hips swing loose. As you do this, the walking will become more enjoyable.
After you finish your walking meditation you can stay still or even sit down on a bench and close your eyes. Effects of this meditation are felt after 15-20 minutes. It may be difficult to practice the full technique in the beginning, but in time, everything will get integrated naturally.
Walking meditation has a whole lot of health benefits. The slow, methodical movements relieve stress, calm the body, and focus the mind, all of which are essential for optimal health and wellbeing. Mindful walking can help relieve arthritis, improve digestion, and reduce drowsiness after eating. When done for extended periods of time it increases stamina and strength, important for overall physical fitness. Just a few minutes of mindful movement calms the overactive mind. A break in the daily routine allows mental stress to lessen and insights to flow, leading to creative solutions to troubling problems.
As practitioners of the Buddhist traditions have known for centuries, the benefits of mindful walking are diverse and profound.
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