Understanding Mindful Walking Practice & Its Many Benefits
With stress, fear, and anxiety reaching an
all-time high because of the ongoing pandemic situation, various mental
health professionals have suggested practicing mediation as one of the
ways to cope with your emotions. However, seated meditation isn’t
convenient for everyone; especially those who are constantly on the
move. For such people, the process of mindful walking would be more
useful.
Mindful walking, also known as walking
meditation, provides you with the physical benefits of walking (such as a
healthier heart and calorie burning), along with active meditation, and
mindfulness.
What is mindful walking?
Walking meditation originates from Buddhist teachings and it has been
used as a technique for mindful meditation for years.
Mindful walking is a simple and comfortable form of meditation that can
be particularly useful for those who struggle to perform general
meditation and for those who don’t like sitting in one place quietly.
Walking meditation basically means walking while being mindful of each
of your steps and breath. For many people, this works better rather than
practicing meditation while sitting with their eyes closed.
The best thing about walking meditation is that it can be done indoors
or outside in nature – in your garden, hallway, terrace, your balcony, a
large room, the nearby park, or even the beach. The lane you choose to
walk on doesn’t need to be too long as you are not focused on reaching a
specific destination through this approach.
To practice mindful walking, first, take
slow 10-15 steps along the lane you’ve chosen. Then, pause and breathe
for as long as you feel comfortable. Once you feel ready, you have to
turn and walk back in the opposite direction – the other end of the
lane. When you reach the other end, pause and breathe again. Keep
repeating this method for at least 15 minutes. Remember, when you are
walking you must focus your attention on one or more sensations that you
would generally ignore, like the movement of your hands and legs and
the breath coming in and out of your body. Then, you can divert your
attention away from your body to what is around you. It may be the
simplest thing like the temperature of the wind, the smell of the air,
or the feeling of the ground under your feet. Acknowledge each
experience and savor it without engaging with it too much. Take in
everything in front of you with your eyes and your mind until you start
feeling relaxed.
Walking meditation is a slow process and involves taking small steps.
Thus, you shouldn’t walk too briskly. The most essential part here is to
feel natural with your walking and not to make it exaggerated or
stylized.
By integrating walking meditation into your daily life, you can turn an
everyday action into a tool for mindfulness and stress reduction. It is
an acquired taste that requires plenty of patience and won’t come
easily. But if you keep practicing it, even for short intervals in a
day, you will slowly get used to it. Furthermore, mindful breathing or
walking meditation can lead to various benefits. Here is a look at a few
of them.
Benefits of mindful walking
1. It helps you connect more profoundly with the environment
Mindful walking meditation allows you to be
completely involved in the experience of walking. Through this
approach, you will be able to connect with the earth beneath your feet,
the air you are breathing in and out and the myriad sights and sounds
around you at a deeper level. You will also feel more connected with the
environment and sense you are an integral part of it. As you continue
making walking meditation a part of your daily life, you will gradually
realize that you are nurturing situational awareness from within. Rather
than simply walking aimlessly, you will be able to develop your focus
to be on your surroundings and on the experience of walking.
2. It enables you to reach a sense of calm and being relaxed
While walking is obviously helpful some can get bored with it after a
while. Mindful walking, however, allows you to enjoy the pleasure of
walking. If done properly, you can increase your oxygen intake by
walking meditation while also reinvigorating yourself when you are down.
While walking, you can chant “OM” or use some other positive phrases
like "I am happy" or "I'm healthy" in short intervals. This may feel
awkward initially for those who are doing it for the first time. But
once you begin walking meditation every day, and follow the
above-mentioned steps, you feel a sense of relaxation and calm from
within. Once you are done with the exercise, you will realize you are
fresh and more upbeat.
3. You will understand your body better
A lot of us today are so involved with our
day-to-day affairs that we have become alienated from our own bodies.
Walking mindfully helps us stay connected with our physical selves and
allows us to nurture a deeper connection between our mind and body. You
will have a greater awareness and understanding of how you carry
yourself as you walk. Furthermore, you will realize that your balance,
stride, and posture express their own unique stories in the manner you
walk. With this information, you will understand your body better and
appreciate it more.
4. It bolsters concentration
One of the toughest things to achieve
through meditation is to get rid of all distractions. With seated
meditation, distractions are lesser as it is generally practiced in a
quiet surrounding. However, mindful walking doesn’t have that luxury as
you are likely to be in an environment filled with constant
distractions. The sounds of traffic, people walking close by, the
weather, birds, insects, and animals will all be posing a challenge to
your mindful walking. Focusing on your regular thoughts and avoiding all
the external distractions won’t be easy. However, once you get the hang
of it, you will have greater control over your concentration.
As you are hit with each distraction, you will force them away, bring
yourself to the present moment, and shift your focus to your walking.
Once this process is repeated several times, over and over, your mind’s
ability to stay focused will be bolstered. The more you incorporate this
approach into your regular routine, the more you will end up building
your mental muscles. Gradually, over time, you will realize that your
attention is better and you can be in the present moment much quicker
despite the distractions.
5. It widens everyday mindfulness
While walking meditation may sound easy on paper, it is a tough skill to
acquire. With continual practice, it will soon become a part of your
being. Once that happens, you will find that mindfulness becomes
integrated into other areas of your life as well and will permeate them
with greater awareness. Remember that meditation walk can be performed
anywhere and at any time of the day. Practicing it routinely will make
it easier for mindfulness to become a part of everything you do.
6. It helps you to slow down
One of the biggest benefits of mindful
walking is that it enables you to pause and slow down. With this
technique, you will be moving mindfully and with purpose. To achieve
meditation walking, you will have to focus on your movements and each
step must be taken with great awareness. In time, your movements will
become more measured and graceful. You will soon realize that not
everything is a race and you shouldn’t be in this constant hurry to
reach your destination. Mindful walking is about being in the present
moment; your breath, the environment, and each step you take are what
require the most attention. Take your time and relish the prospect of
not having the goal to reach any destination. You don’t need to move
fast. All you need is to feel deeply about your present.
7. It allows you to achieve the purpose of meditation
As mentioned earlier, mindful walking works
perfectly for those who aren’t comfortable with seated meditation. This
technique helps you to achieve the purpose of meditation while walking
in a park, a beach, or even on the street. When you start this process,
your goal must be walking for the sole purpose of meditation. Initially,
your mind will inevitably wander. And that is perfectly okay. You
cannot be frustrated as mindful walking requires dedication. Be aware of
all the physical sensations or feelings and focus on them. Your
understanding of your intentions will increase eventually as each walk
will begin with a focused intention. Also, your ability to stay
connected with the present moment will become better when you practice
walking with clarity. Through conscious movement, one step at a time,
you can slowly achieve the true benefits of meditation and make it a
conscious part of your life.