How to Do Walking Meditation
Stress and anxiety have escalated
everywhere right now owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One of
the many suggestions made by mental health professionals is to practice
walking meditation in this phase to calm your mind. Walking meditation,
also known as mindful walking, is a form of meditation in action.
Many of you might be aware of the benefits
of meditation but not everyone feels comfortable sitting in the same
position for a long time. In walking meditation, you use the experience
of walking as your primary focus. It helps you be aware of your mind and
body and allows you to be mindful of all your thoughts, emotions, and
sensations. This practice, if done properly, can turn into a tool for
mindfulness and stress reduction.
Now that you know the importance of mindful walking, you would surely
like to know exactly how to follow the practice. Here, we help you
understand how to do walking meditation through simple yet effective
steps.
1. Find a place to walk
One of the cool advantages of walking
meditation is that it can be done inside or outside if the area is
relatively quiet. It can be the verandah inside your house or the little
park outside your place. However, it would better if you avoid steep
hills or places where you would be forced to stop regularly. Generally, a
lane that allows you to walk back and forth for 10-15 paces without
being disturbed would be ideal. Also, the lane doesn’t need to be very
long as you don’t have to reach a specific destination through walking
meditation.
Now, before you begin walking, do some basic stretches to loosen your
body. Your spine should be straight and you should have a good posture
before you start. Another good tip is that initially, you should try
meditation walking indoors as there would be fewer distractions.
2. Start walking
Once you’ve chosen your spot, you can begin
walking. To practice walking meditation properly, first, take 10-15
steps along the lane you’ve chosen while breathing normally. Walk slowly
and take small steps. After you have finished your steps, pause, and
breathe again. Don’t be in a rush and always take your time. Once you
feel comfortable and have finished breathing, take another 10-15 steps
in the opposite direction. Continue this process for at least 15
minutes.
If you are not comfortable going back and forth, however, you can also
meditate by walking in a straight path. It is crucial to remember here
that you are not aiming for a good workout through this routine but are
trying to connect to your body and mind.
3. Connect your breathing with your steps
One of the main goals of walking meditation
is to create unity between your body and your mind. You can achieve
this by following a few instructions regularly. Firstly, breathe in as
you take two or three steps. Then, you have to breathe out and take
three, four, or five steps. To keep the cycle going, you should alter
the number of steps you take with each breath. However, make sure that
you don’t stress yourself in doing so. There's shouldn't be any rush.
Find what is comfortable for your body and mind.
Remember that it may take you a while to
find your rhythm and the pattern that you find convenient. However, your
breathing should be slow and relaxed no matter what pattern you adopt.
4. Awareness of your body
A vital part of walking meditation is to be
aware of each part of your body. As you are walking, you should notice
how your feet feel when they are touching the ground. Also, take note of
how your muscles contract as you take each step and the myriad
sensations you feel in each part of your body. Even small things like
the changing position of your hip as you lift your leg to take a step or
how your arms and shoulders swing as you walk should be observed and
felt.
You don’t have to think about these body movements, though. You just
need to notice and feel the different sensations in your body as you
move. This will allow you to connect with it on a deeper level.
5. Awareness of your feelings
Meditation walking also involves being
aware of your feelings. When you are walking, notice if there are things
that feel pleasant or unpleasant in your body, or outside of you. There
are bound to be a few, surely. When you do notice things that are
unpleasant in your body, don’t cling onto them but don’t push them away
either. Just take note of them. If there are unpleasant things in the
outside world that you notice, allow them to drift by. Don’t follow them
or change your gaze for those things.
Keep reminding yourself as you walk that there are no right or wrong
feelings. You needn’t fight your sentiments. Instead, accept whatever
you feel and let it be a part of your meditation walking experience.
6. Take a note of your thoughts and emotions
When you are mediation walking you will
experience a range of emotions, too. Your emotions will be affected by
what is currently happening in your life. It may be some happiness over a
new job or sadness over some other issue. You might also be irritated
or anxious about something in your life. Whatever emotions you might be
feeling at that point, just observe them and don’t let yourself cling on
to them. Allow your thoughts to flow naturally.
Also, notice your mind during this process. Is your mind at peace or are
you thinking about things unconnected with this practice? Whether you
are experiencing negative or positive thoughts, just notice them without
any judgment and focus on your walking.
7. Honing your ability to focus
One of the most difficult things to attain
in walking meditation is to be aware of your body, feelings, and
emotions. This might feel daunting initially and hence it would be
better if you break it down and make it simpler. Start by focusing only
on your body at first. Give it time and don’t feel agitated if the focus
doesn’t come easily in the beginning. It will take time so you need to
keep at it. Once you have become a little comfortable on focusing on
your body, you can switch to being aware of your feelings and thoughts.
This, too, will take time. The more you practice, the better you will
get.
Once you have gotten the hang of it, you can modify your focus based on
your needs. For instance, you may want to become more aware of your
feelings at a certain point and don’t want to be aware of your body or
thoughts. Walking meditation allows you to do that once you practice it
regularly and integrate it into your daily life. Over time, with the
help of this technique, you will feel that your ability to focus,
despite the distractions, keeps improving.
8. Allow yourself to live in the moment
The primary idea behind walking meditation
is to allow yourself to live in the moment. You don’t have to reach any
destination as you should only focus on the journey of this unique
exercise. Live in the moment and forget the past. While you are walking,
your mind may wander. Let it do so without feeling anxious. Observe
those thoughts and let your mind come back to the present moment, to the
present breath, whenever it feels comfortable.
Let yourself be free as you walk and don’t worry about any goal. You
will feel light and relaxed with time. As you make this into a habit you
will start to learn how to live in the present moment rather than
always being worried about the future.
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