Basically, walking meditation is practicing meditation while walking, we focus on walking itself, we are aware of every movement we make and we don’t walk to get somewhere. Walking meditation appreciates the action of walking, to focus on the present moment, the only moment in which we live.
How many times do we walk from place to place, without even thinking about the movement of our legs or feet? Probably every time we walk, because it’s something we do automatically and we don’t have to think about it. Walking meditation uses the same concept as that of conscious breathing, to give value to each movement of the body and to all interactions with the environment.
The goal of walking meditation is to become aware of your approach, moving forward is more important than arriving. It promotes joy and peace during its practice. All of your worries can be taken away while you are walking, simply because you focus our attention on walking and nothing else.
Find out how to practice this type of therapeutic meditation in the second part of this article:
To practice walking meditation, it would be nice to find a quiet place in nature, a place with few people around and no distractions. If you find it difficult to find a place like this, don’t worry, because meditating by walking can be done everywhere, even when you walk to take the train or shop for groceries.
So why did you mention a quiet green place in the first place? Simply because it is more beneficial to the air we breathe and because it is more likely that we are not distracted by the surroundings. Now what should you do when practicing walking meditation?
Here are the suggestions to follow:
1- First, we must realize that this 5-minute walking meditation exercise is the time we want to devote to ourselves.
2- Wear comfortable clothes and especially comfortable shoes.
3- We have to choose the place, maybe in nature, like a park or a garden with few people or distractions around.
4- Before we start walking, we need to take a few moments and focus on what we are going to do. Even a simple phrase like “Now I’m going to do a 5-minute meditation exercise while walking” can help us to be aware of our action.
5- We can also spend a few seconds, focusing on our legs and feet, feeling that they are touching the ground.
6- Before starting to walk, we must keep in our mind, that we are not going to walk quickly, but at a pace of complete relaxation; Go slowly with a smile on our lips.
7- When we start walking, we must be aware of each movement and feel the contact between our feet with the earth. We have to walk straight, be calm and comfortable.
8- During the walk, we can observe the nature around us. It is also important to pay attention to our feelings.
9- When we finish our walking meditation, it is also important to be thankful for the experience.
Remember that enjoying the simple things can definitely help you feel happier and better in your life.
