Simple walking meditation
This simple walking meditation can be used when it is hard to find the time to sit and meditate, to weave meditation into an every day activity (true mindfulness), or just to try something new!
You really can do this anywhere; out on a walk, walking round the house or garden, walking from your desk to the kitchen at work. Thus, it can either be a mini-meditation of a few seconds or minutes, or something more substantial if you adopt it for what I would call a ‘proper’ walk somewhere.
Just free yourself of your phone, music or conversation so you can fully engage in this practice.
Walking meditation
To prepare, take a few deliberate breaths, inhaling through the nose and breathing out slowly through the mouth. Each time you breathe out, feel your shoulders drop away from your ears.
Begin walking, mindfully and deliberately. You can walk at whatever pace you feel comfortable at – I find a 3:1 pattern is best.
For example, inhale for three steps, hold the breath for one step. Exhale for three steps, hold for one step.
If you find this too slow, then double it. Inhale for 6, hold for 2, exhale for 6, hold for 2.
As you take each step, focus your attention on your breath and on the movement of your body.
Feel the ground beneath your feet, the movement in your limbs. It may help to place your attention right down into your feet, and into the sensation that they pick up as your take each step.
Walking in this way is not only incredibly relaxing, but it will actually make you walk much more efficiently thanks to the pairing of the movement with your breath.
I encourage you to give this a try – you could even do it after reading this. It really is incredibly simple, and is a great way to incorporate some mindfulness into your day without needing to ‘do’ anything additional. It can also be thought of as an invisible meditation, as no onlooker would be able to tell you were engaging in the exercise, except for perhaps you looking a little calmer than usual if you are doing it at work…
Enjoy!
