There are 6 distinct stages to this way of meditating while walking.
In this Walking Meditation you can choose the ones that suit you or do them in a different order, but the 6th is always at the end.
The goal of this Walking Meditation is to help you get out of your head and into your body to bring you into the present moment and feel connected to nature.
1) Start walking slowly (preferably in nature) and note your breathing.
As you breathe deeper and deeper, you may notice how your breath revitalizes your body. When you feel that energy is flowing through your body, notice where it is not moving to, where there is a blockage. Slightly move the areas that are rigid and be gentle with yourself. From the outside this way of moving while walking may seem strange, but from the inside you will feel so much better! Continue until you feel the energy flowing everywhere!
Now you can start using one of the senses (below) in any order you want:
2) sight 3) hearing 4) smell 5) feeling
2) Sight
Look without judgment. Allow shapes, light, colours, shadows to enter your eyes, noting all the details or all of it! Stop to go deeper and look at something that attracts you. Be completely the look and you will notice that you are seeing things you have never seen before! Beauty is everywhere! The smallest thing becomes a mysterious discovery.
When you are complete and filled up with seeing, switch to another direction:
3) Listening
Focus your attention on hearing. You can differentiate many different sounds. Before, you could label these sounds as “noises”, but if you remain without judgment, all sounds begin to be a symphony; sometimes with loud and impressive sounds; sometimes with very soft and soft sounds. They all have their place. Maybe you want to listen to a particular sound. You can focus all your attention on this sound. Become the sound. And then, listen to the space between the sounds. Silence! Silence! There is such wealth when you remain present in everything around you!
4) Smell
Feel all the smells that are present. It has the mature smell of fruit, the smell of wood, the pines that the sun has heated. Mushrooms, fungi, fungi, dry leaves, etc. Immerse yourself in the world of fragrances!
5) Feeling
Feel your environment, the nature in which you walk. Start by feeling how your feet touch the ground, probably through your shoes, but you can notice the consistency of the ground and how the ground carries you! There is always contact between the earth and our body by feeling the feet. The earth is always there for us, to support us! Feel the air, feel the wind on your skin, the warming sun, the heat, humidity, dry air or cold. Stay present at all these sensations! If you want, stop and touch the bark of a tree, rock, plant or whatever you want to feel.
6) Finally, the last step is to use all the senses together while walking.
Stay alert and present at all times!
If you want to, share your experiences, doing this Walking Meditation, with us on my Facebook page!
For more meditations click here.