Mind Your Steps Walking Meditation

Just as you bring awareness to the body that is sitting in meditation, you can bring awareness to a body that is moving.

To practice walking meditation, start by finding about 10 to 15 feet of space.

You can walk inside your home, outside in your yard, or anywhere you can access enough distance.

Stand still for a moment and close the eyes.

Feel the body’s posture, the feet on the ground, and any movement you experience.

Open the eyes.

Choose which leg will be stepping first.

As you lift the foot, feel the bottom of the foot lose contact with the ground.

Moving it forward, observe the sensation of the foot coming back into contact with the ground.

Lift the other foot and attend to the experience with the same awareness.

Remember that this is both a mindfulness practice and a practice in cultivating concentration.

When the mind wanders, come back to the feeling in the feet.

Walk 10 or 15 feet, and mindfully turn around.

As you turn, notice how the hips, legs, and torso adjust to turn the body.

Walk slowly, taking a step every three or four seconds.

You may try incorporating a simple verbal noticing practice, similar to a mantra.

As you lift the foot, think (or say), “Lift.”

As you move the foot forward, think, “Move.”

As you place the foot down, think, “Place.”

When you are done with the period of practice, stand still for a few moments.

Moving out of the period of meditation and back into daily life, you can retain some of this mindfulness of the body.