Walking as Meditation

Everyone knows the value of walking. It helps your heart, your circulation and your tummy (a great calorie burner)

But what you may not have thought about is this: combining your walking time with meditation to enhance the value of your walking. Most people take up walking because it’s an excellent form of exercise, it minimizes injuries and there is no learning curve; everyone knows how to walk.

There’s no special equipment required. You just start walking and you are immediately on the path to excellent health. If you combine this with meditation, or mindful walking, you will find the benefits immeasurable.

So what is walking meditation, or mindful walking? It is when you deliberately focus on your every step. You don’t have to increase your speed, in fact, you might begin by walking slower so you can get the hang of mindful walking.

As you concentrate on your walking, make mental notes of the flow of your footsteps. Mindful walking is a practice that originated in Buddhism, in particular the art of Ayatana. In Christianity, walking the labyrinth is considered a form of walking meditation.

Using walking as meditation helps you stay focused on the here and now. As you become more skilled at this practice, you will find yourself better able to let go of your worries and stress.

Common forms of meditation have you sitting with eyes closed, concentrating within. With walking meditation, your eyes are wide open, absorbing the outside world. This gives you the opportunity to break away from the mind and all its clutter; a priceless tool, especially for us westerners

Basic guidelines for walking meditation:

* Walk in an area that you are familiar and comfortable with.

* Shoot for a 20 minute time period. If that is too long for you, start with a 5 minute period and gradually increase your time to 20 minutes.

* Start walking with a relaxed posture.

* Concentrate on how your feet feel.

* Relax your arms.

* As you walk, keep your focus about 3 to 6 feet in front of you.

In conclusion, mindful walking is a practice that is easy to implement into your daily exercise regiment. Not only will you be helping your body out, but you will be taking your exercise program up a notch by improving your mind and spirit.

Happy walking!

Tags: Meditation