Walking Meditation_Contemplative Practice for Soulful Living

Now this is something you can do anywhere.

I like to walk outside on a beautiful trail, but it doesn't have to be that.

It could be outside your front door.

It could in fact be inside your home.

The point of walking, as with sitting in this way, is simply to be, to be in a way that is open-hearted, that settles or focuses the racing mind, that is more open, more conscious, perhaps, of the loving God.

For some, a walking meditation is a welcome relief, for sitting poses a challenge.

It's a change of pace.

You don't need to set any aside any more time for this than any of the other practices.

So don't let that deter you.

You can listen to the instructions first or wait until your walk begins before you continue.

If you listen while you walk, you'll want to continue after my instruction is concluded and your earphones are out so that you can more fully experience your surroundings.

Now, the first important thing to know as you begin is that this is not about covering any amount of physical territory.

Thich Nhat Hanh, who has a wonderful book about walking meditation, talks of climbing even great heights of stairs slowly enough as to never get out of breath.

So it's about moving with intention, mindfulness, as Buddhists would say.

It's not a workout, at least not in the same way.

One nice way to do it, if the terrain allows, is to go barefoot, but you decide.

I should say too, for those with mobility differences, you could adapt this to however you get around.

Okay.