Tips For Your Walking Meditation

Walking Meditation demonstrates that meditating doesn’t always have to be done in a quiet, dark room without distractions.

Sometimes, meditating can be done while doing other activities, such as when you are going for your daily walk or when you are on a bus. With walking meditation, you are exercising your body and mind.

Here are a few things to know about Walking Meditation

Reasons to Meditate While You Walk

When you are walking, it is actually a perfect time to do some meditation. While walking, you are not only spending time alone with few distractions, but you are more focused on the activity and on the fresh air if you are outdoors.

You can focus and concentrate a little better, but not in a way that you are trying to think about stressful things. It is a way of focusing on nothing and just clearing your mind.

Whether you do a 5-minute walking meditation around your neighborhood or start going on hikes or walk down the beach, it can be a calming experience for you.

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Walking Meditation – Tips For Getting Started

To start walking meditation, naturally, you need to get moving. Choose a time and place where you will be able to walk alone and won’t have distractions. You may find that your mind clears better when walking around a lake or pond near your house or down the quiet streets in your neighborhood.

Others find that they can meditate better when going on a nice hike or walking through the mountains. Once you have decided where to walk, you must find the right method to clear your mind truly.

This can be by listening to the sounds of nature around you, listening to soothing music, or even listening to guided meditation while walking.

Thich Nhat Hanh – Walking Meditation Video

Walking Meditation – ‘Thinks’ to Remember

Before you start, here are some things you should remember about walking meditation.

Keep a slower pace – If your walk’s sole purpose is meditation, try to keep a slower pace. That way, you aren’t focused on the walking itself but just using it as a way to get some quiet time for yourself.

Stay off busy and crowded streets – Safety is also a factor. Unless you have no choice, try not to walk on busy streets, streets with many stoplights, or crowded, very busy areas. You don’t want to be distracted by others or have to wait for a light to turn green to walk across the street. On the other hand, you can also turn this into a meditation by reflecting on modern society.

But generally, you try to turn inward, invoking a sense of calmness for your body, mind, and spirit.

Bring sustenance – It is not uncommon for your meditation walking to take longer than anticipated. When you meditate while walking, you tend to get so relaxed your body no longer feels tired or sore. If you get stuck a little far from home, you want to make sure you have some water and a quick snack for the walk back.

I usually decide how far I will go in one direction, sometimes by blocks, by timing, 20 minutes in one direction, and then head back.

Pick a subject – Before heading out, pick out a piece of writing you want to contemplate. Or maybe you want to focus on your body, your breath, or maybe your surroundings, nature, trees, flowers…..

Then there is ‘mindfulness, ‘ watching your thoughts and gently re-directing them back into your meditation. Focus on walking itself, feel gravity, contemplate on the amazing fact you are walking, how it all pieces together.

Remember, there is no absolute correct way or form of walking meditation. Still, it is important to focus on your main idea steadily and not be distracted when doing your walking meditation.