Walking Meditation

How to meditate while walking

Walking meditation can be just as profound as sitting meditation, and has the advantage of bringing the meditative experience into our activity. There are a number of different walking meditations. Our variation is informal and easy. It allows you to be more present in your body and in the present moment. The simple experience of alternating steps with the left and right foot naturally helps create a meditative state.

There is a tremendous richness of experience to become aware of as you walk. The body loves movement, and will reward you with pleasure if you pay attention to how it feels! So much of the time we are caught up in our mental worlds — thinking of the past or future, planning, imagining… Paying attention to the body as you walk will help you to enjoy simply being alive. (Although there are sitting meditations in which you pay attention to the body, it is easier to do so when the body is in motion. This is another advantage of walking meditation.)

Where and when. This meditation is best done outdoors. We recommend setting aside at least 20 minutes for your walking meditation, and not trying to combine it with anything else like going on errands or walking briskly for exercise. Let this be a walk just for meditation so that you can sink into the experience with your undivided attention!

How to start. Before starting to walk, spend a little time while still standing still. Allow your awareness to be with your body. Take some deep breaths, inhaling deep into the belly. Put your full attention on the sensation of breathing. Then allow the breath to return to normal and notice it going on its own for a little while. Now bring your awareness to your body, noticing how your body feels as you are standing, and becoming aware of all the sensations going on in your body.

Now begin walking. Walk at a relaxed, fairly slow but normal pace. Pay attention to the sensations in your body as you walk. It is natural to find your attention drawn to the sights around you as you walk, but keep bringing your attention to what is going on internally.

The idea is to have your attention on the physical experience of walking. If the mind starts getting caught up in thoughts, easily bring your attention back to the experience of walking. Notice how the body feels in great detail as you walk. The entire body is involved in the act of walking — from alternation of the left and right foot to the swinging of your arms and hips.

Notice how the soles of your feet feel — the contact they make with your socks or shoes, the textures of the fabrics touching them, the way they feel as they bear the weight of your body and the sensations in them as your walk along. Feel the entire foot, being aware of how it moves as the heel is placed on the ground, and then the movement rolls to the ball of the foot and toes. Notice how it feels as the foot lifts and moves forward. Allow your awareness to move up through every part of the body, noticing the sensations as you walk. Gradually scan all parts of your body as you bring your attention to the ankles, skins, calves, knees, thighs, hips, pelvis, back, chest, shoulders, arms, neck, head.

When you become aware of tension anywhere in the body, let it go. Allow that part of your body to relax. Allow your ankles, belly, shoulders, arms, neck — all of your body — to relax. Let your hips swing loose. As you do this, the walking will become more enjoyable.

You can scan your body randomly, moving your awareness from place to pace in your body, or you can systematically scan your whole body going from the soles of your feet to the top of your head noticing the sensations of walking. The most important thing is to keep you awareness on the sensations in your body, easily bringing it back when your mind has wandered.

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Variation: Keep your attention on the rhythm of the walking — the alternation of left and right foot. Simply notice the experience of left-right-left-right motion. Keep bringing your awareness back to this experience when the mind wanders in thoughts or distractions of the environment.

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Walking Meditation MP3 for Presence, Relaxation and Aliveness
Use these 3 different walking meditation mp3s to guide you in meditation as you walk. Each meditation has a slightly different focus - Being Fully Present, Enlivening the Body and Enhancing the Senses. (read more)

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Comments

14 Responses to “Walking Meditation”

  1. John Houle on April 18th, 2009 7:40 am

    Do you plan to create a podcast for walking mediation? I love the podcasts and use them daily. Thank you for creating them. John

  2. Mary on April 18th, 2009 8:50 am

    That’s a great idea, John. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that. And you are welcome — I’m glad you are enjoying the podcast.

  3. Marjorie Donnelly on April 30th, 2009 1:15 am

    Thanks for this “simple” but “elegant” guideline to walking meditation. I use the labyrinth as a tool for walking meditation. The labyrinth is not a maze. There are no tricks or road blocks, only one path into the center and the same path back out again. The labyrinth helps walkers find a quiet center while deepening spiritual connection. It is also a “simple” but “elegant” tool to expand on the concept of walking meditation.

  4. Mary on April 30th, 2009 9:08 am

    You are welcome, Marjorie. Walking the labyrinth is definitely a meditation in itself. Our town is blessed with a lovely labyrinth to walk in a redwood grove. I’ve had some wonderful experiences there.

  5. dee on August 12th, 2009 5:17 am

    have walked all my life..recently had a spinal surgery..starting my walk again and by divine intervention really) found this..thank u..because living in pakistan i would not have come across it otherwise..am trying to download as many as possible.

  6. Mary on August 12th, 2009 9:01 am

    So glad you found us, dee. You are welcome! We wish you well with your ongoing healing from surgery.

  7. Teri Ching on August 14th, 2009 6:17 pm

    Thank you for wonderful meditations….I have been writing down the meditation “Relax into healing”
    It has helped me understand the feeling of the words you use, and when i can’t meditate..I can look at the words and they help me in the moment relax..I have written it once on paper then computer..The encouaging words stay in my mind.

    Thank You,
    Teri Ching

  8. Mary on August 15th, 2009 11:07 am

    You are welcome, Teri. What an interesting approach — writing the meditation down. I’m so glad you’ve found a way to enhance your experience.

  9. mr. todd on August 17th, 2009 2:40 pm

    Thanks for your podcasts- they are really really helpful. Will try walking mediation, never really done one before.

  10. Mary on August 17th, 2009 6:15 pm

    mr. todd, You’re welcome. Let us know how it goes!

  11. scott Shannon on August 24th, 2009 5:31 pm

    I would love it if you would create a meditation for walking. Additionally, the music meditation without verbal guidance was wonderful. I would love to see more of them on your podcast.

  12. Mary on August 25th, 2009 9:13 am

    Thanks for the requests, Scott. It’s quite likely we’ll do a walking meditation. Perhaps another music podcast, but we do have the Pure Light CD with a compilation of music from the backgrounds of guided meditations.

  13. A Walk A Day Keeps the Doc Away | Live Lighter on August 26th, 2009 9:23 pm

    [...] help you stay sane. Walking is a meditation exercise, if you choose. Walking outdoors, whether it’s your tree-lined neighbourhood or nearby park, [...]

  14. Meditation with a focus | Welcome to Musings - The Loom Room Blog on February 14th, 2010 2:18 am

    [...] with the beauty of the countryside through which I’m walking.  I think this is known as ‘walking meditation’.  Gratitude for where you are and what you are able to do goes a long way towards reducing [...]

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