5 Steps to a Walking Meditation

walking meditation

There are all types of meditation; there is no one ‘formula’ to meditate correctly. In fact, the only way to begin to meditate is by abandoning all notions of “correct” vs. “incorrect” - “doing it right” vs “doing it wrong”. Yes, there are methods and tools that are helpful in reaching a state of meditation, but there are so many different paths, pairings, and iterations of these tools that it can also be one of the reasons learning how to meditate is overwhelming to so many.

Where do I even begin? Although the esoteric nature of practicing meditation can be overwhelming and discouraging to some, there is freedom, individuality, and uniqueness inherent to the process of learning to meditate that we can choose to reframe as something empowering. In developing a relationship with mediation, once the foundations have been laid using certain basic techniques and tools, you’re then able to deviate - to cultivate a practice that best suits your individual journey inwards.

No one else is on that journey except for you.

Walking meditations are some of the most impactful moments in my own practice. This is often when I receive the most creative downloads and am best able to clear and declutter a merky mind.

Like other meditation techniques, there is not one way to embark upon a walking meditation. In fact, I encourage you to explore other’s guidelines, procedures, and steps to see which process (or unique combination of processes) allows for the most transformative and potent journey inwards. 

As you are beginning to learn how to meditate, using guidelines like those outlined below, will act as trail blazes; markers to help lead, guide, and assist you in your mission to mindfulness. That being said, the following is a step by step (pun intended) process I often utilize to easily drop into a walking meditation.

*if you are new to meditating, give yourself some grace in developing your relationship with meditation. If you find you are feeling resistance and difficulty at times, know that is part of the evolution of your practice, and in fact, an imperative part of your practice’s development & depth.

You are not doing it “wrong”. In every attempt, you are taking strides towards carving new neural pathways, towards your highest self, and towards transformation.

5 Steps to a Walking Meditation:

  1. Choose a location: as you are beginning to incorporate walking meditations into your practice, try to choose locations with minimal distractions. If possible, try to choose somewhere in nature with little outside distractions (ie: cars, horns, other loud noises, heaps of people). Especially at the beginning, the less distractions in your environment, the better; this allows you to more easily move and stay inward for the duration of your walking meditation.

  2. Close your eyes and cultivate an elevated emotion : Before you begin to walk, take a moment to close your eyes and begin to think of your future reality as if it already exists - vibrating as un-materialized energy. Take a moment to cultivate the emotion of that future reality as if it had already materialized : joy, excitement, gratitude, etc. Imagine your future as the vibration coming from a tuning fork that has just been struck; if you also exist as a tuning fork in real time, as you cultivate this energy to resonate within the same harmonic of your future, you connect with, and align with that frequency. The closer frequencies come together in space and time, the more they influence each other until they entrain to one frequency. In doing this, you are beginning to familiarize your body - in the present - to a future reality and a future you.

  3. Walk using your senses: After you have taken a moment to cultivate a higher frequency emotion, allow that feeling to spread through your body, penetrating every cell. As this energizing feeling begins to course through your body, begin to walk. Begin to notice the sounds of life around you, the smells, the colors around you, the feeling of air moving into and out of your lungs. Begin to embrace the sensory experience of simply being in nature.

  4. Pay attention to every muscle in your body: As you are walking, maintaining this elevated emotion, taking in your surroundings using your senses, begin to tune into the sensations of your body. Become acutely aware of every muscle firing - how every muscle has to work together to move the whole system that is your body. Allow the illusion of separateness between muscles, limbs, bones, legs, arms, etc to dissolve; notice the harmony between all systems taking place in your body for you to put one foot in front of the other and walk.

  5. Notice thoughts and gently return to the present moment: this is an extremely important step. As you begin to practice walking meditations, you may notice your mind wander - something you’ll most definitely notice during a sitting meditation as well. This is normal and like I mentioned above, this is the practice of meditation itself. When you notice that your mind has wandered to your to - do list, to an argument you had yesterday, or to the meeting you have yet to prepare for the following day, gently return to the present moment. Repeat steps 2 - 4 to ground back into the present moment and become the observer of your experience.

I truly hope this provides some guidance and encourages you to try incorporating walking mediations into your practice. As you become more advanced, you will be able to implement these steps amidst the most distracting environments - at that point, these mindfulness practices begin to seep into every experience of your day; you notice you are no longer preparing for a future disappointment or stewing in the stress of a potential outcome, but instead, interacting with and dancing with life. And aren’t we all in search of how we can more easily be led in that dance?

If you are interested in learning the foundations of meditation while developing your own unique, empowering, and transformative practice, reach out to me here to learn more about my 6 week one on one Meditation Program : Meditation 101.

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