Tips for Walking Meditation

 “The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive” ~Thich Naht Hanh

One of my favorite ways to meditate is through walking meditation.  When I first started meditating daily, walking meditation was one of the most helpful skills I learned. I had a lot of trouble staying focused and was annoyed by how distracted I would get during sitting meditation. I also was dealing with a lot of chronic pain and sitting still made it much more obvious.

Instead, when I practiced walking meditation, there was something clear to focus on. I could always focus on the feeling of the next step. When I practiced sitting, I would often use the breath as an object of attention, which was really frustrating for me at first because my breath felt so shallow and uneven. However, when I was walking, I no longer had to worry about my breath. The movement in the meditation also helped my body be less distracting with chronic pain.

I have always loved walking barefoot, the strong feeling of connection to the earth. When I used to run and would get frustrated with my progress, I would spend a few days just running barefoot in empty fields. The feeling of barefoot feet striking the grass is so natural to me and empowered my running. Now, I use it to empower my practice.

There are several ways to practice walking meditation. Here’s some helpful links: Plum Village walking meditation with recording, The Chopra Center's Guide to Walking Meditation, Tricycle Magazine's Collection of Advice for Walking Meditation by 9 Teachers, and Thich Naht Hanh's article.

I usually like to practice walking meditation by focusing just on the feeling of the bottom of my foot hitting the ground. Sometimes, if I’m really distracted, I add in a word with each step, either “left, right” or something like “peace.”

Another method I’ve used, that I learned at Blue Cliff Monastery is to time your walking to your breathing. For example, while you inhale take four steps, then as you exhale take four steps (or two or three or whatever feels right).

Walking trails

Here are some tips that have made walking meditation much easier for me/that I use when I find myself getting distracted:

1. Set an intention before you begin. Make it a short phrase in the present tense. Today I used “May I take every step in peace.” But you could also use phrases related to breathing, being present, finding contentment, or any other goal in your meditation.

2. Take a few minutes before you start to focus on your surroundings. First, pay attention to the physical world around you, looking around and feeling what you see without labeling it. Then, notice the entire soundscape around you- sounds nearby, sounds farway, and sounds coming from your body. This way, if you first pay attention to your senses and then turn your focus to your body, you will be less distracted by these senses during your practice.

3. If distractions come up, notice them and go back to your object of attention (usually the feeling of your feet on the earth). Sometimes it can be helpful to label them “birds” or “car”, or it can be helpful to have a phrase you use to remind yourself to refocus “thank you for noticing those sounds, but sounds come and go but the earth is always here.” It can also be a good time to return to your intention that you set at the beginning.

4. If you notice your mind keeps going away and refocusing with phrases or your intention isn’t helping, stop walking. One cool part about walking meditation is that because it’s focused on the feeling of walking, you can easily change that into a distraction. When you stop, intentionally bring your focus back to your body. I like to stand on one foot for a few seconds to really feel the muscles in my foot and the earth on the bottom of my foot. That way, it is really clear to my mind where I should be focusing.

5. Make sure you stop sometimes to check in with yourself. Notice if you have been fully focused on the last few steps that you took. Remind yourself of your intention. Then start walking again and dive deeper into your meditation.

6. Try a different object of meditation. I like to keep the focus on my feet, but there’s so much to notice just in your feet. Notice how your toes feel. Or the ball of your foot. Or your heel. Or, instead of focusing on the feeling of your foot touching the earth, focus on the feeling when it lifts off the earth.

7. Smile. It’s always helpful to focus with a gentle smile to remind your body to feel peaceful and content.

 

Before I practice, I like to listen to this song and during the meditation I frequently remind myself that the mind can wander but instead I can see the image of a flower blooming with each step, and I can choose to focus on that instead.

I also like to listen to this song, because of the idea that regardless of whether you have somewhere to go or not, you don’t need to hurry.

If you haven't practiced walking meditation before, I encourage you to find time today or this week to practice this way. I hope these tips can help you in your practice! Do you have any tips for practicing walking meditation? What has been your experience practicing this way?