Mindful Walking: Meditation on the Move

It is common knowledge that walking is good for your health. It's good for your heart, good for your waistline, and it is good for your circulation. But walking can also shed stress and enhance calm energy. This can be done with the help of Mindful walking.

What is Mindful walking?

Mindful walking, also called Walking meditation, combines the basic principles of meditation, such as breathing, concentration and relaxation with rhythmic walking. Some people find it easier to clear their mind when they're not sitting still. Mindful walking is a technique that reconnects your mind and body, and improves the quality of your walking experience on all levels. So instead of pounding the pavement with your head down and earphones in, enjoy active meditation, time to re-energize and think.

Walking meditation has its roots in Buddhism, in particular the art of Ayatana. In Christianity, the practice of labyrinth walking is considered to be a form of walking meditation.

What are its benefits?

The benefits of mindful walking are numerous. A few of them can be given below:

• Mindful walking increases your awareness of your physical sensations and your state of mind. This way you can learn more effective ways of handling your moods and feelings.
• Walking meditation can reduce your blood pressure and heart rate.
• It can improve your mood and help you manage stress efficiently.
• It revives the muscles, stimulates circulation, helping prevent illness.
• It can help you sleep better.
• When done for extended times, walking meditation can build strength and stamina.
• It lowers the levels of free radicals or unstable oxygen molecules that are known to damage tissue.
• It lessens irritability and moodiness with increased brain activity in the part of the brain linked to positive emotion.
• It can be a helpful way of building concentration.
• It enhances your personal problem solving ability and boost creativity.
  
• It gives a feeling of closeness to nature and those around you, lessening your sense of separation.

How do I do it?

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Decide a particular time and a place to walk. It could be 1 minute, 10 minutes, a hour around a park, or your walk to work. The path should be straight, level, and have a reasonably smooth surface. Walk in an area that you are familiar and comfortable with.
• Now, simply stand with your spine upright and your shoulders relaxed, letting your arms hang naturally by your sides.
• Breathe from the diaphragm if possible, but always make sure your breathing feels natural, not artificial. Put your full attention on the sensation of breathing.
• While walking, give attention to the contact of each foot as it touches the surface. Notice the process of moving your legs, the quality of each step and the feel of the ground beneath your feet or shoes. Focus on as much of your body as you can until it becomes natural.
• Expand your awareness to notice your surroundings. What do you hear, smell, see, and feel?
• Once you are fully aware of your body and your surrounding, switch your focus onto the feelings or sensations that pass through your body.
• Walk without urgency. Don't strive to get to your destination or think about what you'll do once you arrive there.
• Repeat the mantra 'Om' or any other phrase that works for you when walking. The mantra will make it easier for you to focus on walking and quiet your mind from thoughts related to the rest of your life.
• When you have finished your walk, you will have clear and calm mind. This will help you to concentrate on the issues you had before the walk with a clearer mind.

As with any meditation method, skill in walking meditation only comes from regular practice and patient effort. Try to do a minimum walking period of half an hour and build it up to a full hour. It can result in a deep awareness.