Not everyone is comfortable sitting for long periods of time while meditating. A wonderful substitute can be walking meditation. Walking meditation is practiced throughout the world. This technique has long been used in monasteries and is quite popular at meditation centers.
Walking the labyrinth is an ancient tradition that began in the Catholic Church. Parishioners walk through the labyrinth using prayer in their meditation. Walking meditation is also used in Buddhism and some people believe that Buddha was the first to teach this type of meditation.
What To Wear When Meditating
As with any type of meditation, if possible, it's best to wear comfortable clothing while meditating. With walking meditation, if walking indoors, try walking barefoot or in socks. If walking outside, it's best to wear comfortable shoes or sandals.
How To Walk and Meditate
Begin by closing your eyes and taking a few deep, cleansing breaths. Envision a warm, bright light coming down and surrounding the entire body. Feel the peacefulness of this light. The purpose of this is to try to achieve a calm, relaxed state. The more relaxed a person is, the easier it is to meditate.
Now, reopen the eyes and focus them on the ground a few feet ahead of where you are standing. Start by taking slow steps. Think of it as taking a lovely stroll in the park. Walking slowly may seem a little strange at first as people are used to walking quickly because of the fast pace of life. However, with practice, it will come much more naturally.
With each step, try to feel the sensation of where the feet are stepping in your toes, feet, and ankles. Minds can sometimes wander during meditation. Should this happen, merely bring the focus back to each step being taken.
Breathing While Walking And Meditating
A big key to walking meditation is to coordinate the breathing with the walking. This can prove to be quite a challenge for beginners. Try to take 2 to 3 steps with each inhalation and 2 to 3 steps for each exhalation. If this proves to be too difficult, begin by focusing on either the walking or the breathing, then gradually work up to doing both at the same time.
Keep in mind that the purpose of walking meditation is not to get to any place in particular, although some people will practice it to go from one location to another. While some people use walking meditation as a substitute to sitting meditation, others like to rotate between sitting and walking.
Readers may also enjoy Meditation Techniques, along with Sitting Meditation, and The Origins Of Meditation
Sources:
- The Best Guide To Meditation, Victor N. Davich, (Renaissance Media,) 1998.
- Meditation For Dummies, Stephan Bodian, (Wiley Publishing, Inc.) 2006.
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