While
the weather doesn't always permit enjoying this meditation outdoors, it is
recommended whenever possible. Rest assured, however, even the inside
version of "pacing" back and forth will reap the same benefits.
The
meditation walk enhances awareness and consciousness with your
environment. This increase in mindfulness results from a strengthening
sense of "oneness" inside you. And this "oneness"
manifests not only within you, but between you and your surroundings as well.
The
objective of the meditation walk is to attune breathing and walking.
Just set the pace and the stride to whatever you find comfortable, while
establishing a smooth rhythm. Ideally, synchronize each step of your walk
to correspond with a single breath.
DOING IT:
Start
walking...left, right, left, right... Now choose your tempo and add in
your breathing. For example, you might decide to inhale during the first
three steps, hold your breath for the fourth, and exhale during the fifth and
sixth, then repeat. Or you could inhale for four strides and exhale for
four strides. The pattern is entirely up to you, just establish a
comfortable rhythm. Even eliminating the "holding breath"
entirely is a possibility and would result in something like: Inhale (however
many strides), exhale (same number of strides), and so on. As long as the
number of steps are equal for the inhale and exhale, anything goes. Try
different arrangements and see what feels the best.
Other
Guidelines:
-
Do
the meditation walk for as long as you like, but for a minimum of five
minutes
-
Walk
outside whenever possible
-
Aim
for the same time everyday