WALKING correctly and MEDITATION, which is a must-do, are both as beneficial as a sitting practice.
- Too frequently, it isn't taken seriously enough; we think of a meditator as someone who simply sits cross-legged with their eyes closed.
- Walking meditation, on the other hand, is equally as beneficial as sitting meditation in terms of building steady attention and strong awareness. For certain things, it's even more effective.
- Combining the two is the most effective method to achieve fast improvement.
Walking and sitting meditation techniques are basically the same: maintain or even increase peripheral awareness while stabilizing your focus.
The only true distinction is where you put your concentration.
- Instead than focusing on the breath at the nose, you focus on the feelings in the soles of your feet.
- You may also utilize the sensations in your legs' muscles, joints, and tendons as your meditation object.
- Walking is an instinctive action, similar to breathing, and the ever-changing sensations with each stride offer a constant anchor for attention.
- Peripheral awareness, on the other hand, remains open to whatever is going on in the internal and external environment.
Walking meditation provides a number of options for working with attention and peripheral awareness in a variety of ways.
- You may perform walking meditation first as part of your regular practice to assist quiet your mind before sitting.
- Alternatively, you may walk immediately after sitting, which requires a high degree of concentrated attention throughout the walking exercise.
- When it's more convenient, you may perform walking meditation instead of seated meditation.
- Alternate walking and sitting activities at meditation retreats or days set out for more intensive practice.
- This allows your body to loosen up and recuperate from the effects of extended periods of immobile sitting while without interfering with your practice.
Walking meditation should never be considered a “break” from your regular practice. If you really need a break, do something totally different, such as going for a walk or napping.
- The ideal place to practice walking meditation is outside.
- A back yard, gardens, or park, or any other open area where you won't be disturbed, is ideal.
- A location with some natural beauty is desirable, but it isn't required, since visual pleasure isn't the primary goal.
- A calm city sidewalk would also suffice.
- Use a route that you can simply follow so that you don't have to make choices about where to go while walking.
- Otherwise, just plan your route ahead of time and make changes as required.
- You may, of course, step inside. Choose a big room or a corridor with enough space to go approximately 20 feet before turning around. In a smaller space, you may also just travel a circle route.
- Start with 15 to 30 minutes of walking practice at a time.
- In general, you'll find that 30 minutes is a decent length of time.
- You may discover that after a few weeks of exercise, you wish to walk for an hour or more at a time.
- Because walking meditation is simple and pleasant, the only limitations to how long you walk each day are time and opportunity.
