Mindful walking meditation serves as a perfect complement to the conventional seated meditation techniques. Meditators who are still new to the practice are encouraged to work with the walking meditation since it’s closer to our everyday experience.

Walking meditation involves more than just strolling about. It consists of being mindful of the movement of your legs, feet and body as you walk. When it comes to meditation, walking is easier than seating – not only are your eyes open but also your mind and body have a deeper interaction with the external world. You are rooted in the present, which is a key step during meditation. You can be guided by walking meditation instructions contained online and in certain meditation apps as well.

1. It Connects You With Nature

When we walk in nature, we are mindful of the earth beneath our feet, the air flowing in and out of our lungs, the sights, sounds, smells, and even tastes that we experience as we walk.  Walking meditation helps us to feel more connected to nature.  And, studies have shown that connecting with nature on a regular basis can help decrease stress, anxiety and depression.

2. It Makes You More Mindful Of Your Body

Many people have contempt for their bodies which makes it very difficult to feel connected to their physical selves. Walking meditation helps to establish a deeper mind/body connection which will help you embrace your body and makes you more aware of how your body moves.
Your posture, gait, and balance all tell a unique one-of-a-kind story, which gives you valuable insight into how you can move with greater ease and comfort.

3. It Clears Your Head

Walking can naturally clear your head.  Taking a walk outdoors can break you out of a mental fog or a toxic train of thought.  The act of walking might be all you need to get your away from your normal scenery and shift your awareness from destructive thoughts to a more positive, universal perspective.

4. It Slows You Down

Slowing down is the natural result of moving mindfully and consciously.   Enjoy the opportunity to not have to reach a destination. Mindful walking is about taking your time, all the time you need.  Remember, it isn’t about how fast you go, but how deeply you can feel.

5. You Can Do It Anywhere

As I mentioned in the introduction, we all do some walking every day.  You don’t have to take a long hike to gain benefits from walking meditation.  Even if you walk in a busy city, allow your mind to focus only on the walk and the rhythm of your footsteps.  The important thing is to be alone with yourself, even if you’re not alone.

6. It Increases Your Awareness of Intention

In yoga philosophy, the refined control of attention and intention is known as Dharana. Through Dharana we learn how to harness the power of our awareness and desires to bring about transformation in life. By walking mindfully, we cultivate a deeper understanding of our intentions through conscious movement, one step at a time. Each walk begins with an intention; each footstep also begins with intention. And if we practice walking with attention and clarity of desire, we can more easily choose transformative intentions that bring the most fulfillment and happiness into our lives.

7. It Expands Everyday Mindfulness

Walking meditation is a practice; it’s a skill that develops over time. The more you do it, the more it becomes a part of your being. This integration of mindfulness starts to spill over into other areas of your life, infusing them with deeper awareness.

And since walking is a basic activity that most of people engage in on a daily basis, you can practice any time you get up to take a walk, whether it’s for 30 seconds or 30 minutes. This regularity helps this mindfulness become a part of everything you do.

8. It Helps You Connect to the Present Moment

As you walk and become increasingly aware, the mind grows quieter. On occasion, that quiet becomes deeply profound. Your awareness goes beyond the walking, the breathing, and the passing scenery into the boundless field of pure awareness.

Such transcendent moments feel as if time is standing still as the walker, the process of walking, and the environment merges together into one. In this eternal present, there is no past or future, only the infinite now stretching out forever. Moving into this unbounded realm beyond thought, time, and space allows us to experience Atma Darshan, or a glimpse of our soul.

9. It Strengthens Concentration

Seated meditation is practiced in a subdued, quiet surrounding. Mindful walking takes place in an environment filled with potential distractions. Nearby traffic, fellow walkers, weather, birds, insects or other animals all add to the regular stream of thoughts and bodily sensations fighting for your attention.

As each of these distractions come into your awareness, you repeatedly bring yourself back to the present moment and the practice of walking. The continual process of attention drifting away and coming back strengthens the mind’s ability to remain focused on the task at hand. With time and repetition, this exercise builds the mental muscles that make one-pointed focus a more regular experience.

 

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Mindful walking meditation serves as a perfect complement to the conventional seated meditation techniques. Meditators who are still new to the practice are encouraged to work with the walking meditation since it’s closer to our everyday experience. Walking meditation involves more than just strolling about. It consists of being mindful...