General idea: Walking meditation is a great alternative to sitting meditation. Since it involves movement, it is also suitable for people who do not like sitting (or being) still. The main goal of walking meditation is as follows: By paying attention to the foot movement while walking, we can cultivate mindfulness (awareness at every moment without judgment).
Slow motion: Especially at first, it would be very difficult to pay attention to the foot movement at the normal walking speed. So, it is helpful to walk in slow motion. We will need dedicated time in an secluded area (to avoid other people’s attention). First, we stand still and become aware of the sensation in the feet. We move the right (or left) foot and try to feel the sensation in the foot. For some people, it would be helpful to nonverbally note “right (or left),” just to help us pay attention (not as a mantra). Then, we move the other foot (again, possibly with noting). We continue this way and try to maintain our attention on the feet. At the end of the available space, we stop and again become aware of the sensation in the feet. We can turn and begin another span. As we get used to, we can break down the foot movement. For example, instead of “right” and “left,” we can note “lifting” and “placing” for each foot. Further breakdown could involve “heel up,” “lifting,” “moving,” “lowing,” “touching,” “placing.”
Connection to everyday life: Walking meditation can be done as informal practice whenever we walk. In this case, we walk at the normal speed. However, we still try to pay attention to the foot movement (as long as it is safe). For example, we could note “left,” “right,” … as we move our feet. We try to maintain this awareness as much as possible. With sustained awareness, our minds can be free from distracting feelings and thoughts. If mindfulness becomes strong, we will be able to notice distracting stimuli and let them go. This way, we could avoid various negative reactions, which would occur so many times in our lives.
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