Think On Your Feet; Walking Meditation

“While you are walking, smile and be in the here and now, and you will transform that place into paradise.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise which is effective for increasing the number of calories burnt and stimulating the mind.

Anytime we move our bodies intentionally we create an altered mental state that improves cognition and emotional regulation.

Just think about the difference in clarity between a Tuesday morning when you’re getting up to go to work and a Saturday morning when there’s much less urgency to get up and out of bed.

Science has long supported physical activity for its brain and mind-boosting effects during and after exercise.

In the case of low-intensity long-duration bouts of walking the mind is free to roam without distraction, somewhat similar to a hypnotic state commonly achieved while driving on long straight roads.

Most of the time this state is not relatable as our busy lives cause us to focus on getting from one place to another filled with different kinds of distractions along the way.

This kind of fast-paced living is exactly why it’s important to practice slowing down, becoming more aware of the trip, and noticing aspects of our surroundings we usually miss.

Performing a walking meditation is intended to connect with simplicity by acknowledging all the little details that we normally take for granted or overlook entirely.

How it’s done

“Walk as if you are kissing the ground with your feet. When we are walking with mindfulness, then the walker and that which is walked upon become one, the division between self and other dissolves into the sacredness of walking with a peaceful heart.” -Zen Roshi

To begin have the intention of performing this activity for the purpose of meditation, not exercise. This practice is primarily for mental reps rather than the completion of a particular number of steps or miles.

The goal is not to work up a sweat, although it may happen depending on the time of day or season you’re in.

1. Find a place that is open with a large area that allows you to get into a rhythm for a while before ever having to turn around or make sharp bends.

The less crowded the better.

It would be even better if it were outside and on grass so that you could take your shoes and socks off and connect more deeply with the ground.

2. Before starting your walk take a few breaths to slow your mind down, feel the ground beneath your feet, and bring your awareness to your body and then your surroundings.

For a more full body experience start with placing your attention on your feet for a few breaths, then your legs, followed by your thighs, and repeat until you get up to your head.

Once you have covered your whole body in your mind begin walking.

3. As you walk notice the sensations in your body and any feelings you’re having emotionally Don’t judge or analyze them, just acknowledge them and keep moving on your path.

Appreciate the beauty surrounding you, are there any sounds going from nature, what kinds of scents are filling the air?

Notice how many steps you take as you’re taking a breath in and how many you take as you exhale. Find a rhythm that you can consistently match for the duration of your walk.

If you need to stop, turn around, or take a break stay in your mental state and take a few deep breaths with another body scan before beginning again.

Think of all these steps as tips and a starting point for you to play with and create a habit and practice of your own. The best results with anything in life will come after experimentation and self-discovery.

Why not a sitting meditation?

While there are benefits to practicing both, a walking meditation is meant to unite the body and mind much more than a sitting meditation.

Unlike sitting meditation, it becomes much easier to adopt a walking meditation into everyday life the more you do it. This is very similar to having a yoga practice where breathing and intention is paired with stretching.

Some individuals may find it easier to stay focused while they’re on the move with the freedom to allow the senses to acknowledge everything that’s around.

Even though meditation has gained popularity over the years with more research supporting its beneficial effects, setting aside time to sit in silence and do nothing can be a challenge.

It’s important for us to make time for ourselves each day regardless of how busy our lives are, just ten minutes can go a long way and we can always start with baby steps.

In this case, taking real steps in the form of a walking meditation may be the best way to begin incorporating a simple but effective mindfulness exercise that can be performed anywhere.

With each step the earth heals us, and with each step we heal the earth.

• Summary of main points

  1. Leverage the cognitive boost exercise provides to practice meditation while walking.
  2. The low-intensity long-duration movement will help put your mind into a semi-hypnotic state similar to the way driving on long road trips will.
  3. Find a nice open area that is free of distractions and allows you to safely go barefoot if you so choose to maximize this practice.
  4. Begin by taking some slow deep breaths and utilize a body scan technique to ground yourself physically and mentally prior to walking.
  5. Walking meditation is meant to unite the body and mind.

• Call to action

Without having to set aside any extra time to go for a walk, the next time you find yourself on the move for a prolonged period practice some of the aspects of walking meditation I described earlier.

Start by becoming aware of each step and feel your feet touch the ground, as you do this synchronize your breathing with your stride.

You may take two to three steps on the inhale and three to four on the exhale, maybe more or less depending on your walking speed or breathing rate. Make it your own.

Stay in this space for as long as you can, when someone or something brings you out of it get back as quickly as you can.

Resources:

Basso JC, Suzuki WA. The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review. Brain Plast. 2017 Mar 28;2(2):127-152. doi: 10.3233/BPL-160040. PMID: 29765853; PMCID: PMC5928534.

Edwards MK, Loprinzi PD. Experimental effects of brief, single bouts of walking and meditation on mood profile in young adults. Health Promot Perspect. 2018 Jul 7;8(3):171-178. doi: 10.15171/hpp.2018.23. PMID: 30087839; PMCID: PMC6064756.

Gutmann B, Mierau A, Hülsdünker T, Hildebrand C, Przyklenk A, Hollmann W, Strüder HK. Effects of physical exercise on individual resting state EEG alpha peak frequency. Neural Plast. 2015;2015:717312. doi: 10.1155/2015/717312. Epub 2015 Feb 10. PMID: 25759762; PMCID: PMC4338399.

Ma J, Williams JM, Morris PG, Chan SWY. Effectiveness of a mindful nature walking intervention on sleep quality and mood in university students during Covid-19: A randomised control study. Explore (NY). 2023 May-Jun;19(3):405-416. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2022.08.004. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35973933; PMCID: PMC9365743.

Mekari S, Earle M, Martins R, Drisdelle S, Killen M, Bouffard-Levasseur V, Dupuy O. Effect of High Intensity Interval Training Compared to Continuous Training on Cognitive Performance in Young Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study. Brain Sci. 2020 Feb 4;10(2):81. doi: 10.3390/brainsci10020081. PMID: 32033006; PMCID: PMC7071608.

https://www.indoindians.com/walking-meditation/

https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-meditate-thich-nhat-hanh-on-walking-meditation/

https://www.headspace.com/meditation/walking-meditation#:~:text=Essentially%2C