- [Instructor] Welcome, in this guided meditation
we'll learn the basics of a walking meditation,
and learn to find awareness, calm and ease
as we're moving forward indoors or out walking.
(inspirational music)
So before we begin, it can be helpful to get grounded
in a general awareness.
So notice, what have you brought mindful awareness to today?
And how are you feeling so far today in the heart and mind,
the body and breath?
What's the energy like in your environment
and the space around you?
And then reflect for a moment upon
why it is that you chose this topic, Walking Meditation?
And notice perhaps if you're already carrying with you
a certain expectation, or positive negative stories
regarding this topic.
Notice too if you feel one way in your belly,
your chest or your head,
or if you relate any emotions to those feelings.
And keep all of that in mind
even as we go through the meditation.
Remember that many others feel the same way you do
about walking meditation.
And remember that your feelings might change
as we move through the script.
And noticed too, how you can apply
the increased mindfulness learned here
to your day-to-day life.
We'll begin, for this meditation find a quiet place indoors
where there's ample space to walk in small circles.
Or if you're outdoors, maybe choose a path that is quiet
and allows you freedom to move.
We'll begin by simply standing.
Close your eyes with your feet hips width distance apart,
and your arms hanging loose by your sides.
Wherever you are root your feet to the ground,
and as you press down a little bit
through the soles of your feet,
feel the opposing energy that's transferring up from earth,
up through the inseams of your legs,
up through your spine and all the way up and out
through the crown of your head.
Notice how the more you press down into the earth
the taller you feel.
Let breath awareness guide your attention
further in towards your body.
Focus on this connection between your feet and the ground,
and sensation in your legs and low body.
Breathe here, standing, simply noticing what is.
Where the body is in space?
Where the body is in connection to the earth?
And how the body feels?
Sensation that's arising or how the body is already working
just to hold you still?
With your eyes closed slowly shift back and forth
a few times from your heels to the balls of your feet,
or side to side, shifting weight in to the right leg
and then to the left.
And notice what arises in your awareness
with just the small movement.
And then return to neutral, get centered.
Focus your energy again on noticing the connection
between your feet and the earth.
Sensations in the lower body, the thighs, the knees,
calves, shin, your heels, inner arches and ankle,
the soles of your feet, and each one of your toe.
Maintain this awareness.
Aware of the felt sense of your body.
Even as you slowly open your eyes,
and then still standing,
stay present for a few cycles of breath.
As you take in the information of the body still,
in spite of all the visual distractions that you see.
Aware of the body, aware of connection to earth,
aware of your own form within the space around you.
And then as you're ready with this body awareness
begin slowly walking forward,
take as much time as you can with each movement
and every part of each movement.
Moving slowly in slow motion
to allow for the noticing of detail.
The shift of your weight forward into one foot,
the shift of your weight from your heel towards your toe,
the lift of the heel, the lift of the whole foot,
the movement of your foot through space,
and the placement of the foot,
the placement of the heel, shift of weight towards the toe.
Notice all the detail of movement,
and how it is that your body moves?
And as you move through space walking forward,
how is your intent to walk forward
related to the movement itself?
What comes first, the lift of the foot
or the intention to lift the foot?
Which parts of the process is intentional?
Where does the body feel as though it's acting on its own?
As you walk forward through the space around you
be curious about the process,
and curious about the movement itself.
Can you find a single point
in which the shifting of the weight begins?
Is there a single point in which lifting of the foot begins?
And at which point does it end?
At which point does what we call lifting the foot
become what we call placing the foot?
And at which point has the foot
fully returned to the ground?
As you slowly step forward
is there a moment when the body is still,
and when exactly is the body moving?
Allow for the boundaries of what you perceive as stillness,
and what you perceive as movement begin to break down.
As you slowly step forward,
notice how there's a separation between movement itself
and awareness of that movement.
And then likewise in what two ways
are these things connected,
movement itself and awareness as movement.
Allow for the perceived boundaries between body and mind
to break down.
And as you slowly walk forward,
at which point are you in contact with the earth
and when are you not?
Is there ever a point in which you are not held
by the earth?
Allow for the boundaries between your body
and the elements around you to break down.
Continue slowly moving with awareness, contemplation.
Allow the form body, the form of the body
it's movement through the emptiness of space,
and the dance between the two to show you what is real
and what is not?
Continue until you've reached the end of your path,
or until your time is up.
Feel free to hit pause here if you'd like to.
And then when you're done
spend a few moments standing still again.
Close your eyes and come back to the sensation
of both feet rooted to the ground.
Allow yourself to feel held.
Notice the energy that the earth gives back to you
when you surrender to the earth
and release your heaviness down towards her.
Notice your breath, and then slowly open your eye.