Walking Meditation

“I have arrived.  I am home.  My destination is in each step.”  -Thich Nhat Hanh

The other morning while I was walking on the greenbelt, I experienced a moment of being truly absorbed in the act of walking.  Inside of me, everything became profoundly quiet, while around me the birds sang and the frogs croaked.  For me, it is rare to experience this deep quiet in the midst of activity.  This is part of what I love about walking meditation – how it prepares us to bring the experiences of meditation into the activity of our lives.

Early summer mornings are a perfect time to practice walking meditation.  We arrive just as the sun is rising.  The sounds of nature are just barely awake.  Birds, bull frogs, insects.  On these mornings, we are the first human feet to walk the path.  The setting and the practice invite us to stay silent.  To connect with the rhythm and feel of walking – just walking.  To feel and observe the breath with more care than usual.  To merge into the gap between the quiet night and the busy day.

It is a gift to start the day moving silently in nature.  Walking meditation is one of the many meditation practices that help us to cultivate presence and inner calm.  Wouldn’t it be nice to move through more days feeling open, relaxed, and able to be responsive to whatever life brings? The yogis learned that it just takes practice.  For most of us, this takes a lot of practice.  But, just like with other skills, we can all improve with practice and patience.

Join Anita 7/19, 8/9 or 8/16 for a meditation walk on the greenbelt.  It’s free, and you’ll be so glad you made the effort!