Saturday, November 12, 2011

Meditatd in Motion Through Walking Meditation

What is walking meditation? Did you think meditation was just sitting and trying not to think thoughts? When you tried to sit and meditate you couldn't stop thinking. Of course there are different types of meditation but you can meditate even when you are in motion and think while you are doing it. Walking Meditation is focusing your attention on each movement you make as you walk. Let's review three reasons why to try Walking Meditation.

First, Walking Meditation makes you more mindful of what you are doing. You start to watch as you make each slight movement of your foot and touching it down. Then you pause to reflect on how you are doing it. Then you take another step and observe it in process. It sounds simple enough. Not really but worth a try. As you continue to break down each part of each step you may start to notice you sway more to the left or the right. You are slowing each part of a motion down. By paying attention to each micro-movement of what you have learned to take for granted you start to feel more.

Second, it is a way to focus your thoughts on each part of each step. Focusing your mind on your body can bring you back into the moment. Being in the moment can help you to be more aware of how your body and mind connect. Twenty steps later you become more present. Even though being present is not so bad it may be a little different at first.

Third, while you are drawing your attention to each repetition of each movement you find it harder to be distracted. You feel your body more and your concentration improves. Being more alert can help lead you to faster reactions.

Even though Walking Meditation can calm your mind, you most likely will find that it draws your attention to a few problem areas in your body. If you truly listen to what those problem areas are trying to tell you, you can extract clues from them and discover solutions before problems worsen. A little prevention before a problem becomes a disease can even save you time and energy invested in medical treatment. Or if you have an illness it can help you to manage your reactions to it. Give you back more control over your body and health.

Each person is different. What you find out for yourself may lead you in a different direction than another person. Self-awareness is about the individual but you can share your experience with confidants in your life. In the end, Walking Meditation is a tool for you to use to look deeper into yourself, manage stress, and be more present today. After you've practiced enough you can rely on it and use it anytime.

No comments:

Post a Comment