With practice, you’ll notice mindful walking is both physically and mentally relieving. Mindful walking refers both to being mindful while "walking," and simply to being mindful as you go through your day, whether you're walking or not. It's important to learn to reflect as you're doing other things, because this is where you notice the detail of your own habits, as they happen, so you can make adjustments if you want to.
The left brain (in charge of language) is usually over-used if you're stressed or busy, so spend more time in your right brain by focusing away from thoughts, and more on sensations. You'll notice the brain likes finding more balance between thoughts and sensations, because it makes you feel instantly grounded and more relaxed. Finding more of this balance is a major part of walking meditation practice, and it's the doorway into having a more intentional mind (The inspiration behind Mindful on the Move App)!
Each time you "focus on purpose," you're training your brain's neurons to support intentional focus so mind-wandering, rumination, scattered thoughts and other mental habits becomes less and less the norm. As you breathe, feel and relax (on purpose), contentment spreads through your body. Over time, you start to feel more integrated and whole, as your thoughts, feelings, sensations, intentions, values, and actions meet up in the same moments. This is the natural result as your stressed or habit mind gradual resolves.
Walking meditation can be as profound as sitting meditation, and it brings more awareness into thoughts, feelings, and actions as you move through the day. You can do it for short bursts when moving from place to place. Each time your feet hit the ground or hands touch something can be a cue to tune into the present moment and how your body feels (vs. always being in your thoughts). Walking meditation helps you reduce your overall stress level as it raises your energy, because you have more conscious relaxed attention on thoughts, feelings, sensations, and actions- as they happen!
You can practice when you’re not moving, such as when you’re driving, standing in line, doing any menial task, hanging out with the kids, pets, or relaxing on the couch. Kids and pets really notice when you're being mindful because your attention (and energy) is more focused. Spend tv, scrolling, or movie time also breathing slower and deeper and sensing/relaxing your body since you don’t need to be actively using your brain. This reduces the feeling of stagnation that comes from being fully checked out of your body and mind. It might take practice to be able to focus both on what you're watching, and on your breath/body/relaxation at the same time- that's why it's called a practice. Your attention becomes more complex and satisfying, in the present moment, the more you practice. This is one of the ways you build a more complex "sense of self" through mindfulness practice.
Your focus, and other habits of mind, shift to become more intentional, because you notice the habitual storylines that come up in thoughts, and instead of just running with them, you can ask if that's what you want to be thinking about. "Who you are" is determined more by you, than by past thinking habits or whatever the world throws at you.
The habit of being mindful as you go through the day pulls your energy and attention from automatic thinking, so you can experience life where it happens- in the present moment! When you're more fully present, more often, life is more meaningful, and can include more of what you choose "on purpose." Instead of feeling like life is happening to you, it becomes obvious that life, in each moment, is an opportunity you don't want to miss.
SOME CORE MINDFUL WALKING PRACTICES:
1. Pay attention to your breath and how your body feels as you walk, instead of focusing on thoughts. Make slight adjustments as you move and as you feel your body trying to find relaxed balance with each step. You’ll notice spots of tension and tightness more when your attention is on your body/breath. Allow tension to release without resisting it.
2. Don't resist or struggle with things. While on the move, this can mean more relaxed breathing, movements, thoughts, emotions, intentions, etc. Let go of tension on all levels, and allow things to happen without struggle.
3. The body feels more, and can also release tension more readily when your attention is consciously on it. Anchor your attention on sensations in your body (instead of thoughts) by focusing on any of the following:
--your breath going in and out, feel and hear the depth of your breathing * this is important to do in the background behind other practices.
--the feeling of your body as it moves, how balanced your body feels as it moves, and trying to reach greater balance with each out-breath.
--the feel of your feet on the ground, and relaxing your fingers, toes and shoulders as you move.
--the feeling of little tensions throughout the body, and allowing them to relax with each out-breath. You'll notice tingling in the body as tensions release, try not to resist the sensations, instead, "relax into them."
OTHER FOCUSES:
- allow things to come to your eyes, as if you're watching a movie instead of actively seeking with your eyes. Don't think about what you see, or label it (in words). Just see it, then allow it to leave your vision.
- allow sound to come to your ears, instead of actively listening. Don't think about what you hear, or label it (in words), just hear it, then allow it to leave your attention.
- notice the atmosphere and aspects of the moment, without labelling them in words, just "be here now." Breathe and feel instead of thinking.
- thinking isn't all bad, just make sure thoughts are conscious, or on purpose. The goal is to weed out automatic, repetitive, negative, or scattered thinking. One day with practice, you'll notice it's not difficult to clear your mind or adjust focus, and that will be because your brain has responded to your mindful practice with new neural networks!
The overall goal of mindfulness, and mindful walking is to become more effortlessly aware of each aspect of self (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual), so habits or tension can be released, while the best version of "you" becomes present to meet each moment. As tensions or stressors release, more possibilities for meaning and contentment become apparent!