What is walking meditation?
Walking meditation is a form of meditation in action.
In walking meditation we use the experience of walking as our focus. We become mindful of our experience while walking, and try to keep our awareness involved with the experience of walking. Actually, there are several different kinds of walking meditation. We’ll just be looking at one of them in detail, although we’ll touch on the others. Once you’ve mastered one form, you’ll easily be able to pick up the others.
Obviously, there are some differences between walking meditation and sitting meditation. For one thing we keep our eyes open during walking meditation! That difference implies other changes in the way we do the practice. We are not withdrawing our attention from the outside world to the same extent that we do when we are doing the Mindfulness of Breathing or Metta Bhavana (development of lovingkindness) practices. We have to be aware of things outside of ourselves (objects we might trip over, other people that we might walk into) and there are many other things outside of ourselves that we will be more aware of than when we are doing sitting – especially if we sit inside. These include the wind, the sun, and the rain; and the sounds of nature and of humans and machines.
But one of the biggest differences is that it’s easier, for most people, to be more intensely and more easily aware of their bodies while doing walking meditation, compared to sitting forms of practice. When your body is in motion, it is generally easier to be aware of it compared to when you are sitting still. When we’re sitting still in meditation the sensations that arise in the body are much more subtle and harder to pay attention to than those that arise while we’re walking, This can make walking meditation an intense experience. You can experience your body very intensely, and you can also find intense enjoyment from this practice.
The practice of walking meditation can also be fitted in to the gaps in our lives quite easily. Even walking from the car into the supermarket can be an opportunity for a minute’s walking meditation.
The form of walking meditation we’ll be introducing here is best done outdoors. For your first attempt, you might want to find a park or open space where you will be able to walk for twenty minutes without encountering traffic.
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Pingback from Spiritual Eating « Zmama’s Balancing Act
Time: October 15, 2007, 5:39 pm
[...] also will be a time I can commune with the trees, the fresh air, etc… I have read a bit about walking meditations but I don’t know if I would be able to manage that while also interacting with Z. Maybe a [...]
Comment from Woody
Time: December 18, 2007, 2:56 pm
My friend recently had an anxiety attack, so I thought I’d look up some helpful practices and I stumbled across walking meditation. As I read the description of the exercise/practice, I realized this is something I actually do on a regular basis. When the weather permits, I typically like to take a walk or ride my golf cart through some trails in the woods at my house; I generally focus on the wind, the ambient noises, and I particularly like the warmth of the sun and the way it shines through the trees. Either way, I always feel a bit more relaxed and concent afterwards.
Comment from Louise Aspden
Time: January 6, 2008, 1:07 pm
Thank you. I didn’t realize that my daily walks in the woods on our property was a form of meditation. I love to walk in the quiet, peaceful forest and take note of each and every sound and detail.
I also find it hugely beneficial to feel great gratitude for all that surrounds me on these walks. Not only is it a stress relief but it helps me stay positive.
The more you can find to feel grateful for out there, the more positive energy emit and therefore attract more joy into your life.
Pingback from PonderAbout.com » Blog Archive » Walking Meditation
Time: March 15, 2008, 12:19 pm
[...] today’s post highlights a form of meditation
where attention is focused on walking
at Wildmind.org, they write,
In walking meditation we use
the experience of walking as our focus . . .
and try to keep our awareness
involved with the experience of walking [...]
Pingback from Le Cinque Eccellenze « strategie evolutive
Time: April 24, 2008, 10:22 am
[...] miei trascorsi lunghi a riassumersi, ad esempio, io tendo a prediligere la meditazione che si fa camminando, ma anche scrivere o giocare a FreeCell possono trasformarsi in metodi per ripulire la mente.È [...]
Pingback from Walking Meditation | Manifestation Mastery
Time: September 21, 2008, 3:52 pm
[...] not in our heads. To read more about walking meditation and learn how to try it out yourself, visit http://www.wildmind.org. Mail this postPopularity: unranked [?]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Walking Meditation”, url: [...]
Pingback from The Warrior’s Predicament – Page 5
Time: September 22, 2008, 5:05 am
[...] to my office. If I am anticipating a bad day at work (eg due to the workload or whatever), I do a walking meditation as I walk to my office. After two minutes, as my mind begins to settle into the meditation, I will [...]
Pingback from The Joy of Walking | Look Far – searching for self awareness
Time: October 6, 2008, 9:51 pm
[...] how to get started on, it suddenly seems much clearer to you. Walking is also used as a form of meditation. I don’t know why it works, but when you are alone and moving on autopilot (hopefully you [...]
Pingback from A New Meditation « Ashley Mastandrea’s Weblog
Time: November 18, 2008, 11:56 am
[...] found this article. It is a nice summary of walking [...]
Comment from Josie
Time: December 27, 2008, 3:53 pm
I am currently enrolled in a motivational coaching program. Part of practicing to be the best coach is to meditate, I was finding it very difficult to sit and meditate. I am a very active and on the go person. For exercise I have always walked, so with this I can exercise and meditate all in one. WOW! I am not sure who mentioned it to me that lead me to my awareness, but here I am and am really excited to get started. Thanks for the site with all the great information.
Pingback from What is walking meditation? | Wildmind Buddhist Meditation « Xenophilia (True Strange Stuff)
Time: March 20, 2009, 12:31 pm
[...] via What is walking meditation? | Wildmind Buddhist Meditation. [...]
Pingback from » Mindful Meditation Series: Part 1 – family, kids, meditation, mindful, walking meditation
Time: April 13, 2009, 1:38 pm
[...] can help the whole family. But if the thought of sitting still yourself just sounds too torturous, walking meditation might be a perfect [...]
Pingback from Walking Meditation Can Increase Your Focus
Time: May 3, 2009, 12:09 pm
[...] Meditation Can Increase Your Focus Walking meditation is ideal to increased focus and awareness. It helps a person to be attentive on their encounter as [...]
Pingback from Medatative Running « Shuttlebum
Time: July 27, 2009, 6:42 pm
[...] running is an interesting and fun exercise. I first started thinking about it when reading about walking meditation. Then I ran across a post by Leo from Zen Habits that described being in the moment while running, [...]
Pingback from Walking Meditation: Seeing Your World « QuinnCreative
Time: September 26, 2009, 11:25 pm
[...] Walking meditation can take many forms, mine is simply walking briskly while being aware of the sounds and sights that nature offers. “Nature” covers a broad experience here–I live in a city, so there is traffic, trees, kids on their way to school, bikes, dogs, crossing guards, trash and recycling pick-ups. Often I’m walking before it gets too light or too noisy, but it doesn’t really matter. A good walking meditation is a great way to start the day. [...]
Pingback from The Saunterer » The Joy of Walking: 8 Great Reasons to Walk More
Time: November 8, 2009, 12:42 am
[...] Clear your mind. Meditate while you walk. Meditation is one of the best ways to clear your mind and concentrate on the present moment. [...]
Pingback from Cult of Innovation » Blog Archive » When Do You Have Your Best Ideas?
Time: February 25, 2010, 11:04 am
[...] college, I took a meditation course at a Buddhist center and learned about walking meditation. The premise behind that practice, at least as far as I understood it, was to focus solely on the [...]
Pingback from Mindful Meditation: A FRAZZLED MEDITATOR « Vancouver Island Meditation
Time: March 14, 2010, 11:17 pm
[...] I’ve just finished doing my qi gong and yoga exercises, a few minutes of walking meditation, and settled into the den for my sitting meditation. I’m down at my father’s place, helping him [...]
Pingback from Seek out Silence « Eat Well. Live Well. Be Well.
Time: June 6, 2010, 8:35 pm
[...] I wish I did this more, but I’m not good at sitting still. (Did you know there is walking meditation though?) Meditating really helps with mental [...]
Comment from david B.
Time: July 14, 2010, 5:25 pm
I have a question that I hope someone at this website can answer: I do a form of what I consider walking meditation where I listen to any sound that comes to my attention, focus on it, until it recedes and then listen to the next sound that haphazardly enters my field of attention. Is this considered a recognized form of meditation? Thanks.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 14, 2010, 7:41 pm
It’s quite a common practice, David. It’s not something you’ll find in the Buddhist scriptures, but plenty of contemporary Buddhist teachers encourage this practice under names such as “just listening.” Listening reminds us of the value of equanimity, because we can’t control the sounds we hear and so can only accept them. The expansive nature of the awareness we have while listening is also a very useful experience to cultivate. We can connect with a spaciousness of mind that makes it easier to let our experiences pass through without our becoming so caught up in them.
It sounds like you have something very good going on there.
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