Benefits of walking meditation practice

Walking Meditation Practice

Walking meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves walking at a slow pace with intention, such as focusing on your breath or surroundings. This practice comes from Buddhism that is focused on grounding the mind through the body, while increasing awareness of oneself and surroundings.                   The first step of a walking meditation is to start walking at a normal pace while focusing on the lifting and falling of your feet with each step. When you become distracted by your surroundings, you should redirect your focus back on your steps. After maintaining your focus, you can then expand your awareness the sounds present in your surroundings, whether that be the city noise or that of nature. Then, you can shift your awareness to your sense of. Next, shift from sense of smell to vision. Each time you lose your focus and your mind wanders, you should redirect your mind back to the practice at hand. Lastly, you shift your awareness back to the sensation of walking and the motion of your body as you walk. When you come to the end of your walking meditation, stand still for a moment with your eyes closed as a grounding moment to take a moment for yourself. Walking meditations can vary in length, but traditionally can last between 10 to 30 minutes (Bertin, Mark).

                  Meditation practices, including walking meditation, have a wide variety of health benefits. They can boost blood flow in those that lead sedentary lifestyles, improving circulation and oxygenation to muscle tissues. Other benefits include improving digestion and blood sugar levels, reducing anxiety and symptoms of depression, improves quality of sleep, and can even increase creativity. The physical benefits are similar to those of exercising, such as walking, but the mindfulness and shifting of awareness between senses offers psychological benefits as well. Awareness of the present moment can aid in reducing stress levels, thus providing emotional health (Cronkleton, Emily).

                  Walking meditation can be done in combination with seated meditation practice for additive benefits. Both practices can help individuals regulate their emotional and stress responses and therefore provide overall feelings of health while practicing mindfulness and gratitude.

Citations:

Bertin, Mark. “A Guided Walking Meditation for Daily Life.” Mindful, Mindful, 15 Nov. 2023, www.mindful.org/daily-mindful-walking-practice/. 

Cronkleton, Emily. “Walking Meditation’s 10 Benefits for Mood, Sleep & More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 1 Apr. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/walking-meditation#tips.