Try Walking Meditation

In addition to practicing mindful walking as you go about your day or take a walk outside, you can also try a more formal walking meditation. 

This type of walking is best done in a quiet, private place.  Find a spot where you can walk forward and back approximately 10 paces in each direction without obstructions.

Here is one way to do this:

• Stand for a minute and take a few mindful breaths.
• Lift your right foot, move it forward, and place it on the ground in front of you.  As you do so, gently note the actions of  lifting, moving, and placing as a support to connecting your attention to the physical sensations of each of these phases of movement.
• Do the same with the left foot—lifting, moving, placing.
• Move slowly (but not so slowly that you lose your balance), and be attentive to the sensations in the feet and legs. (Note, you don’t look at your legs and feet, rather keep your gaze and head upright as you walk.)
• Feel the sensations instead of thinking about them. If the gentle noting (see above) is distracting or leads to endless thinking, then don’t use it and stay with the felt-sense of the movement.
• When you reach the end of your path, stop, breathe, and slowly turn around.
• Repeat in the opposite direction.
• When you are done, take a few breaths.

 Learning to bring mindfulness into different activities helps bring the benefits more fully into daily life, since we don’t stay in only one posture all day.