My Walking Meditation Experiment

As I mentioned in the previous post, I embrace on an experimental journey in my everyday life and one of them is doing a walking meditation.

Book Guidance: How To Walk

I came across this book when I visited Jakarta a few weeks ago at Kunonuniya. And as a person who claims to be a walker lover – I must read it! Hahaha.

“If we focus all our awareness on walking, we stop the thinking, storytelling, blaming and judging that goes on in our heads.. That alone is enough to calm the storm.” – Thich Nhat Nanh

Breathing and Walking

Combining the walking part with the meditation part. This means eliminating other thinking processes and focusing on breathing. Initially, I planned to do a designated 20-minute walk every day, but the writer also encourageed to incorporate it into our everyday walks – including my walk to the kitchen, to the bathroom, etc. Which I forget a lot! Hahaha. I realise that we rush all the time, that’s crazy!!

Focusing on breathing means not listening to music and walking slowly. So when I do walk to just walk, it feels a bit empty at first since I almost always put on my earphones when I walk. It was hard for me to walk in a slower pace since I walk quite fast normally.

The book suggests practicing two steps for the in-breath and three for the out-breath in the beginning. You can increase the number of steps when you feel like it. Every step should be enjoyable.

What do I gain from the walking meditation practice?

After a little over a week of practicing this walking meditation—to enjoy the walk and focus on the breath in and out—I came to the realisation that when I try to slow down physically, the mind follows. But when my mind is rushing or spiraling, my body feels heavy and stuck.

On my other post about meditation, doing it at the end of the day before my journaling session or before sleep, releases the tension in my body that builds up during the day. The major difference with this practice is that I since I try to move slowly or with intention, I build this reflected in my mind and body to calm down.

From now on, I might not do walking meditation for a certain period of time, but I will incorporate it fully into my everyday walking instead. I recommend you try it, too! For others, walking that slowly can be seen as silly. At least that’s what I’m thinking. I used to get irritated (I still do – but now I have a new perspective on that) by people walking slowly, especially in crowded places.

So, enjoy your walks!