This exercise is intended to deepen your ability to be present in THIS moment by paying attention to your body movements as they unfold.  Though you walk, there is no place to arrive.  Your focus is on sensory awareness.

There is no right or wrong way to mindfully walk in terms of space, direction, or pace… though it’s a  more meditative practice if you walk in a circle or from one wall to the opposite in a room… to free our minds of thinking of where we need to go.

• Pause before you begin to remind yourself to focus how you experience walking in your body.
• Walk at a comfortable pace, though perhaps slightly slower than your usual pace.
• Without being judgmental, observe the physiological reactions in your body: how your legs feel, how you carry your body, how your arms function, the etc.
• If you get to another side of the room, pause for a moment before turning and repeating the process.  If you are walking in a circle, simply continue for the time you allotted.
• Pause at the end of the designated amount of time (or trips back and forth to each wall) to note the end of the exercise… taking with you whatever ease you feel in your body.

Note:  You can accomplish some of the same results if you walk a block, go up and down a flight of stairs, or find a path that allows you to walk without focusing on your path.  The aim is to allow your mind to fully focus on how you experience walking in your body!

© Copyright 2013 Maria Hunt