When I worked in an office in Almere, I used to take a walking meditation each day outside (when weather allowed). Walking meditation is a great tool to break routine, to come up from sitting posture that is harmful for our body, it is a break for the mind in the middle of a stressful day, it is awakening and bringing you back to this moment.
It is also a great tool for organizing, your thoughts and your plans, away from the daily chores; from another perspective, relaxed and pondering.
I recommend you to try, you can do it only in the weekend, or at evening after work, when-ever you have time. The weather now is great for walking outside but you can do walking meditation everywhere, also indoors.
We tend to be focused on plenty things, multitasking at work, at home, in our modern society it is almost mandatory skill. I confess that my brain pattern is already disturbed by the copious of stimulations around me. I can’t even watch a movie without checking my phone from time to time (social media).
In walking meditation you narrow your focus a bit. You can narrow it to your body, focus and concentrate only on how you walk, on every muscle, on the movement, on your feet touching the ground.
You can decide you want to focus on your surroundings, absorbing everything you see, hear, smell, as it is the first time; Without judgment, without attachment, without labelling. You can focus on your thoughts, clear the head or watch the thoughts as they come and go. Watching the thoughts means also not to judge, not to label them as anything else except ‘Thought’. Like watching a movie, observe your thoughts.
This time and break for the brain is very refreshing, It helps both body and mind.
Walking with intention - moves your body, flushing your organs with fresh oxygenated blood, moving your muscles, contributing to your posture and skeletal system.
It helps to create a kind of “Island of sanity” in a busy day.
It connects you with now, it connects you with nature (or people, or yourself), it is refreshing for the brain to stop from overthinking and stress. And it is always a good reminder to pause and just BE.
I have to admit that since I integrated meditations in my daily routine – I feel less fatigue. I am awake and fresh most of the day and I need less sleeping hours. I have more energy during the day and that is something that keep surprising me. It is like a gift that never stop giving :)
