Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation practices allow us to approach the phenomenon of meditation from many different angles. One of them is that we can experiment as much as we like. To sit down in calmness breathing deeply isn’t the only way to practice meditation. Meditation is a far more complex phenomenon and it doesn’t depends on the posture only. Meditation is inside us, and it sometimes happens even spontaneously.
The point here isn’t to deny the classical meditation approach, but to give you a more liberal view on it, especially when we speak about Mindfulness meditation. Do you know that there is a complete system named Dynamic meditation, which doesn’t practice sitting in calmness at all? Let us have here a different approach.
Walking Mindfulness Meditation
How to meditate deeply this way? Well, this type of meditation also starts with sitting/breathing/calmness posture for about 10 minutes. You should do what is necessary for classical Mindfulness meditation approach (relax, breathe, be in the present moment and don’t stop your thoughts, leave them wandering) – you know your meditation at home lessons already, don’t you?
Then, get up and start walking, no matter where you are: you can walk through your house, garden, outdoors, in the city, etc. The walk shouldn’t be fast, but relaxed and elegant. The first thing is to focus on your foot touching the ground: the toe, the sole, the heel – everything. Listen to the sound of your steps in the rhythm of your walking. This is the first phase of the walking Mindfulness meditation.
Second Phase of Walking Mindfulness Meditation
It is about focusing on your whole body, its parts and its appearance generally while walking in your rhythm. Notice how all parts of your body move their own way: your hands, your shoulders, legs, your head, even try to imagine your hair being moved by the air.
The ultimate point of this phase is to post your body and mind in harmony with space and time: to be aware about the environment, accepting the reality as it is, but in a way that will not affect your trans-like movements. If thoughts appear caused by some object around, just focus on your body movements again.
The Third Phase
It is time for sublime feeling of yourself. The third phase of Mindfulness meditation in motion uses a “mudra” gesture with your hands. It should be done in harmony with your walking rhythm, gently. Make a relaxed fist with your left hand and place it on your solar plexus level, beneath the chest. Then, place your right hand with its right thumb ending up on the top of your left hand; elbows to point toward sides. If unclear, just put your both hands on the same level. Mudras have special meanings, and this one helps you feel your body being in meditative state, with your spine keeping straight. Feel your hands.
Mindfulness meditation in motion helps you release the tension from the wandering thoughts by not giving them special attention. By focusing on your body in motion, you simply have no time to think of them, while you are still in a meditation mode.
After all, finish you Mindfulness meditation by sitting again in classical meditation position for 5-15 minutes. That’s all. This was only one of the ways to practice mindfulness. It has many aspects and possibilities, and you can only benefit from bringing dynamics in your meditation process. Walk your way!
