Meditation and presence is an attitude that you can bring into all situations and activities in your life. The practice of walking meditation can be good for cultivating an awareness of the body and the bodily sensations that arise moment by moment. Walking with full attention and presence – step by step – can be a help to bring body, heart and mind together as you move.

Start your walking meditation by choosing a place to walk – either an indoor or outdoor stretch that is about 10-30 steps long. Once you have chosen your stretch, stand still for a moment and feel the weight of your body in your feet and also the muscles that support and stabilize you. Your hands can be in whatever position you feel most comfortable – perhaps at your sides, folded loosely in front of you, or behind your back.

Walk at a slower pace than usual when you begin to walk. Pay special attention to the sensations in your feet and legs: heaviness, lightness, pressure, tingling, energy, and even pain if present. The starting point of attention in the walking practice can be focused on these changing sensations, but you can also include the breath as an anchor.

Pay attention to the sensations in your body as you lift your foot and place it back on the floor or ground. Feel each step fully as you walk in a relaxed and natural way until you reach the end of your stretch. When you arrive here, stop and pause for a moment. Here, feel your entire body as you stand and allow all your senses to be open. Then, slowly and mindfully turn around so that you are facing the other direction. Before you begin to walk, you can pause briefly to gather and center yourself.

You can also choose to close your eyes during these small breaks, which can also be called ”standing meditation”.

It is very natural for your mind to wander while you are walking. You may start planning for the future, worrying about the past, fantasizing about something, or judging your own performance. When you notice yourself doing this, try to bring your attention back to the feeling of the next step. No matter how long you have been lost in your thoughts of planning, fantasizing, or worrying, you can always come back to the here and now and back to the sensations you experience with each step.

You may find that your pace changes, making it easier for you to be mindfully present in your experiences the longer you go. Thus, you will move back and forth on your ”path” and experience that you are not going anywhere, but will arrive again and again in that presence and life – who is always right here.

As Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh says:

”"The miracle is not walking on water. It is walking on this earth with conscious presence.".

4 Common Questions for Walking Meditation

What do I do if a strong emotion arises – for example, a feeling of fear, awe, or wonder at the beauty of nature, or a wave of sadness?

When strong emotions arise, it is good to stop and acknowledge the feeling that is calling your attention. Stand still and let the wings of awareness—a mindful presence and a kind, caring heart—envelop whatever experiences you may have. You may notice the fear, awe, or sadness in a low whisper inside your head. Then return to your walking practice with a clear and present awareness when the experience no longer feels so overwhelming.

Can I follow my breathing while I walk? What about listening to the sounds around me? Taking in the visual impressions?

Ultimately, the purpose of walking meditation is to quiet the mind and cultivate a grounded presence in the body. There are many ways to practice. If coordinating your breath with your steps helps you to become more grounded, that’s great. If it helps you to be fully present in your movements by opening up to all your senses – sounds, images, or sensations throughout your body – that’s also good.

If your primary anchor is sensations in your feet and legs, and you notice other experiences intruding—sounds, images, feelings—then include them in your field of attention. If the experiences are strong, allow them to come to the forefront until they are no longer so overwhelming. Then return to your walking mindfulness practice by anchoring your attention in the sensations in your feet and legs.

My mind is so disturbed that I can't keep my attention on the sensations. What should I do?

We have a strong tendency to get carried away by our thoughts – both during sitting and walking meditation. In situations where you find yourself removed from the present and instead carried away by your thoughts, the most important thing is not to judge yourself. If you have wandered away with your thoughts and returned to your bodily sensations thousands of times, you can be sure that you have practiced mindfulness training! Every time you return to your body, try to notice the difference between being present with your thoughts and being aware of the experiences and sensations that the walking meditation gives you.

That said, there are different ways to support our practice of calming the mind. Some people find it easier to anchor their attention if they say ”lift, step” in their head as they walk. It’s fine to experiment with this – or with your breath, or with opening your senses altogether. Experiment for yourself and find out how you can best be body-aware, calm, and alert during your walking meditation.

What if I feel more like going for a walk rather than walking back and forth over the same short distance?

The purpose of walking meditation is not to walk and get somewhere, but rather to be present with the bodily sensations that arise as you walk. It can help to maintain bodily anchorage by walking back and forth on the same stretch and not having to think about where you are going. This does not mean that you cannot practice walking meditation anywhere! When you go for a walk, you can walk with the intention of being awake in your senses rather than being lost in your thoughts. Choose an anchor that you feel supports you the best, for example sensations in your feet or legs, sensations throughout your body, sounds, or a combination of these. When you notice that your mind is wandering into thoughts, gently but firmly come back to the sensations you are experiencing moment by moment – again and again. Enjoy!

Article translated and edited by Katrine Madsen. The original version was written by psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach.

Photo: Kontemplation and Il Vano/Unsplash