While meditation is associated with sitting posture, you can practice meditation while walking.
It is nothing but meditation in action. In walking meditation, our focus will be on walking.
There is a difference between walking meditation and doing meditation while sitting [Learn how to meditate].
When we do meditation with sitting, we close our eyes, but in walking meditation, we keep our eyes open.
While performing meditation while sitting, we don’t concentrate on surroundings.
In walking meditation, we have to concentrate on outside world and surroundings as you will be distracted by many things.
Sitting and performing meditation may make you calm and dull while walking meditation make you energize in a skillful way.
When you are doing walking meditation, you may get interruptions with people on the road and vehicles moving on the road. In walking meditation, we should be aware of many things than in sitting meditation. You have to concentrate on weather such as sun, rain, wind, and sounds [Meditation and concentration].
It is easier for many of them to be aware of their bodies and to be more intense while performing walking meditation. You can make walking meditation intense and it is easier to be aware of your body when it is in motion than sitting.
If you are a beginner, then select a place where you don’t have any disturbance while doing walking meditation. You can perform in parks or in open places where there is no traffic.
Now start walking meditation by noting your posture and be attentive. To avoid distractions, allow your eyes to look at a point in front of you on the ground. As you walk, your attention should be on the sole of the foot and not on your legs or any part of the body. You have to concentrate on your each step while walking.
Your mind should be free of thoughts. If you are thinking any thing other than concentrating on steps, try to remove the thoughts and concentrate on noting the steps. Along with concentration on the steps, you should not forget the focus on your movement.
Start with twenty to thirty minutes walking meditation in the beginning. Later on you can increase it to one hour. If you practice walking meditation and sitting meditation alternatively without any break, you develop awareness of your activities.
Benefits of walking meditation:
With walking meditation, your physical strength increases and you will have the stamina to walk on long journeys.
As you practice meditation with sitting and walking alternatively, it contributes to good health. Meditation with sitting and walking shifts your posture thereby increasing circulation and health.
With walking meditation, your stamina of performing meditation increases. You should not only concentrate on walking but also concentrate on the movement. Your mental effort increases as you should be aware of both walking and movement.
Walking meditation improves your concentration. You have to concentrate on each object and the distractions around you. In walking meditation, you concentrate on steps and the movement, therefore your concentration becomes continuous.
Walking meditation helps in improving your digestive system and keeps your bowels clear. After eating, if you do walking meditation, drowsiness can be prevented. Walking meditation in early morning is a good way to establish mindfulness.
