Walking meditation - a mindful technique to increase happiness in your everyday life

No time for meditation? Do it while walking!

Today I want to share some tips about walking meditation with you. I discovered this technique some weeks ago and found it very helpful and enjoyable. It's time to share my experiences so that you can use them for your own wellbeing :)

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We walk everyday and most times we don't even think about it. Especially the small walks, like from the coffee machine to the desk, we often don't recognize at all. Many of us "pencil pushers" like to take a walk after work as a compensation for sitting all day. That is, of course, a good idea but in the most cases we are not really aware of the process of walking. We think about the day at work, what we have to do at home, about our problems etc. etc. So our mind don't get the amount of relaxation it could get.

Why mindfulness

Mindfulness is a very powerful technique which leads to happiness, relaxation, health and a more fulfilled life. There are already some posts and useful guides about mindfulness on Steemit (and, of course, in the whole Internet as well) and it is a good idea for everyone to increase the number of mindful moments we have every day. We are caught up in thought so that we don't recognize the area around us, the air, the nature and our own body and mind. If we learn to appreciate these things, thoughts and feelings again and no longer take them for granted, we will be better humans.

How to be more mindful

Mindfulness can be a very spiritual topic but in this post I will focus on the self-improvement part to achieve more happiness and health. At first it can be very difficult to "be in the moment" but it is like with most things, a matter of training. You don't need any special talents and skills, you simply need to start. One possible and very powerful way to start is meditation. But maybe you don't have these 20 minutes a day to do nothing, maybe you are even scared of doing nothing or maybe you think it is too esoteric.
Another easy as well as effective way to start practicing mindfulness is "walking meditation". No, you don't have fly cross-legend, saying "oooohhm" through the next forest, you only need to be aware of walking!

Best is to do a walk of 20-30 minutes every day in your local park or forest. But you can even do it at a housing area without much noise from the streets. Don't walk with a special target or purpose. The journey is the reward! Just walk to walk, walk for every step!

My regular walking path

Four simple practices of mindful walking

First practice: Breathe

Try to be aware of your breathing. Let your body do it, simply observe how your lungs are filling with air, how your chest or belly is expanding and how your body softens with every exhalation. Do that for 5 minutes or as long as you like. It's normal that your mind will wander off. When you recognize it, gently bring your mind back and continue observing your breathing while walking.
Be aware of the taste of the fresh air. How does it smell? Be aware of the air and be thankful for it. It sounds stupid but it's a nice feeling to be thankful and to feel the air on your body.

Take a deep breath of fresh air!

Second practice: Hear

Be aware of your surroundings. Do you hear birds or other animals? What sound does the wind make when it touches the trees and plants? Do you hear other humans talking or jogging? What kind of sound do your steps make? Try to recognize how every step sounds slightly different then the next.

Third practice: Feel

Then try to be aware of your feet and feel the ground. Feel it with every step. How hard or soft is the ground? Are there any stones you feel through the soles of your feet?
Feel the air touching your arms, your legs and your face. How does it feel? Feel the warmth of the sun or the moisture of the rain. Be in the moment and enjoy it and be thankful for it. Be thankful for nature, for the ground and for the sun or rain!

Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin

Fourth practice: Be a monk

Try all of the above described techniques and combine them. Be aware of other things you think, feel, see or hear. You can count your breaths to keep your focus. I found it helpful to tell myself some sentences which reminds me constantly of being in the now, to feel the ground and the air and to be thankful.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk, teaches his students the following sentences to maintain focus while walking.
Taking two or three steps for each in-breath and each out-breath,

Breathing in “I have arrived”; Breathing out “I am home”
Breathing in “In the here”; Breathing out “In the now”
Breathing in “I am solid”; Breathing out “I am free”
Breathing in “In the ultimate”; Breathing out “I dwell”

Integration

Practice walking meditation as often as possible to get used to be mindful. You can even do it in your everyday life. While walking to the bus, to your workplace, to a meeting, to lunch or while tiding up. You can even practice it one the way to the toilet. Do it as often as possible and after some weeks watch the results. Then you can increase the number of mindful activities during your day. Maybe now you want to try sitting meditation. A good start then could be a guided meditation like headspace (https://www.headspace.com/).

I hope you enjoyed my article, I wrote it mindfully :)
I am very thankful for every upvote and comment. Have you already tried walking meditation or other mindful practices? If you think this article can help someone please resteem it. Thanks and see you soon :)