“Exploring the world is one of the best ways of exploring the mind,” writes Rebecca Solnit in Wanderlust: A History of Walking. One of my favorite “alone” things to do is to walk and meditate. I have one of those “monkey chatter brains” (only those of you who have the same issue will understand that term!). Walking is the best way to get you out of your head and to bring clarity to life. Here are a few steps that will help you walk & meditate.
1. Begin your walk with 5 deep inhalations and 5 strong exhalations. Continue this breathing pattern every 5 minutes or when you think about it. What does the air smell like, can you smell freshly laundered clothes? lavender? wet leaves? freshly cut grass? …
2.Focus your attention on something you see, a beautiful part of nature like a ladybug, or a spiders web. Think about that spiderweb and how it came to be, each beautiful silky strand and the beautiful pattern… how does it feel when dew attaches to the web…or when a spider crawls across the web…
3.As you continue to walk, think about this beautiful web.
4. When the thought of the web leaves your mind, find a new object to think about or begin a chant, a song, a poem, a prayer or your favorite mantra, “I am grateful for all the beautiful things in my life…”. If I have reoccurring thoughts of a problem I visualize my problem blowing away like a leaf in the wind, or flowing with the current in a stream, and I let it go. Breathe.
5. Hold one hand behind your back. If you find yourself walking too fast, this will help you slow down.
6. Listen to the sounds around you and the sun on your face.
Life is wonderful!