Walking and Spirituality

“It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts.” K.T. Jong

Walking is a perfect way to get to know more about the world around you. You’re moving at a slower pace than the car, and you can always stop whenever you want to take a closer look. You get to meet more people and share with them whatever’s going on around you.

You know, when you go out walking you will begin a journey that will help you become fitter in both body and mind.

Yes there’s a spiritual dimension to walking too. When I say spiritual, I do not mean in any religious way. You can have a spiritual outlook without holding on to a religious belief.

Walking can be a form of meditation. You may have done meditation as a sit down activity, and if you have hold on to the purpose of meditation, because the walking form is the same only on the move.

If you haven’t done meditation and are uncertain as to what meditation is, then I’ll start this section off by giving you a brief definition and explanation.

Really, meditation is what is called being ‘mindful’.

Instead of letting your head run away with thoughts of what happened yesterday, or last week or last year, or get lost in what might happen tomorrow or next week etc., what you do in meditation is try and keep your thoughts on what is happening right now.

Being mindful means paying attention to how you are feeling, what you are hearing, seeing, doing, thinking etc. In some circles being mindful is called ‘being in the now’.

Doctor Joan Borysenko, PhD, amongst others, has called meditation a process of being, ‘…pleasantly anchored in the present moment.’

In meditation, you work to stay focussed on what is happening to you now.

Thinking about the past and the future are said to be two of the major causes of stress related illnesses, so meditation is something that won’t take us there.

The aim of meditation then is to calm us and increase our sense of well-being.

This may seem to be at odds with walking, as meditation seems to suggest that you need to be still. That’s why some people think you can’t meditate and walk at the same time.

Well, I’m here to help you prove that idea wrong.

You don’t need any special equipment or preparation to do a walking meditation. You can do it almost anywhere that’s flat and free from any potentially dangerous obstructions.

You can do it in your back yard if it’s big enough; you can do it in the local park, or even on a city street.

However, it’s not where you do it, but how you do it. Moreover, there are several ways you can do it.

You can spend from 20 – 60 minutes on walking meditation or longer if you feel okay about them.

Be aware that walking meditation is not done at high speed. You will be able to move freely, but with grace and calmness, walking as always from the centre. Mental and spiritual well-being is the object.
Here is a very simple walking meditation to get you going. If you’ve done sitting meditation, you will already be aware of the basic principle.

Mindful Breath Walking Meditation

In this walking meditation, you focus on your breathing and its rhythm with your steps.

• Breathe deeply from the diaphragm as you walk.
• As you draw a breath in, count how many steps you are taking.
• As you breathe out, count how many steps you are taking. It’s as simple as that!

You can add a little something to this process if you wish. If, for instance, you are taking four steps for an in breath, try saying four short words to go with each step. For example, ‘I am at peace’.

You could repeat this on the out breath if you are taking as many steps as an in breath. On the other hand, you could think of something else of a similar nature.

By the way, it is not unusual to have a different number of steps for each breath. I generally take five steps for an in breath and seven on the out!

Play with your breathing and steps. Try taking more steps or fewer steps. Allow your breathing rate to remain the same despite the number of steps.

What’s important is that you are mindful of what you are doing. Allow nothing else to distract you. Don’t begin to dwell on things that are not involved immediately with the walking meditation you’re doing.

Walking meditation helps you become more aware of yourself. Practice will help you learn more about yourself by helping you to let go of all the millions of thoughts swimming around your head. The start of spiritual awareness is learning to know you.

Walking is a pathway to spirituality, and you can take it every day!