A Massive Seven Years Into My Meditation Journey, I Finally Gave Walking Meditation a Shot
“I discovered that one of the most challenging aspects of mindfulness practice was relinquishing effort. For years, I approached meditation as merely another task on my daily checklist — mindfulness…done. This task-oriented mindset transformed meditation into a duty I could potentially do wrong.”
— Seth J. Gillihan, PhD, Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope, and Peace
Took me quite a while to try a walking meditation, didn’t it?
I have a tendency to think, “I’ll engage with what most individuals regard as the correct approach! The BEST APPROACH! Because I strive hard to excel at things!”
Regrettably, I do this with numerous aspects of life, whether it’s writing, brewing kombucha, working with resin, or a myriad of other activities. I conduct some research, adopt what I think in the moment to be optimal, and stubbornly adhere to it, even if it may not be the best fit for a novice. Even when I should genuinely entertain alternative methods.
I’m gradually realizing that I shouldn’t be so rigid about what appears to be the “best approach.” I do more research prior to forming opinions. I now make room for differing views and methods. It’s a gradual journey of transformation, but I’m progressing.
And walking meditations were something that I, in my obstinacy, considered lesser compared to a tranquil seated meditation. But I found myself trapped in the misconception that there’s solely one correct method to perform tasks.
Meditation is a gradual practice for many of us to master.
It took me a consistent two to three years of trying to meditate before I made significant progress in genuinely calming my thoughts. This was partly due to my lack of training in directing my focus inward. During my initial meditation sessions, I’d be seated on a yoga block in a beautifully serene studio, striving to settle my thoughts.
It was an ideal environment for meditation. I would participate in meditation classes in comparable settings in future studios and various apartments — seeking quiet, dim spaces. However, it was actually in one of my least favorable apartments, where I endured neighbors blasting dubstep for 14 hours straight, that I experienced some of my most profound moments of concentration. I had to exert such effort to block out the noise that once I finally managed to do so, I became quite focused.
It seems like the worst possible environment to meditate in, but paradoxically, the greater challenge of filtering out distractions around me actually enhanced my awareness of the sensations in my body.
I attempted a walking meditation for the first time and discovered it surprisingly simple to concentrate on bodily sensations while moving.
The guided meditation track I listened to encouraged the listener to focus on the feeling of each foot either grounded or moving toward the ground. It prompted me to notice the muscle engagement in each foot, the stretch, and then the relaxation that accompanied each step.
I was able to tune into these subtle sensations much quicker than I anticipated. There’s something about the immediacy of movement that makes mindful awareness of it surprisingly easier to access when we truly concentrate and pay attention.
Walking meditations challenge us to sharpen our focus amidst chaos in our surroundings.
Here’s where the essence of walking meditation truly shines. Just as I paradoxically had some of my best meditations in my noisiest apartment, I was amazed at how smoothly I transitioned into a meditative state. My thoughts quieted faster than they had in recent weeks.
There are numerous viewpoints on meditation, and I believe every effort holds value. I’ve been perusing a translation and exploration of the yoga sutras (with a focus on women’s perspectives) by Nischala Joy Devi and have come across the concepts of dharana and dhyana. I’ll quote Devi’s definitions because these two terms illustrate a subtle yet crucial distinction in the meditation process.
“Gathering consciousness and focusing it within is Dharana (contemplation).
The continuous inward flow of consciousness is Dhyana (meditation).”
— Nischala Joy Devi, The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras
Essentially, we start with contemplation, draw our focus inward, and then we can advance to the next stage of meditation. Considering contemplation as a precursor to meditation is an idea that resonated with me profoundly.
When embarking on a new practice, having more chances to incorporate it is beneficial.
I’ve been reading extensively about the fundamental flaws in our hustle culture. However, whether you’ve chosen to slow down or if circumstances compel you to maintain the pace (I understand, I financially had no choice for a considerable time), if walking is part of your routine, this can be an excellent opportunity to integrate meditation into your day.