If you want to meditate and cannot sit and shut yourself from the world, you could try meditating while walking. Confused? Read on to know more through this story. When was the last time when you walked alone in peace unnoticed? Was it in your neighbourhood or on a hiking trip, in the city or a village? Undoubtedly, many of you would easily recall your last solo walking adventure. However, most people like to run or do brisk walking for fitness purposes. Plus, you prefer wearing your headphone to catch up on your favourite online podcasts, music, or a chat on the phone. We call it the optimum utilization of our time without realizing that most of us are entirely unaware of our inner self even when we are alone. Our mind is always lost in random thoughts, which clouds our ability to concentrate and become more focused. What is Walking Meditation? Our brains tend to be on auto-pilot while we move as we contemplate, plan and think about a lot of stuff happening around our lives. In the process, our focus moves away from the presentmoment where we could sense our surroundings and enjoy the feeling of being alive. You shall be surprised by the happiness that this process could bestow on you. This process of concentratingwhile walking is called walking meditation. The Process While this kind of meditation dispels the conventional notion of meditation, the essence of the whole exercise is still the same. First, you must focus upon your pace and stepsuntil you become attuned to the underlying rhythm of the motion. Now, try to bring your awareness to the birds chirping around you, or the sound of moving traffic, voices heard from the buildings, trees, water or anything that you notice around you. You could resist the temptation of getting swayed and focus on being aware rather than dwelling on anything around you. Practice Makes You Perfect. You could set the time of walking meditation in the beginning. But, remember, this process won't be accessible in the beginning. First, however, you have to remind yourself to turn away from distractions every time your mind wanders off somewhere. Then, gradually, your mind shall become more focused from regular training, and you shall begin to reap immense benefits out from this beautiful practice. Some well-known benefits of walking meditation are- It improves the blood circulation and regularizes the blood sugar levels of your body It helps in healing anxiety and stress It has proven to be effective in fighting depression People have reported a better sleep quality from the practice. Walking meditation is the answer for people who want to attune their mind and body to achieve greater concentration in their lives and cannot sit for meditation. So do give it a try!
