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Mindfulness Walk

Meditation Practices: Mindfulness and Mindfulness Walk

Many of us lead very 'stressful' lives. We run around trying to get things done, and try to get things done in a most-perfect way. We have a difficult time saying 'no' and our 'to do' list is over-flowing. It might seem like a daunting task to try and calm yourself for even a few minutes when there is so much to do. It isn't easy to be mindful or we would all be there more often. Life would be so much more calm because mindfulness behavior is contagious-just the way stressful behavior is contagious. Think about a time when the world around you seemed to be just 'nuts.'

Remember a time when there was a lot of noice, activities, and your mind was racing. How did you respond to those around you: with kindness and patience or anger and frustration. How did they respond to you? Joy begets joy and stress begets stress.

If you would like to experience more joy, but you feel overwhelmed, Mindfulness walk might be just perfect for you. Some of us-like me-have a tough time sitting still. Mindfulness walking is a great form of meditation to try.

I've often referred to my evening or morning walk as my 'sanity walk,' I could probably use more of them. There is more to those walks than just sanity though. A Mindful Walk is so much more.

Ready to Walk?
You need to be able to do two (okay maybe 3-4) things:

1. Walk for 10 minutes (speed is not a requirement)

2. Notice how your breathing, your body, and the air feels against your skin. REALLY notice. Notice smells.

3. When your mind wanders, and it will-gently guide it back to #2.

4. Do this for 10 minutes at least, and do your best to carry this feeling with you as often as possible during the day.

I suggest practicing one method daily for between four and eight weeks before trying another method. Victor Davich offers a nice way to begin meditation practices. In his book, 8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life, Davich describes an 8 week, 8 minute (no more, no less) method to learn meditation. I really like this idea, and strongly recommend it. Eight minutes a day for 8 weeks is a small, but important committment you can make to yourself.

The following scripts were derived from Holistic Nursing, a Handbook for Practice, by Dossey, Keagen and Guzzetta chapter 21. (see widget earlier on page)

Mindfulness Walk and other Meditative Practices

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