Walking Meditation to Take Care of Our Own Seeds of Violence, Fear, and Discrimination
We all have the seeds of violence, hatred, and discrimination in the depths of our consciousness and when these seeds are watered we suffer and can make others suffer. If someone says or does something that makes us feel hurt or afraid we need to take very good care of ourselves, and walking in mindfulness is one of the best ways to take care of the body and mind.
As we walk we recognize: “Now the seed of violence is manifesting in me.” Then we recognize how much we are suffering in this moment. Still, mindfulness is there, helping us to hold the suffering and not be overwhelmed by it. This is the practice of the First Noble Truth. Then, after we have walked slowly and peacefully we begin to feel compassion for ourselves. We feel compassion because we have understood how much we are suffering. With the presence of compassion and mindfulness, we have a chance to look deeply into our suffering and see its roots. This is the practice of the Second Noble Truth. We may recognize that it is not only our suffering but the suffering of our ancestors and of the collective consciousness. This is the practice of Right View, Right Thinking, and the Noble Eightfold Path, which diminishes the suffering and helps us glimpse the Third Truth, which is the transformation of suffering into happiness. Now we’re not likely to say or do anything that will hurt someone else. Our mindful steps are a wonderful way to help us transform our state of mind from a violent one into a nonviolent one.
The mind tends to dart from one thing to another, like a monkey swinging from branch to branch without stopping to rest. Our mind has millions of pathways, and it forever pulls us back to our feeling of having been hurt and wanting to hurt in return. If we can transform our walking path into a place for meditation, our feet will take every step in full awareness. Our breathing will be in harmony with our steps, and our mind will naturally be at ease. Every step we take will cause a stream of calming energy to flow through us.
We can go back to the Earth as we walk. The Earth is our mother and a solid place of refuge. When we feel overwhelmed by hatred or anger and we want to do harm to ourselves or to others we should walk on Mother Earth and ask her to receive and embrace all our negative energy. We feel her solid, nondiscriminating presence under our feet. She is willing to receive everything—beautiful and sweet-smelling things but also whatever is foul-smelling and impure. She can receive our negative thoughts and feelings and transform them into flowers. Breathing in, we say to ourselves: “Mother Earth.” Breathing out, we say to ourselves: “I come back.” When we are away from Mother Nature for too long, we get sick. Each step we take in walking meditation allows us to touch our mother, so that we can be well again. A lot of harm has been done to Mother Earth, so now it’s time to kiss the Earth with our feet and heal our mother.
When we have mastered the art of mindful walking and felt its real benefits in our life we can share the practice with others. If we are a teacher or a psychotherapist we can help our students or our clients to walk in such a way that it helps them transform their strong emotions.
Many young people commit suicide because they can see no way out of the suffering that comes with strong emotions. It’s wonderful if those of us who know how to walk mindfully and peacefully can share this practice with others.
When you begin to practice walking meditation, you might feel unbalanced, like a baby taking her first steps. Follow your breathing, dwell mindfully in your steps, and soon you will find your balance. Visualize a tiger walking slowly, and you will find that your steps become as majestic as hers.
You may like to start by practicing walking meditation in the morning, allowing the energy of the pure morning air to enter you. Your movements will become smooth and your mind will become alert. Throughout the day, you will find you have a heightened awareness of your actions. When you make decisions after walking meditation, you will find that you are more calm and clear, and have more insight and compassion. With each peaceful step you take, all beings near and far will benefit.
As you walk, pay attention to each step you make. Walk slowly. Don’t rush. Each step brings you into the best moment of your life. In walking meditation, you practice being aware of the number of steps you make with each breath. Notice each breath and how many steps you take as you breathe in and breathe out. In walking meditation we match our steps to our breath, and not the other way around. When you breathe in, take two or three steps, depending on the capacity of your lungs. If your lungs want two steps while breathing in, then take two steps. If you feel better with three steps, then give yourself three steps. When you breathe out, also listen to your lungs. Know how many steps your lungs want you to make while breathing out.
Our in-breath is usually shorter than our out-breath. So, you might start your practice with two steps for the in-breath and three for the out-breath: 2–3, 2–3, 2–3; or 3–4, 3–4, 3–4. As we continue, our breathing naturally becomes slower and more relaxed. If you feel you need to make one more step while breathing in, then allow yourself to enjoy that. Whenever you feel that you want to make one more step while breathing out, then allow yourself to have one more step breathing out. Every step should be enjoyable.
Don’t try to control your breathing. Allow your lungs as much time and air as they need, and simply notice how many steps you take as your lungs fill up and how many you take as they empty, being mindful of both your breath and your steps. The link is the counting.
Always follow the needs of your lungs. Don’t forget to practice smiling. Your half smile will bring calm and delight to your steps and your breath, and help sustain your attention. After practicing for half an hour or an hour, you will find that your breath, your steps, your counting, and your half smile come together easily. Your lungs will be healthier, and your blood will circulate better. Your way of breathing will have been transformed.
We can practice walking meditation by counting steps or by using words that support our transformation. You can create the words that are appropriate to your situation and that feel to be in rhythm with your steps and breath. Here is one example:
Every day, you walk somewhere. So adding walking meditation to your life doesn’t take a lot of additional time or require you to go anywhere different. Choose a place—a staircase, your driveway, or the distance from one tree to another—to do walking meditation every day. Every path can be a walking meditation path.
We all have the seeds of violence, hatred, and discrimination in the depths of our consciousness and when these seeds are watered we suffer and can make others suffer. If someone says or does something that makes us feel hurt or afraid we need to take very good care of ourselves, and walking in mindfulness is one of the best ways to take care of the body and mind.
As we walk we recognize: “Now the seed of violence is manifesting in me.” Then we recognize how much we are suffering in this moment. Still, mindfulness is there, helping us to hold the suffering and not be overwhelmed by it. This is the practice of the First Noble Truth. Then, after we have walked slowly and peacefully we begin to feel compassion for ourselves. We feel compassion because we have understood how much we are suffering. With the presence of compassion and mindfulness, we have a chance to look deeply into our suffering and see its roots. This is the practice of the Second Noble Truth. We may recognize that it is not only our suffering but the suffering of our ancestors and of the collective consciousness. This is the practice of Right View, Right Thinking, and the Noble Eightfold Path, which diminishes the suffering and helps us glimpse the Third Truth, which is the transformation of suffering into happiness. Now we’re not likely to say or do anything that will hurt someone else. Our mindful steps are a wonderful way to help us transform our state of mind from a violent one into a nonviolent one.
The mind tends to dart from one thing to another, like a monkey swinging from branch to branch without stopping to rest. Our mind has millions of pathways, and it forever pulls us back to our feeling of having been hurt and wanting to hurt in return. If we can transform our walking path into a place for meditation, our feet will take every step in full awareness. Our breathing will be in harmony with our steps, and our mind will naturally be at ease. Every step we take will cause a stream of calming energy to flow through us.
We can go back to the Earth as we walk. The Earth is our mother and a solid place of refuge. When we feel overwhelmed by hatred or anger and we want to do harm to ourselves or to others we should walk on Mother Earth and ask her to receive and embrace all our negative energy. We feel her solid, nondiscriminating presence under our feet. She is willing to receive everything—beautiful and sweet-smelling things but also whatever is foul-smelling and impure. She can receive our negative thoughts and feelings and transform them into flowers. Breathing in, we say to ourselves: “Mother Earth.” Breathing out, we say to ourselves: “I come back.” When we are away from Mother Nature for too long, we get sick. Each step we take in walking meditation allows us to touch our mother, so that we can be well again. A lot of harm has been done to Mother Earth, so now it’s time to kiss the Earth with our feet and heal our mother.
When we have mastered the art of mindful walking and felt its real benefits in our life we can share the practice with others. If we are a teacher or a psychotherapist we can help our students or our clients to walk in such a way that it helps them transform their strong emotions.
Many young people commit suicide because they can see no way out of the suffering that comes with strong emotions. It’s wonderful if those of us who know how to walk mindfully and peacefully can share this practice with others.
When you begin to practice walking meditation, you might feel unbalanced, like a baby taking her first steps. Follow your breathing, dwell mindfully in your steps, and soon you will find your balance. Visualize a tiger walking slowly, and you will find that your steps become as majestic as hers.
You may like to start by practicing walking meditation in the morning, allowing the energy of the pure morning air to enter you. Your movements will become smooth and your mind will become alert. Throughout the day, you will find you have a heightened awareness of your actions. When you make decisions after walking meditation, you will find that you are more calm and clear, and have more insight and compassion. With each peaceful step you take, all beings near and far will benefit.
As you walk, pay attention to each step you make. Walk slowly. Don’t rush. Each step brings you into the best moment of your life. In walking meditation, you practice being aware of the number of steps you make with each breath. Notice each breath and how many steps you take as you breathe in and breathe out. In walking meditation we match our steps to our breath, and not the other way around. When you breathe in, take two or three steps, depending on the capacity of your lungs. If your lungs want two steps while breathing in, then take two steps. If you feel better with three steps, then give yourself three steps. When you breathe out, also listen to your lungs. Know how many steps your lungs want you to make while breathing out.
Our in-breath is usually shorter than our out-breath. So, you might start your practice with two steps for the in-breath and three for the out-breath: 2–3, 2–3, 2–3; or 3–4, 3–4, 3–4. As we continue, our breathing naturally becomes slower and more relaxed. If you feel you need to make one more step while breathing in, then allow yourself to enjoy that. Whenever you feel that you want to make one more step while breathing out, then allow yourself to have one more step breathing out. Every step should be enjoyable.
Don’t try to control your breathing. Allow your lungs as much time and air as they need, and simply notice how many steps you take as your lungs fill up and how many you take as they empty, being mindful of both your breath and your steps. The link is the counting.
Always follow the needs of your lungs. Don’t forget to practice smiling. Your half smile will bring calm and delight to your steps and your breath, and help sustain your attention. After practicing for half an hour or an hour, you will find that your breath, your steps, your counting, and your half smile come together easily. Your lungs will be healthier, and your blood will circulate better. Your way of breathing will have been transformed.
We can practice walking meditation by counting steps or by using words that support our transformation. You can create the words that are appropriate to your situation and that feel to be in rhythm with your steps and breath. Here is one example:
- Aware of my emotions (breathing in)
- Taking care (breathing out)
- Mother Earth (breathing in)
- Holding my pain (breathing out)
Every day, you walk somewhere. So adding walking meditation to your life doesn’t take a lot of additional time or require you to go anywhere different. Choose a place—a staircase, your driveway, or the distance from one tree to another—to do walking meditation every day. Every path can be a walking meditation path.
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