How to Perform Walking Meditation Without Looking Like a Weirdo
By: René Phongam
Tags: Walking, Walking Meditation, Mindfulness, Buddhism, Fitness

What is Walking Meditation?

Walking meditation is what its name implies: meditation performed while walking. It is a way to move without intention. The bodily actions are different from seated meditation but hold the same goal of focusing on the breath, centering yourself.

Focusing solely on the breath calms the mind. When the mind quiets, you are allowed the room to become acquainted with yourself and how you’re feeling. This includes getting to know your breath, steps, speed, and suffering.

Walking is an action we automatically perform, usually for granted, without thinking twice about its components’ breakdown. You can have an engaging conversation with someone and walk a mile without realizing how you got there, how far you’ve gone, or how your feet felt touching the ground.

Walking meditation is different from strictly walking because it involves conscious thinking with deliberate actions. The beauty of this mindfulness practice is that you can do it whenever and wherever you want, with no gym membership required.

“If we sit mindfully, if we walk mindfully and reverently on the earth, we will generate the energies of mindfulness, of peace, and of compassion in both body and mind.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Walking Meditation Doesn’t Fit in a Box

There are different methods of walking meditation. Walking a labyrinth or on a nature trail are forms of walking meditation. A traditional way to perform walking meditation is finding a straight path indoors or outdoors that allows 10–30 paces, preferably in a peaceful, quiet location. In this method, you walk to the end of the lane, pause and breathe, and then turn around when you’re ready to continue walking.

Typically, the walking is slower than the average pace and coordinates with the breath. It is recommended to perform the meditation for at least 10–20 minutes to allow time to anchor yourself.

Now, if you’re uncomfortable walking back and forth outside or don’t want to make others uncomfortable with your practice, there are more incognito ways to perform walking meditation.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

How to Perform Walking Meditation Without Looking Like a Weirdo

You can choose to walk a typical route without pacing back and forth 10–30 steps. There is no end-destination, so this meditation can be applied walking shorter or longer distances and even jogging. I walk around my neighborhood instead of weirding my neighbors out by walking back and forth in the yard like a prisoner in a cell.

Walk slowly and relaxed, but not too slow. Your normal pace or a level under your average speed should work. Walking too slow can look a little suspicious. Let your arms hang by your side comfortably, or clasp your hand behind your back or in front of you. Whatever feels more comfortable is best.

Focus on your step components and break them down. This might seem silly, but breaking down steps into their constituent parts increase your mindfulness. Consider the entire cycle of gait as you’re walking — the lifting of one foot, the weight-shift onto the trailing foot, the placing of your forward heel on the ground, the weight-shift onto the forward leg while the back leg begins to push-off, and so on. If you take slow and short steps, it will feel natural and more comfortable to focus on your steps.

Breathe normally. Like walking, breathing is a natural skill everyone knows how to perform without thinking twice. Breathing is a miracle because the act keeps us alive without having to think consciously about it. When performing walking meditation, notice your breathing, how your stomach fills with air inhaling through your nose, and how it passively escapes through your mouth.

I like to use verbal affirmations to help me remain focused on my breathwork. For example, you can breathe in and say, “Breathing in, I am aware of the Earth underneath my feet. Or, “Breathing out, I thank the Earth for supporting me. Sometimes I like to breathe in emotions that arise and imagine myself breathing them out. The more I practice mindful breathing with walking, the more joy I feel.

Focus on your attention the entire time. Your mind is going to wander inevitably, and that’s natural. When you notice your mind wandering, try again. Try, try again. Your mind will begin wandering less with practice and remain grounded like your feet into the Earth.

In order to have peace and joy, you must succeed in having peace within each of your steps. Your steps are the most important thing. — Thich Nhat Hanh

Some might find walking meditation boring at first. For many, it is an acquired taste because it takes practice and time to notice the benefits. But the more you practice, the more effortless walking meditation becomes. You can harness this mindfulness to walking at any point, speed, or situation through the course of a day. The beauty of mindfulness is that it is available to us at any moment we choose.

You can apply these processes in daily life for enhanced enlightenment. The method of mindfulness begins gradually but can infect any moment outside of deliberate practice. This mindfulness practice is useful because pain of all types is inevitable in our existence. And we cannot deny that.

The same degree of awareness achieved during walking meditation is feasible in all moments of life. Walking meditation can be integrated into any walking. Walking between meetings, from your car in the grocery store parking lot, or walking to the mailbox, can all be performed with a quiet mind.

Mindfulness or meditation will not eliminate pain per se but instead, bring you closer to awareness of your feelings and emotions. Once you are aware of your feelings, you are closer to processing them and ultimately accepting them.