Meditating does not necessarily mean sitting perfectly still. In the Japanese Zen tradition kinhin, walking meditation, alternates with periods of sitting; in Theravada Buddhism slow walking is considered a practice in its own right; the pilgrimages of every religion, from the Camino de Santiago to the circuits around the sacred mountains of Tibet, make each step an act of recollection. Even the labyrinths laid into the floors of some medieval cathedrals, such as the one at Chartres, were walked as a symbolic journey.
Mindful walking is especially suited to those who find it hard to stay seated, to those who spend many hours at a desk, or simply to those who want to take their practice out of the meditation room.
Three speeds, three practices
| Speed | Where to practise | Where to place attention |
|---|---|---|
| Very slow | at home, in a corridor | the individual phases of the step |
| Slow | garden, courtyard, quiet park | step and breath coordinated |
| Normal | street, park, town | the five senses and the surroundings |
It is best to start with the slowest speed, which trains attention, and then move on to the others.
Practice 1: very slow walking
You need a route of ten to fifteen steps in a straight line: a corridor, a clear room, a garden path.
- Stand at the start of the route. Feel your weight spread over both feet.
- Join your hands in front of your belly or let them hang at your sides. Keep your gaze low, a few metres ahead.
- Slowly shift your weight onto your left foot. Notice the change.
- Lift your right heel, then the whole foot. Move it forward. Set it down, heel first, then the sole.
- Transfer your weight onto the right foot. Repeat with the left.
You can help yourself with a mental note: "lifting... moving... placing... shifting". At this speed one step may take several seconds.
When you reach the end, stop, stay still for a moment, turn slowly around and set off again. Continue for ten to fifteen minutes.
Practice 2: step and breath
Outdoors, on a quiet route, walk a little faster and coordinate your steps with your breath:
- breathe in for two steps, breathe out for two steps;
- if it feels natural, extend to three and three or four and four;
- do not force the breath: the step adapts to the breath, not the other way round.
When the coordination becomes automatic, move your attention to the soles of your feet and their contact with the ground: the difference between gravel, grass, tarmac and packed earth.
Practice 3: the five-senses walk
At normal speed, even in town, you can practise a walk devoted to the senses. Spend a few minutes on each:
- Sight: notice colours, shapes, light and shadow, as if you were seeing the street for the first time.
- Hearing: listen to near and distant sounds without classifying them as pleasant or annoying.
- Smell: the scent of a bakery, cut grass, rain on tarmac.
- Touch: the air on your skin, the weight of your clothes, your feet inside your shoes.
- Taste and breath: the feel of the air in your mouth and throat.
This practice turns an ordinary journey, such as going to work or to the shops, into an exercise in presence.
The circular route
Many traditions prefer walking in a circle or along a closed route: going around a place, a tree, an altar. If you have a garden or courtyard, you can mark out a small circular path and walk it clockwise at a slow pace, silently repeating a word or a short phrase on each round. The circle, which has neither beginning nor end, helps you feel the walk as a state rather than a journey towards a goal.
Practical tips
- Comfortable shoes or bare feet: at home or on a clean lawn, walking barefoot heightens perception.
- No headphones: music covers the sounds of the surroundings, which are part of the practice.
- Phone in your pocket, on silent: do not use it to count steps or check the time during the walk. Set a timer before you start.
- Safety: in the street, attention to the senses naturally includes attention to traffic. Practise the very slow version only in protected places.
Combining walking and sitting
An effective sequence for a longer session is: fifteen minutes seated, ten minutes of very slow walking, another fifteen minutes seated. Walking loosens the body's stiffness and brings energy back to attention, without breaking recollection.
In short
- Mindful walking is an ancient form of meditation found in many traditions.
- Start with the very slow version, breaking each step down into phases.
- Outdoors, coordinate step and breath, then bring attention to the contact with the ground.
- In town, practise the five-senses walk while staying aware of traffic.
- Alternate walking and sitting for longer, less tiring sessions.