"Walking Meditation
The mind can go in a thousand directions
But on this beautiful path, I walk in peace
With each step, a gentle wind blows
With each step, a flower blooms
While walking, practice conscious breathing by counting steps. Notice each breath and the number of steps you take as you breathe in and as you breathe out. If you take three steps during an in-breath, say silently, "One, two, three," or "In, In, In," one word with each step. As you breathe out, if you take three steps, say, "Out, Out, Out," with each step.
Don't try to control your breathing. Allow your lungs as much time as they need, and simply notice how many steps you take as your lungs fill up and how many you take as they empty, mindful of both your breath and your steps. The key is mindfulness.
You can also practice walking meditation using the lines of a poem. In Zen Buddhism, poetry and practice always go together.
I have arrived.
I am home
in the here,
in the now.
I am solid.
I am free.
In the ultimate
I dwell.
As you walk, be fully aware of your foot, the ground, and the connection between them, which is your conscious breathing.
Walking meditation is really to enjoy the walking - walking not in order to arrive, just for walking, to be in the present moment, and to enjoy each step...Anyone can do it. It takes only a little time, a little mindfulness, and the wish to be happy."
Beliefnet articles on religion, spirituality, prayer, God, angels, politics, meditation...
Parallax Press publisher of Books by Thich Nhat Hanh, on Mindfulness, and Engaged Buddhism.
The Mindfulness Bell an inspiration and teaching resource for those practicing mindfulness in daily life. Each issue features a recent teaching by teacher, Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. This website also includes locations of Sangha centers in the U.S.A. and around the world.
Plum Village meditation center and home of Thich Nhat Hanh, 85 Km east of Bordeaux France.
Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California.
Dharma Memphis website is a good resource for learning more about Buddhism, meditation and mindful living. Intitial work is being done to create a retreat center at Magnolia Village, a 120 acre property south of Memphis Tennessee that was donated to Plum Village.
Green Mountain Dharma Center and Maple Forest Monastery, in Hartland-Four-Corners and Woodstock, Vermont.
