“In
Bodh Gaya, India, there is an old Bodhi tree that shades the very spot
where the Buddha is believed to have sat in meditation on the night of
his enlightenment. Close by is a raised walking path about 17 steps in
length, where the Buddha mindfully paced up and down in walking
meditation after becoming enlightened, experiencing the joy of a
liberated heart.
In his teachings, the Buddha stressed the
importance of developing mindfulness in all postures, including
standing, sitting, lying down, and even walking. When reading accounts
about the lives of monks and nuns in the time of the Buddha, you find
that many attained various stages of enlightenment while doing walking
meditation.
In walking meditation, the primary object of
attention is the process of walking itself. In other words, to sharpen
awareness and train the mind to concentrate, you pay close attention to
the physical act of walking, the way you take one step after another.
Thus the object is more obvious and tangible than in the more refined
meditation techniques, such as focusing on the breath or a mantra,
which are often used in traditional sitting meditation. Focusing the
mind on this more obvious object helps to avoid sleepiness (or
restlessness) that meditators sometimes experience during their sitting
meditation.
The guidelines for walking meditation are similar
to that of sitting meditation: Choose an appropriate time and decide
how long to meditate; for beginners 15 to 30 minutes may be suitable.
The walking path can be either inside or outside, depending upon your
preference and the area available. Also, whenever possible, it is
better to practice in bare feet, although this is not essential.
Stand
at one end of the path and hold your hands gently together in front of
your body. The eyes remain open, gazing down along the path about two
yards ahead. The intention is not to be looking at anything in
particular but simply to see that you remain on the path and know when
to turn around.
You should now try to center yourself by
putting aside all concern for the past and future. In order to calm the
mind and establish awareness in the present, abandon any preoccupation
with work, home, and relationships, and bring the attention to the
body. The meditation exercise is simply to walk at a slow, relaxed
pace, being fully aware of each step until you reach the end of the
path. When you arrive at the end of the path, stop for a moment and
check to see what the mind is doing. Is it being attentive? If
necessary, reestablish awareness. Then turn and walk back to the other
end in a similar fashion, remaining mindful and alert. Continue to pace
up and down for the duration of the meditation period, gently making an
effort to sustain awareness and focus attention on the process of
walking.”
- John Cianciosi, Yoga Journal
Green Way Wisdom - Walking Meditation
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