A Peaceful Wonder

Now, before we start I would like you to come into the present moment. This is a phrase often heard when we talk about meditation but what does coming into the present moment mean for you? Does it mean to be fully aware of your emotions and of the thinker behind your thoughts or does it mean to not really be thinking at all. Today we are going to take both approaches and seek awareness of how we are feeling without being consumed by our thoughts.

No matter where you are walking whether it be in nature, or a busy city or somewhere in between, I would like you to notice what noises you can hear. It could be the mumbled chatter of other beings, or leaves rustling… whatever it is I’d like you to really pay attention to the details in the noises that you are listening too. Notice if there is a particular noise that stands out and if it is continuous or broken.

Now notice if there is any scent or aroma covering the air, maybe it is a range of smells... notice how they make you feel.

We will take this attention and place it inwards towards your breath. If you can hear the sound of your own breath, feel the synchrony between sound and air being pulled into your lungs… and then slowly expelled out. If you can’t hear the sound of your breath that’s okay, feel the movement of your breath. Direct your mind to the expansion and compression of your breath just beneath your rib cage. Place a hand on this area and acknowledge the movement within.

Now, as we let go of the focus on the breath, feel the weight of the Earth beneath your feet with each step. As you place each foot down notice how you are lifted out of the Earth and propelled forward almost automatically and on repeat. Feel the energy of the ground lift up through your feet and through to your lower legs… your thighs… your hips… the solar plexus… the shoulders and continue to feel this energy flow almost like a light, until you reach above the crown of your head.

Then feel that energy flow back down almost in a cycle. Once again a beaming, bright, light, filled with energy fills beneath from the feet… to the lower legs… the thighs… hips… all the way up through the solar plexus… to the shoulders and finally up above the crown of the head. Do this again and feel the rush of this loving energy propelling you forward.

We return to focus on our breath whilst we are surrounded by the growing loving energy and light within us. Feel the warm, loving energy as you breath in and as you breath out, expel any tension lying within you. Embrace your next long inhale by recognising the growing light from within you. Notice as it forms around your body and spreads along your path, covering the ground, and growing until your entire field of view is bathing in this radiant, loving light that is emitting from within you.

It is not often that we walk without our minds dwelling on the past or anticipating the future, but it is nice to remind ourselves to come back to the present moment. It isn’t surprising that when we do this multiple times throughout the day, we find ourselves more calm and more at peace.

Before you continue with your day, or your walk, take a moment to notice how you feel. Maybe even continue to reflect on the sounds, colours, smells, and feelings that you are experiencing and remember to bring yourself back to the present moment and reignite this loving energy within you.