Mind your Mind

Remember that walking meditation is much like life. It’s literally one step at a time, step by step, small incremental movements forward that all coalesce into one journey. At the beginning, one notices how far he must go, but in the end, one notices how far he’s come. The key is mindfulness, or what I like to call “minding the mind.” A great means of doing this is to mind your breath. Start by taking three deep breaths, after taking three deep breaths, allow the air to escape through the nose and fall into a natural rhythm. As in life, breath is essential, so first, breathe in, deeply. Breathe in all that life is, all that is bothering you, all that is in your mind and then let it go by breathing out. Breathe out all that you’re worried about, any thoughts floating around in your mind or anxious energy that might need to be expelled. Next, allow your forehead to release those wrinkles, let those shoulders drop and unclench your jaw. Let go of the tension, let it all go until you are completely empty; this emptiness is key, because again, much like in life, a cup must be emptied before it can be filled. So, empty your cup. The first step is complete.

The next step is to begin your steps. All journeys begin with one step, so now you take yours. Life is a continuous coming of steps and moments that follow each other. This goes for all things, everywhere. A wise man once said that a man never steps in the same river twice, for the man is never the same and neither is the river. So, like a sage would with life, slow down and pay attention to every step. Put your full awareness into the step you’re taking, then the next, then the next. Often, we think our way through life, but slow down and feel your foot hit the ground. Focus on that, then the next, allow your mind and energy to clear. There is no other place to be, no other step to take then the one you’re taking at this very moment. In life, all there really, truly is, is the present moment. For the future is yet to pull itself out of pure potentiality and the past is set in stone, unchangeable. All you have to mind is the present moment. So, breathe naturally, step naturally, and focus on each at a time. This is mindfulness, minding the moment in a way which clears the mind, relaxes the body and allows the thoughts to flow like leaves in a river. Acknowledge them, yet don’t get attached to them, allow them to simply float away, making way for the next one to come, and instead of focusing on that, simply allow it to go freely. Again, like life, thoughts, people, money, troubles and relationships come and go, yet the more attached to them we become the more we suffer from their departure or allow them to distract us from the glaring clarity of the truth: that you are not your mind, you are not your thoughts, but you are an observer. All that you are not is beginning to fade away, revealing more of what you truly are. The second step is complete.

As you continue to focus on your steps, you will notice that the mind will wander from the object of your focus. This is natural. Be gentle with yourself, be patient, this happens in life as well. We lose our focus and we get off track sometimes, but like a wise and patient parent, gently bring your focus back to your step, and then the next step. After some time, once things begin to become natural and the mind no longer needs to measure out every step and breath, the mind, body and breath begin to find their rhythm. Everything in life has a rhythm, time and action coalesce to operate with a force and energy that allows things to unfold in perfect timing and in the most enjoyable manner. Let the wind blow the clouds of your mind away and clarity begins to break thought effervescently like the sun through the mist after the rain. Only your mind has changed, but now you may see things in a glaring new light. When calm and placid enough, the mind reaches the state of “no mind”. Here the mind stops reaching and grasping for thoughts to hang on to and simply sits still. In this state, no mind allows you to not mind the mind, but to hang on to the emptiness in the mind, ironically this is called mindfulness. You have taken the third step.

In life, all of our problems stem from the mind. Yet, we seek solutions to our problems in the outside world. Meditation teaches one to go within, to master oneself, self-mastery is what allows one to control all in the universe because he controls himself. One starts this journey by first mastering the mind. The mind is the master of the body, but breath is the master of the mind. So, we focus on our breath, training our minds so that the mind doesn’t control us. Then our minds are free and clear. Where your attention goes your energy flows, meditation helps one to realize that the mind can flow, or it can be directed toward what you choose to focus on, whether that be happiness, abundance or peace, not the mind being triggered and flying down some unintended trajectory, dragging you along with, sending you spiraling down rabbit holes of negativity. . Let our minds go and remain in the present moment, since it’s all we truly have. Let our minds not create problems that don’t exist, let our minds become placid, calm and clear, so that we may be able to see things and people as they are and not as we are. Let mindfulness help us create relationships with ourselves, check in with ourselves, because so are often we are very unaware of much of ourselves. As you continue your journey, don’t think about the destination, it’s a waste, the journey is the destination. You have taken the last step, you have arrived.