One foot in front of the other...

Click here if you'd like to listen to the audio version of this meditation.

[Every now and then, it’s good to take a break from the internal noise. Sometimes we’re so focussed on what's in our heads that we lose sight of the things and people around us. We might feel stuck, stuck in a train of thought that feels overwhelmingly difficult and sometimes static. But life - and the world - are always in a state of flux. Emotions, energy - all the things around us are dynamic. There is never a static picture even though it might feel like an emotional groundhog day in our heads. If we find ourselves in a low mood, or a low energy state where the same unhelpful thoughts are getting turned over and over, we can give ourselves a break and go for a walk. And it can be nice to give ourselves a rest from our typical thoughts as we walk. Rather than just changing the scenery and absent-mindedly meandering through the world, we can actually press pause and get some peace and quiet inside. So here’s the pause button - this is a guided walking meditation. It's a mindfulness meditation, based on a walk I tried the other day].

Let's begin.

The first thing to become aware of is where you are in the world. Where are you right in this moment? What does it look like? What noises can you hear? How does it smell? Tell me using your mind.

Now remind yourself of your name, and as you say 'my name is ...' look at your palms and remember you're actually inside your body.. This is your body. Welcome to your body! You may have been aware of your body before from looking in the mirror, but most of the time we mainly focus on our outside appearance. We’re going to focus on the inside for just a second. How would you describe the feelings you currently have in your body. Which one calls for the most attention? And the one after that? Ok. Those feelings are ok to have. It’s part of being human. We all have these feelings at some point or another, and they stay for bit and then they go and sometimes they come back. We do have some control over them too. In fact, we can have quite a great deal of control over feelings because they come from thoughts, which we can definitely choose if we want to indulge in, if we can notice them. We might want to re-order those feelings in a moment, but first, let’s go through a couple of things to get ready for this walk...

Because if we're going to go outside of somewhere we’ve been working or staying, will we need to put on some shoes? Clothes? If so, let's put on something we wouldn't normally wear everyday, something comfortable but different. We’re going to make this moment special. Notice the texture of your clothes as you put them on, the colour, the weight, close your eyes once they're on and really feel that sensation of wearing them. Keeping your eyes closed, take a breath in through your nose and out through your mouth and remind yourself of how that feels, standing in these clothes and maybe even shoes you've put on. Now take another breath, let the air go right down in to your abdomen, filling up your body, into your back and up into your lungs. Feel your chest expand for a moment. And breathe out. Now let’s take another one, really focussing on the paths that breath takes. After you exhale, open your eyes and if you feel like it, let yourself smile for a moment.

And if you feel ready, let's go for a walk. But one second... If you're leaving a place to go outside and it's possible, see if you can leave this place in a different way than you would normally leave. Maybe you can twirl in a circle, snap your fingers just before you open the door to go out and say ‘wooooop!’, or maybe even step out carefully backwards. Just something small that reminds you this is a new experience and it's going to be something different. No matter where you're going to wander to, it's not the same this time. If you're already outside I want you to focus on one object that catches your eye. Maybe it's a traffic light or a tree. Focus on that object and in your mind, see if you can find a way to see it in a new way, notice the dimension, size, presence. Or maybe it's a sound. See if you can pick up pm that sound and imagine it slowed down, at a lower frequency, louder, softer. Softer almost to the point where you can't hear it anymore? Now listen for that sound again. Ok, let's walk.

Start slowly, lifting your foot with purpose, focussing on your balance as your leg moves. Plant that foot on the ground in front of you and then begin to move the other foot. As you place one foot in front of the other, notice how that feels. It's kind of amazing, and this is why. Your brain is sending tiny electronic pulses to different limbs to get your body to move. Each time you even breathe, let alone move your legs, you are the essence of something dynamic. Ebb and flow. And all the particles around you are too.

How does the air feel? Do you want to breathe in deep through your nose? If you do, go for it. Does it have a smell? Keep on moving, becoming super aware of the noise around you, the temperature, the way your clothes feel on your skin as you step forward, the sensation of the ground below your feet. Keep your eyes open and let your breath fall in time with the movement of your feet. See if you can breathe in through your nose for 4 steps forward and then breathe out through your mouth as you walk another 4. Carry on doing this and notice the feeling of your breath, your heart, your body as you continue. Now let's really focus on that counting, as you walk, imagine seeing those numbers in your mind, counting up from 1 to 4 as you breathe in, allowing the messages from the world around you to come into your awareness, and bathe in them. Notice that sense of wonder, maybe there are some trees around you, maybe some plants, perhaps it's cloudy, or raining, sunny or even snowing. It doesn't really matter too much, it is just weather, but you're here to experience it. This is mindfulness, your mind is full of the experience of being alive, going on a walk, putting one foot in front of the other to go somewhere, and the beauty of this walk is that you don't even need to get anywhere right now this second. You can just give yourself permission to notice every single detail from the world around you and connect fully with it, with no judgment, just observation.

Have you noticed that you feel calmer perhaps? That the train of thought you had been aboard earlier has faded away and now you're experiencing the moment you're in? Take a moment to stop and look again at your palms. These are your palms, this is your body. You're inside it right now, in the world, taking a walk because you can, surrounded by all the noise or quiet, natural or man-made things around you. And this is a special moment, because you're here. Keep on walking, keep on breathing, letting the numbers count up as you wander, noticing the world as you make your way forward, letting your arms swing if you want them to, letting your eyes and ears pick up on all the things going on around you. Carry on your walk and remember, this is your walk, you can get to this state of mind and being whenever you want, whatever is happening in your life. And in your mind, you can always relive this walk, you can come back to this place and feeling whenever you wish.