Traditional meditation often has the person shutting their eyes to concentrate on their mental clarity. With walking meditation, you have to see where you’re going, so you’re absorbing your outside environment and processing it with mental clarity.

You already know the health benefits of walking. It helps you burn calories, provides cardiovascular benefits and improves blood flow to various parts of your body.

Now, combine the physical benefits of walking with the emotional and spiritual benefits of meditation and you get a powerful one-two punch with walking meditation. You don’t need any special equipment to practice walking meditation nor do you need to join a special health club.

You just put one foot in front of the other and you’re instantly on your way to better health. But pair this with meditation, or mindful walking, and you get more out of your time spent putting foot to the pavement.

Walking meditation is when you aren’t walking mindlessly, but instead focusing on each step. You don’t have to increase your speed, and in fact, you might even walk slower than usual at first until you get the hang of meditating while walking.

When you focus on your walking, make mental notes of how light or heavy your foot feels as it lifts off the ground and returns to the pavement after each step. Walking meditation is rooted in the art of Ayatana, a Buddhist concept where you’re in touch with your senses.

When you’re using walking meditation, you’re focused on the experience of walking, keeping your mind focused, not on the troubles of your day, but on the process you’re using – the details of each step you’re taking with your right foot, then left foot.

It’s best to conduct your walking meditation in an area that feels calm and inviting, not right in the middle of a downtown construction site. Try to endure your walk for at least 20 minutes at a time.

Begin walking with a god posture and concentrate on the sensations your feet feel. Let your arms hand down and keep your focal point about 3-6 feet in front of you as you walk.
 

How To Practice Buddhist Walking Meditation

Walking itself will help your body in many ways, including providing more serotonin to help boost your mood. Add meditation to the mix and you have an even more powerful exercise program in walking meditation that improves your mind as well as your body.

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