Guided Walking Meditation
Your company and us at Easeful Alchemy want to help add a bit of pep in your step. Below is a 15 minute guided mindful walking that we have added as a downloadable audio clip so you can take us with you. Simply plug in your headphones and go! Your much needed reprieve from screen-time and a refreshed way to practice getting your steps in.
Why should we walk mindfully?
More often than not, we are mindLESSly walking from place to place, as a means to get somewhere. Even worse, we now have devices attached to our hands that can distract us from our surroundings as we walk through the world trying to do multiple things at once! Mindful walking is a great practice to slow ourselves down, take a break from the busyness of our day and pay attention to how we are walking & how it feels in our body, and brings a sense of movement to a meditation (which is often practiced seated). Since Mindful Walking incorporates all of your senses, it also is a great way to start incorporating mindfulness into your life. So, even if it doesn’t slow down time enough to stop and smell the roses, maybe you’ll start to notice that there are roses where you never noticed before.
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You can revisit this mindful walking meditation often. After practicing with the recording, you could do it on your own. Play with the tempo of your walking, speeding up a bit and slowing down, with pauses in between. This practice will bring a sense of heightened awareness and ease to your body! Bringing an element of movement to a meditative state.
‘Steps’ for Success
You can do this mindful walking meditation in a small space indoors or outdoors in nature
Grab a set of headphones and upload the mp4 recording to your phone to listen to
You will be taking momentary pauses to stand still with your eyes closed, so try to choose a place that isn’t too busy with other people when you embark on this walking meditation!
If you’re outdoors or in a large space, you’ll be able to walk forward as far as you can
If you’re indoors or on a mat, you will need to walk in a circle or change directions throughout the practice
Really pay attention to what is happening in your body throughout this practice. How do you feel? Physically? Emotionally?
Need convincing or love digging into the benefits?
Here are some benefits of implementing a mindful walking meditation into your easeful lifestyle:
Boosting blood flow — We are often seated for long periods of time, especially if we’re working from home, and walking gets the blood flowing to the legs and wakes up the body as a whole.
Helps with digestion — Movement, especially when done mindfully, helps to move food through your digestive system. Great after lunch break!
Anxiety reduction — A 2017 study on young adults showed that walking is more effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety when combined with meditation. The participants who showed the most significant changes in their anxiety levels either meditated, meditated before walking, or walked before meditating. The control group, along with people who only walked, didn’t show as great of improvements. Each meditation or walking session was 10 minutes. (Healthline)
Improves blood sugar level and circulation — A small 2016 study concluded that a Buddhist-based walking meditation practice had a positive effect on blood sugar levels and circulation in people with type 2 diabetes. People practiced mindful or traditional walking for 30 minutes, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The group that did the Buddhist walking practice showed more improvement than the group who did traditional walking. (Healthline)
Alleviates depression — According to a small 2014 study, older people had fewer symptoms of depression after practicing Buddhist walking meditations 3 times a week for 12 weeks. They also improved their blood pressure and functional fitness levels, which can be achieved through walking. (Healthline)
Improves wellbeing — When walking in nature (or imagining you’re in nature) we can enhance our overall feelings of wellbeing.
Improves sleep quality — Walking can help to improve flexibility and mobility, also, light exercise like walking can help to improve sleep quality by clearing the mind and calming anxiety.
Makes exercise fun — Researchers in a small 2018 study found that people who listened to a mindfulness recording while doing a 10-minute walk on a treadmill found the activity more enjoyable. They were directed to notice their physical sensations in a nonjudgmental way.
Inspires creativity — Practicing mindfulness can bring more focus to the mind, which in turn stimulates creativity!
Improves balance — A study from 2019 on older women suggests that walking meditation can encourage better balance as well as ankle awareness and coordination. The practice involves awareness of leg and ankle movements while walking slowly.
Read this article to learn more about each of the benefits.
