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Like practice on the cushion, mindful walking is an important form of cultivation. It is both a formal practice and a bridge for bringing mindfulness into everyday life.

At meditation retreats, sitting and walking are usually alternated. This helps prevent the physical and mental sluggishness caused by prolonged sitting without interrupting the practice. Yet in practice we often focus only on the cushion and overlook the value of mindful walking. Treating it merely as relaxation between sessions, or simply as a stroll, means missing an important opportunity.

Mindful walking need not be confined to retreats; we can bring it into daily practice. Before sitting meditation, it can help the body and mind gradually settle. After sitting, you can do a deeper walking practice. Nor must mindful walking be tied to meditation at all: it can be a complete practice in its own right.

Traditionally, mindful walking is usually practiced outdoors, especially in a natural setting that refreshes body and mind. For everyday practice, however, it can be done indoors. Find a space about ten paces long and walk back and forth. If space is limited, you can also walk in a circle。

Another point to remember is: do not become too tense. Some people begin mindful walking and suddenly seem to forget how to walk—their pace becomes extremely slow, their movements stiff, almost mechanical. There are many ways to practice mindful walking. Do not become fixated on one form; the key is to make the practice engaging.

We will now explain mindful walking in three steps. You can, of course, use them as a foundation for your own experiments and exploration.

 

Step One: Explore the relationship between walking speed and attention。

Begin by walking a little more slowly than usual, but not excessively slowly. As in sitting practice, place your attention on the rise and fall of the abdomen. Do not resist thoughts or visual and auditory distractions; simply return your attention deliberately to the abdomen. When you notice the mind wandering, gently bring it back.