Walking Meditation

One exercise I use when I find myself not being mindful is walking meditation. This exercise centers my spirit and body so I can return to mindfulness. You can do this anywhere but I’ve found that in nature and solitude walking meditation can provide amazing insights. The first time I tried this exercise it brought me back into the light and into a conversation with the Creator. But I also find that this is great for any time you are walking or even standing in line.

Did you ever wonder how those elderly monks were able to trek for sometimes years over mountains and through jungles. I’m convinced now that they used this type of walking meditation. When hiking and using walking meditation I can go longer with out as many breaks (and I like breaks) and I can almost double the distance without getting exhausted. A friend of mine told me after sharing a walking meditation that, usually he tenses up when coming to a hard part in his hike. But when using walking mediation he was so relaxed that the hard part of the hike felt easy and natural and did not put as much stress on his joints.

You begin to walk with nature not through nature.

What I mean by this is you become so centered that you are connected with everything around you. Even the animals’ notice that you are a part of nature, not just blazing through. The birds will continue to sit on the branch and sing their songs as you pass by. You begin to sense the life around you before you see it with your psychical eyes. Nature is everywhere, on the city streets and the country roads.

If I were to try to teach some one how to perform this exercise I would use an example from Thich Nhat Hanh. He states that images make the practice easy and the following poetry is one of the images he uses for walking meditation.

http://www.dharma-talks.com/walking_meditation.htm

so, as a personal sidenote, would this not be what
Greg/"'r"/jz equates to: the observer
state?
I don't see how they can think that there
is only "ONE ACTIVE WAY" to God.