DANCING ON THE SKY - MEDITATION WALKING

There are many simple ways to attune ourselves to "listening to our within" which we can practice and draw benefit from daily.

I would like to present a technique to reconnect ourselves to a quiet mind, a strong resilient body, and a focused alertness whereby strong nerves are developed, blood pressure lowers, and mental energy is produced.

Walking Meditation is done by noticing the lifting, forward, and placing movement of the foot in each step. First, completely relax the body and allow the physical weight of the body to "sink" into the feet. Allow extraneous thoughts to gently leave you like "clouds moving past in the sky." Let the tongue hang from the roof of you mouth throughout your breathing cycles. Take small steps with a "smile" as you attitude and "joy" as your nature. It is an exercise in MINDFULNESS. It is not how far the step travels, but the balance and root and flow that is achieved when we learn to "stay home" as we walk. You will arrive at you destination "without going" anywhere.

Lifting, Placing, Moving (by being pulled through) ... Lifting, Placing, Moving. It is very simple. It is helpful to finish one step completely before lifting the other foot. Again, it is not an exercise in movement alone. By practicing Meditation Walking we begin to develop a careful awareness of out inner and outer environment. In the course of the day, you can expect many changes. Sometimes you may feel like walking more quickly, sometimes very slowly. You can take the steps as a single unit, "stepping, stepping." Or you may keep it divided into 3 parts. Experiment. The essential thing is to be mindful, to be aware of what is happening. Your personal Meditation Walking will then always assist you as you remain rooted and flow like the clouds as you appear to be DANCING IN THE SKY!

Written by Marilyn Allysum