SadhanaOriental Meditation and Christian Prayer
To pray with body (taking a breath)
[21] Walking meditation (1)
“Walking” happens everywhere in our daily life. In this section, we aim to put walking and meditation together.
First, let’s have a big picture of the goal of this meditation.
Idle thoughts disappear, and you walk upright and move forward slowly. Some tension is applied to the waist, but other parts of your body are completely relaxed. The rhythmic movement of the legs has a wonderful influence on our heart, and we can achieve a deep level of meditation as we do when we are on our knees or when we are seated.
Now, let’s do this meditation with hope, aiming to reach the above ultimate goal.
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It is important to get the basics to walk in an appropriate upright posture and yet in a relaxed manner.
Stand upright, apply tension to muscle around the waist, and lift your butt cheeks. Stop thoughts in your mind and release tension. Release tension in your shoulders as well. Move forward feeling that your belly button comes first. (Stop considering activity policies in your mind or raising your shoulders to respond to situations shrewdly, but shift your focus down to your belly button.)
To bring the center of your body at the belly button, put your arms down loosely on the side of your body like two sticks for now. You apply tension around your waste, but other parts of your body are completely loose and relaxed.
Keep your head up straight with your face forward and eyes half closed. (Release tension in your neck and face.)
When you achieve the above posture for the upper part of your body, move on to the leg part.
Lift your feet a little higher than usual. Your feet move as if you are pedaling a small bicycle. Take slightly shorter steps like pedaling a bicycle smoothly. Learn to move your feet fluidly.
Empty your mind while you are walking in the above way. Observe the feeling around your belly button and the smooth motion of your legs, and refuse idle thoughts flatly.
When you keep walking like this for four or five minutes, you can start feeling that your heart is peaceful and calm. That’s the sign that you have entered the domain of walking meditation. (“Walking meditation” will be explained in three chapters. The next step will be described in the upcoming chapter.)