Try mindful walking
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a state of mind. It is about noticing your thoughts and actions in a non-judgmental, open way, as they happen, so that you don’t get lost in distractions, reactions, or worries. In mindfulness, you use the mind’s natural capacity to be attentive, non-reactive, and relaxed. You then connect to what’s actually important, inside and around you. It’s an intelligence we all have but often don’t use.
Mindfulness is typically accessed through meditation. From this open, focused mind state, we more clearly distinguish right actions from fruitless struggle. We get clearer about when we’re trying to control things we can’t possibly control, and better at perceiving our inner reactions before they become regrettable outward actions.
We begin to see how much of our stress is created inside the mind. And we start to experience a stillness of mind and body that doesn’t require the glass of wine, medication, or hour of massage. With a little persistence and patience, a kind of balance and nobility is glimpsed in the mind.
Mindfulness is sometimes falsely equated with being passive and disconnected. Not so. It’s not about becoming checked-out, dreamily floating on a cloud. Mindfulness is a way of being present, focused, and skilful with what’s happening in your life, with less struggle. It’s an empowering tool for people living active, engaged lives. It helps us to act more efficiently, waste less energy in mind-made dramas, and orient to what’s real. “The truth will support us,” a teacher of mine once said. “A fantasy will not.”
How mindfulness works
Mindfulness happens in switching the mind from busy “thinking and planning” mode to simple “observing” mode. You can start by directing your attention to a neutral object or process, like your breathing, or the movement of your feet. You then do your best to observe the flow of sensations as you breathe or walk – which is different from thinking about it.
You simply notice. Then, before you know it, you’ll probably find you’re thinking again. No problem. Just turn back to observing the breath or the feet. You do this again and again, in a relaxed, unhurried, non-perfectionistic way – simply returning to observing.
Why the emphasis on this odd state of non-thinking?
The thinking mode can dominate our waking hours in unhelpful ways. We get caught up in pointless thoughts about the past, worries about the future, imaginary conversations in which we brilliantly tell the boss how it really is – all distracting us from being present for what’s happening in any moment.
Thoughts drive our moods and emotions, and anxious thoughts produce anxious body states – increasing muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure.
The practice of mindful walking
Mindfulness is commonly achieved through meditation, which is classically done in a seated position, eyes closed, with attention focused on the breath. But there is also a long tradition of taking the practice on the road.
For some, mindful walking has certain advantages. Many people struggle to focus in seated meditation. Because so little is happening, the mind is all too ready to wander off – back to thinking.
Mindful walking provides more for the mind to connect to. There’s something far more concrete to focus on: movements of the body. Thus it tends to be more user-friendly for the novice. Another advantage is that mindful walking doesn’t require special time set aside. Many of us want to meditate but find it surprisingly hard to “find” time for it on a consistent basis. I’ve heard many then sadly conclude, “I can’t meditate.”
Walking with mindfulness frees the would-be meditator to roam far and wide, cultivating mindfulness in the process of walking itself.
So if the idea of seated meditating is about as appealing as paying taxes or visiting the dentist, things are looking up. You’re officially off the hook. Lace up your walking shoes, and prepare to meditate. You’ll be a mobile Zen ninja in no time.
Five-minute Mindfulness: Walking by Douglas Baker is published by Quid Publishing, £9.99.