Slow walking meditation practice for families and groups

First, make sure you have enough space around you so you won’t bump into anyone or anything as you move. This activity is really fun to do outside bare-footed and with eyes closed.

1. Start by standing with your head reaching the sky; legs and feet firmly planted on the ground. Hands are at our side. Notice the strength and stability of the body, like a mountain. Feel the feet and the ground below and the sky above the crown of the head. Wiggle the toes and notice what’s around them, such as shoes or the ground if bare-footed. Notice how the body feels: warm, cool, tight, relaxed?

2. Begin feeling the body move in space by swaying from side to side. Young children may be guided to imagine themselves as trees swaying in the breeze. What’s going on in the body as our weight shifts? Are the feet grasping the ground like roots in the earth? Raising our arms to the side or above the head, continue to sway and feel the movement throughout the body. 3. Moving one leg at a time, notice the feelings in the whole body as you raise your knee and step forward. As the leg moves, what is the belly doing? The shoulders? Slowly lower the leg and feel the ground below you. Do this with the other leg and take some more slow, rhythmic steps as the breath goes in and out of the body.

4. Now, try a few slow steps with your eyes closed. What does that feel like? Are sensations different when we can’t see? Sometimes balance feels different when we move with the eyes closed.

5. Stop and begin bending forward in slow motion. Take your time getting to the ground. Let the head and upper body relax wherever you decide to stop the bend. If possible, touch the floor/ground with your hands. What do you see/feel around your feet? Stay here for a moment and notice the sensations in your body. Which muscles

do you feel stretching?

6. When you’re ready, slowly curl back up, allowing your head to hang and be the last thing that comes up. Re-establish a stable standing position, feet in contact with the ground and head reaching the sky.

7. Now, sway from side to side and front to back in slow motion and then tilt the head back and forth toward each shoulder. What is happening in your body, legs, neck, face and shoulders when you do this?

8. When you’re ready, return to a comfortable standing posture. Notice what’s different in the body from when you started. Do you feel warm, relaxed, excited and alert?