Conscious Walking

Conscious Walking, An Active Meditation

At Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat we teach conscious walking to cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness is an important tool for managing many conditions expressing a mental state of depression, anxiety, impulsiveness and compulsion. The practice of mindfulness and conscious walking bring a state of deep relaxation that can only be experienced in the absence of mental chatter. The mind constantly entertains an internal dialogue ranging from random thoughts, to worrying and obsessive thoughts. This continuous chatter gets in the way of our true peace of mind and profound physical and mental relaxation. The benefit of conscious walking come from the fact that the mind cannot focus on two simultaneous processes: awareness of the physical activity of walking and ideation. Choosing awareness precludes thinking. Therefore, engaging consciously in a physical activity like mindful walking disrupts negative thinking patterns of the mind such as obsessive thinking for instance. As thoughts arise, we become aware of them. Intentionally, we turn our focus away from thoughts and towards the walking process. As we do so, we detach from thoughts and disrupt pathological thinking pattern.

How To Do The Conscious Walking Meditation

You are barefoot walking on the grass surrounded by greenery, blooming orchids, and hibiscus. You see it all, through your peripheral vision, your eyes are not focused on any particular details of the scenery but rather your eyes are fed with beauty and life. You feel the soft breeze on your skin and experience the sensuality of your body. You are paying attention to your right hip, feeling the psoas muscle lifting your right thigh initiating the movement of taking a step forward. At the same time your chest is moving up as you inhale thoroughly. The right heel touches the grass and the pressure moves to the ball of your foot and then your toes, as the weight is switching to your right side, you exhale. Then, you lift your left hip, drawn up by the left psoas muscle and you inhale. Your weight switches to your left side and you are exhaling as you are pushing the weight into the ground through the ball of your foot and toes.