Don’t Sit and Meditate, Walk Your Way to Self-Awareness
Enlightenment is just a few steps away…
There are two types of people in this world: those who meditate and those that wish they could meditate.
The latter will often excuse themselves with phrases, such as:
“…It’s not for me…”
“…I’ve tried, it just doesn’t work…”
“…I don’t have the patience… the time… the (anything)…etc.”
The fact of the matter is everyone can meditate and meditation benefits everyone. It’s just a matter of finding a mechanism that suits you. I know this because I was one of those people, and at times, I still am. When I do feel like “the latter”, I try to remember the basics of what mindfulness (meditation), really is.
Meditation: the SparkNotes version
It’s 2020, and if you’re reading this you’re likely aware of the benefits of meditation. If not here’s a simple breakdown of why regular mediation is so important. It:
- Reduces anxiety
- Increases energy
- Promotes mental clarity
- Helps nurture happiness
- Increases productivity
- Aids with relaxation
**Research statistics can be found, here.
What works for you is what works — plain and simple
I once heard a beautiful quote from a Buddhist monk defining meditation as “simply being aware” … In today’s world we are so overly concerned with what may be happening or what will happen that we become unaware of what is happening, now.
My experience with extreme unawareness presented itself in the form of a quarter-life crisis (yes, it’s a thing). After chasing what I thought I needed and grasping nothing, I decided that what I needed to find next, was myself. Little did I know that I didn’t need finding at all, but rather acceptance. I outline this journey in an expose of sorts, titled “Embrace Failure to Discover What Makes You Successful”. Give a read if you are so inclined!
The relevance of this article is that I had hit a proverbial low point in my life (as I’m sure you can relate to), boiling down to physical, mental, and emotional pain. I was unaware of what I was feeling or why but I did know, I wasn’t happy.
Little did I know that walking (something I had been doing my whole life), could heal my trifecta of pain. Here’s how…
Walking: my cure-all elixir to all that life has to throw
When I first became interested in the idea of meditation, my friends, relatives, and most of the internet told me that meditation was only achieved by sitting (painfully cross-legged) and thinking of ‘nothing’. Well, this didn’t work for me…
- First of all, I was not flexible and sitting cross-legged hurt, physically.
- Secondly, I (like many) have been “blessed-cursed” with an overactive brain that did not naturally (or easily) turn off. Attempting to force it felt like work and was mentally draining.
- Lastly, I felt like a failure for not even being able to do ‘nothing’, and the idea of regular practice gave me anxiety.
Suffice it to say, this only aggravated my trifecta state. It wasn’t until years later, after over-confidently taking my half-charged Airpods out on an all too long walk that I realized the power of ‘walking meditation’.
We as humans naturally take the path of least resistance, but given only resistance, we will adapt. The same can be said for my evening strolls, always making sure to have podcasts or musical distractions at the ready. I would always return home feeling physically and emotionally charged but mentally buoyed.
Upon returning home this particular evening without my audio thought-blockers, I felt a surge of euphoria, mental clarity, and that I had made several major mental breakthroughs in a short period of time. Focusing on the metronome of one foot in front of the other had allowed me enough distraction to comfortably slip into a meditative state for much longer than I was able to bare previously, sitting cross-legged in my bedroom. The best part was, it was effortless!
Regular meditation will surely improve your life, we all know this, but the barrier of practice is what stops us from reaching consistency. Implementing a mechanism for meditation is the key to regular practice. I feel so fortunate to have found one that fits snuggly into my lifestyle, routine, and aligns with my goals.
If you’re like me (previously, “the latter”) and find conventional meditation practice difficult, spend some time discovering what works for you. Remember, that meditation is “simply being aware”. Simple awareness can be listening to the sound of your breath, feeling the carpet underneath your feet, or the steady beat of one foot in front of the other.
Although walking meditation may not be the cure-all for you, finding a mechanism that allows you simple awareness, will.
After now discovering the practice of “Artist’s Walks” to boost creativity, walking is an integral piece of maintaining my mental health. I dive deeper into this practice in another article, “Silence is Worth Ten-Times its Weight in Noise”, seen below. I hope you find value in it!
