If you love the outdoors, then give walking meditation a try. Just like any other type of mindfulness meditation, walking meditation involves tuning into your surroundings and physical sensations as you explore your outside surroundings.
What is Walking Meditation and its Benefits?
This involves feeling the texture of the earth underneath your feet, being aware of the temperature of the air, and appreciating the colors and shapes present in nature. Here are the benefits of walking meditation
1. It’s physical exercise.
Seated meditation can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never tried sitting down in stillness for long periods of time. Walking meditation can be easier and more accessible for some since it involves a lot of dynamic movement.
Daily walks can help improve heart health, metabolism, and immunity. If you choose to practice your walking meditation in the morning, you’ll get an extra boost of vitamin D!
2. It serves as outdoor play.
With most of us working from home or spending the entire day at the office, our time is often devoted to sitting down or staring at a computer screen. Spending time outdoors contributes to overall health, especially since it has been linked to reduced stress levels.
If you’re a parent, then you can introduce the concept of meditation to your child through this meditation technique. As you take a walk with your child, encourage them to name colors, shapes, and textures around them.
3. It encourages you to appreciate nature.
Humans are animals, and connecting with nature helps us tap into our primal, natural selves. Even if you’re just taking a walk in your small garden, becoming aware of the grass, potted plants, and flowers that surround you can give you a deeper appreciation of the greater world out there.
Spending time in nature can also encourage you to develop more compassion for living beings, as you’ll begin to realize the harmony that can flow through humans, animals, plants, and the living earth they dwell on.
