I saw my friend Deb yesterday and as we were catching up, she mentioned that she’s been making it a priority to walk 45 minutes everyday. As a health coach, you know I love anyone that’s making regular, daily exercise a priority. And I was struck by something she said — walking is meditation for her. She’s outside, connecting with nature, seeing various kinds of wildlife and really getting quiet. It helps clear her head, gives her focus and is thoroughly refreshing.

What she said really resonated with me. Many of you know that I’m a big fan of slowing down and tuning into one’s body – I feel like it’s one of the most important things we can do to sustain our health. So walking as meditation is really an extension of that and a way to get exercise too. Interestingly, I decided to forgo my trip to the gym yesterday in favor of getting outside and going for a walk. I’d been holed up in my windowless office all day and with Deb’s inspiration I set off for home to change my clothes and get into action.

I often do a lot of walking but typically I walk with my fiance. We look forward to connecting at the end of the day and getting some fresh air, and we have several different routes we like to take through the neighborhood. It’s always something I look forward to, especially now that the weather is warming up. But walking by oneself is a whole other experience that I love just as much. As I hit the streets yesterday, I really reveled in getting quiet, listening to my footsteps, the birds, feeling the crunch of dead pine needles beneath my feet. Not only did I slow down but I tuned into my body and felt what was going on – I was totally present in the experience, not just in my head. And as I went, I naturally forgot about my long list of things to do and just really enjoyed some time to myself.

I love this concept of walking meditation as a tool for better health. Do you ever practice walking meditation? What’s it like and how does it make you feel? I invite you to share your thoughts here.

Filed under: Body wisdom, Meditation, Play, Slowing Down, Tuning in, Walking