Why You Should Try a Meditation Walk

By Stepy Kamei

You may have heard of people turning to meditation for stress relief, but have you heard of a meditation walk? This practice originates in Buddhism, but it has become a technique that can benefit anyone regardless of their personal background. Are you ready to experience reduced stress and anxiety while feeling more balanced, grounded to your surroundings, and calm? If so, keep on reading to learn how a meditation walk can benefit your overall health and well-being.

What is Meditation, and What Is a Meditation Walk?

Have you ever practiced any form of meditation before? If so, it may help to look at this technique as a meditation walk is also known as a walking meditation practice.

If you're new to meditation in general, it helps to look at meditation as a way to calmly unplug from the hustle and bustle of your day in order to check in with your body and your thoughts in a thoughtful, non-judgemental manner. You can try a short and simple guided meditation first, in which you sit and focus on your breathing, to see how meditation can lead to feelings of calmness and serenity.

A walking meditation, then, is simply adding gentle movement to this practice. You can choose to walk slowly in a circle, gently pace back and forth across a straight line, or even create a labyrinth for you to calmly wander through.

How to Incorporate a Meditation Walk into Your Daily Routine

If you are able to safely go outside for a walk around your neighborhood at least once a day, you can take advantage of this time to practice a walking mediation. You can even perform this ritual for yourself while walking your dog, if you have one.

You may choose to do a mindfulness walk. This would mean that you are making sure to acknowledge the sensations around you, using all your senses. For example, you might gaze mindfully at the plants and trees along the path. You may pick up the scent of flowers blooming on the ground beside you. You may hear children laughing in a yard nearby.

Reciting a mantra is another technique you can practice on these walks. Choose a mantra that works to help your sense of well-being. For self-compassion, you may say, "I am enough." For anxiety reduction, you might repeat, "This too shall pass."

Numerous studies have shown that regular practice of walking meditations can increase blood flow, reduce stress and feelings of depression, improve digestion, and regulate your sleep-wake cycles.

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