What are meditation walks? They’re more than just walking. They’re mindful walking. Getting outside is part of the benefit. Slowing your mind and meditating is another part, just as the very act of walking helps relieve stress. Meditative walking is the act of being aware of all parts of your body as you walk and making each movement with intention. Just like meditative eating, where you savor each bite, with meditative walking you appreciate every physical movement you make.
Like a dancer, you become in tune with each muscle.
Professional dancers, boxers and people in other sports, are often very aware of each muscle as it heads toward perfection of the movement. You become more in tune with your body, how it feels when your foot touches the soft earth and even the sun against the top of your head or on your back. You learn to enjoy the feeling of your muscles working together to walk, while enjoying the great outdoors, breathing in fresh air and absorbing the vitamin D of the sun.
Walking, like running or other exercise, can help lift depression and reduce anxiety.
It’s not just good for reducing stress, walking is also heart healthy. It can help lower blood pressure, aid in weight loss by burning calories and lower your risk of diabetes and high cholesterol. Best of all, unlike traditional walking, since you’re focusing on each movement of your body, the time seems to pass quicker and you don’t constantly wonder how much longer you have to exercise. The increased circulation also helps boost your brain power and may prevent some of the damage from Alzheimer’s and dementia.
You don’t walk fast when you take meditation walks.
You need to pick a place where walking slowly and with intention is feasible. It needs to be peaceful and somewhere you won’t interrupt the flow of walking of others. As you walk, focus on your breathing and the movements of your arms and legs and how you feel when you walk forward, turn corners or the terrain under your feet. Feel each part of your body, from the movements to the sun on your head and back.
- You’ll improve digestion and aid the movement of food through your digestive system, plus boost circulation of the blood.
- A small study on this type of walking showed it helped people improve blood sugar levels more than more traditional styles of walking.
- Not only do meditation walks help relieve stress and lift depression, they can help improve the sense of well-being, particularly when you walk in a park, garden or area where there are trees and a lot of greenery.
- When you practice meditation walking, you’ll improve your sleep. Walking is a weight bearing exercise, so you also reduce the risk of osteoporosis. For older individuals, it improves balance and for all others can inspire creativity.
For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training