It's not the destination when you are on these walks
A few weeks ago, I joined a yoga therapist and a few other people for a walking meditation in Pfafftown, North Carolina, C. G. Hill Memorial Park. The property was originally owned by a third-generation American named John Jacob Schaub, one of the early Moravian settlers. The Moravians were well known in Great Britain, and Parliament declared the church to be an “ancient Protestant Episcopal church,” giving it legal status alongside the Church of England.
Members of the Moravian Church came to the New World wilderness of North Carolina in the 1750s for members to build a new home and a new life and retain their Moravian identity. Schaub built his family's home on the site in 1830 and lived there until his death. Schaub's descendants sold the property to my grandfather, Charles G. Hill, in 1951. Years after my grandfather passed away, the family donated 13 acres of the farm to Forsyth County for use as a public park. Since then, the county has bought additional adjoining land from the city of Winston-Salem to grow this park to 185 acres.
This park holds a special place in my heart, and it was a memorable morning at the park experiencing a walking meditation. There is an asphalt trail around a small pond where my friend Karen chose to lead us. Historically, Buddhist monks made walking a part of their daily practice, remaining mindful as they walked around, performing daily tasks such as hauling water, and it became a scheduled activity to break up seated meditation sessions. A walking meditation gives you the opportunity to experience your body in action, and while walking, you can pay attention and observe the sensations of your body as it moves. One advantage of a walking meditation is that it can be done almost anytime you are walking. Practitioner Thich Nhat Hanh emphasized the practice of mindful walking as a way to deepen our connection with our body and the Earth.
There are all different kinds of walking meditation, and there is no right or wrong way. I find the type of walking meditation where emphasis is on your feet and pace the most beneficial for me. Here is a brief description of how to begin: Start by standing still with your eyes open or closed and begin to explore the weight in your feet. Are you standing more on your right or left foot? Are you on the balls of your feet or on your heels? Sense the weight of your body, then feel your muscles in your entire body supporting and stabilizing you. Feel your whole body standing, allowing all your senses to awaken, then slowly and mindfully – with intention – turn to face in the other direction.
Pay attention to the sensations in your feet and legs. Is there heaviness, lightness, softness? Feel your feet connecting to the earth, stabilizing and grounding you to mother earth. While some meditations use the breath as an anchor, for the meditation in which I participated, we were instructed to be mindful of the sensations of our feet as they moved through a walking gait, slowly lifting and moving one foot and placing it back on the path and then beginning with the other foot. You can do the same. Notice everything about your foot as you slowly move the toe to the heel. A slow walking meditation will teach you a great deal about your balance and just how much body mechanics goes into a simple walk.
As you begin walking, it is normal for your mind to wander. Whenever it does, you might mentally pause, perhaps noting inwardly the fact of thinking, or even where your mind went: planning, worrying, fantasizing, judging. Gently return your attention to the sensations of the next step and how your feet feel. It is all right to get lost in thoughts; just bring your mind back to the moment-to-moment sensations of walking. I like to walk with my hands behind me, gently clasping one of my wrists or holding my hands in front of me with one palm resting on the other.
For our walking meditation Karen chose a few places for us to stop on the trail to listen to the surrounding sounds of nature. At one stop we put our hand on an old poplar tree. This ancient poplar sprouted before Columbus sailed for the New World. It grew to great height and breadth. After being struck by lightning, it decayed, and a hollow formed in the center, providing a hiding place. During the Civil War a man hid his cow and calf there to save them from Union soldiers. It has given travelers shelter from the rain. Couples called it the "Loving Tree.” This tree has long witnessed the weather, natural events, and generations of Forsyth County. The moments of pausing for a few minutes on the trail reminded me of that delicious pause between our breaths. During the walking period you might alter your pace, seeking a speed that allows you to be most mindful of your experience. You may find the slower you go the harder it is to balance.
Although many people prefer to do walking meditation in nature, the meditative practice can also be incorporated into the transitions throughout your day. For example, you can do a quick meditation as you walk from your car to the grocery store. Or, if you need a short break in the middle of the workday, try a one-minute practice and meditate as you walk from your desk to get water.
As Thich Nhat Han teaches, “The miracle is not to walk on water. It is to walk on this earth with aliveness.” Mindful walking could be thought of as the actualization of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous reminder: “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”
Feel free to share your thoughts with me: ashton@ashtoncannon.com
Ashton Graham is an educator, book publisher, photographer, cowgirl and yoga teacher. She is currently studying to become a yoga therapist and lives on a ranch in West Texas. Visit www.ashtoncannon.com to learn more.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: It's not the destination when you are on a meditative walk
