We walk all the time, but how many of us walk effortlessly? When was the last time you experienced pleasure from the simple act of walking? Walking is an opportune moment to be truly in the now. Taking one step followed by another is a powerful yet simple exercise to establish yourself in the present moment. When you walk mindfully, you are free from all expectations and worries. I learned all of this from the late Zen Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. I hope that my descriptions of Thich Nhat Hanh walking meditation add value to your mindfulness practice.
In this article, we’ll explore certain themes of Thich Nhat Hanh walking meditation, and describe a step-by-step walking meditation you can try.
What is walking meditation?
Walking meditation is the practice of bringing present-moment awareness to the movement, surroundings, and sensations associated with walking.
A guide to Thich Nhat Hanh walking meditation
Hanh has written so much about mindful walking that certain ‘flavors’ or themes emerge. Here are some that I’ve observed:
1. Mindful walking should be effortless. Normally, walking is only difficult because we’re walking with our minds in the past or future. Walking only with your feet is actually quite relaxing.
2. Cultivate a feeling of freedom when practicing walking meditation. Be free of all commitments and projects and simply experience connection to this wondrous planet.
3. Walking meditation is a time to ‘touch the Earth’. We can enhance our connection to nature by simply reaching out and touching a flower, a tree trunk, or by feeling cool blades of grass on the soles of our feet.
4. We smile, or at least half-smile, when practicing Thich Nhat Hanh walking meditation.
5. Start by stopping. To begin a mindful walking exercise, simply stop first.
“If we can’t rest, it’s because we haven’t stopped running. We began running a long time ago. We continue to run, even in our sleep. We think that happiness and well-being aren’t possible in the present. If you can stop and establish yourself in the here and now, you will see that there are many elements of happiness available in this moment, more than enough to be happy.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
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Step-by-step walking meditation guide
1. Start with one deep inhalation followed by a full exhalation. This mindful breath will serve as a signal that you are about to practice mindful walking as opposed to our usual inattentive walking.
2. Then, focus on the soles of your feet. Breathe “into” them, relax them. Consider the connection to the earth. Be grateful for the support the earth provides.
3. Be aware of your surroundings. Are there people? If so, acknowledge them with loving kindness. Are there any hazards? If so, avoid them cautiously.
4. Check in with your posture. Are you slouching? Is your head pointing downward or upright? Do you feel alignment with your hips and spine? Don’t be judgemental if or when you find flaws in your posture. Simply acknowledge.
5. Adjust your posture. Sure, I just said you shouldn’t be harsh on yourself about your posture, but it doesn’t mean you can’t make adjustments.
“People assume their confidence is coming from their own thoughts. They don’t realize their posture is affecting how much they believe in what they’re thinking.”
– Richard Petty, professor of psychology at Ohio State University and co-author of the study Body Posture Affects Confidence In Your Own Thoughts
6. Imagine that with each step, you are printing your gratitude or other intention on the ground.
7. Continue to walk with ease, more slowly than normal and freely. With each step, feel the ground against the weight of your body, and say to yourself ‘I am fully in the present moment’.
8. Find your rhythm. Concentrate on your pace and see if you can keep it steady, slow, and even. Try to find harmony between your joints, muscles, and your breath.
Another Thich Nhat Hanh walking meditation instruction
This is one of my favorite Thich Nhat Hanh walking meditation techniques: Measure your breath in footsteps.
1. As you walk leisurely, perhaps in a green, natural place, allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm.
2. Then, count the length of your breath using the number of footsteps.
3. Continue like this for some time, without altering the breath.
4. Then, Thich Nhat Hanh recommends lengthening the exhalation by one step. Don’t worry about the inhalation right away. Observe if there is the desire to lengthen the inhalation.
5. Lengthen your exhalation by one step more, and see if your inhalation would also like to follow.
The wonder of the path
Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that walking meditation is about the path, not the destination. We’ve all seen a quote on Instagram or a motivational poster to this effect. Walking meditation is the implementation of this idea. Step by step, we acknowledge the path. We can use this time to contemplate and feel that life happens in the process, not the results. Mindful walking strengthens our connection with the path—with the process, which may have positive effects on our work, but will definitely have positive effects on our lives.
“When you walk like this, you print your stability, your solidarity, your freedom, your joy on the ground”.
– Thich Nhat Hanh