I am sharing my experience with the mindful walking activity that I practiced inside my own home that broke down my old habits, which amazingly became my daily practice.
As I write, it is a beautiful bright, unseasonably spring-like February morning. It has been raining since last night, the kind of rain that makes me happy, one of my favorite weather patterns.
So, this is it, I push my couch in, to make room for my morning mindful walk session for today. Yes! at my house! I pull my hair in a bun, put on a light jacket to stay warm, and stack my big bottle of water.
It was not anything like this a few months back. It has always been a struggle with my rigid schedule to take out time for work out. In the past, I have been erratic with my physical activity, as I had no time for the gym, no moment even to step down in my own basement, for walking a few steps on the treadmill, or lift some weights! The desire within me to work out was getting more challenging, and I knew, one day I need to change, I must take out time for myself, need that self-love.
Hmm… so what should I do?
As I work from home, I thought of walking in the house and keep a goal of 10,000 steps, that I already started doing in parts. Every morning, I would get ready, with the headset, play my favorite music and say to myself—let’s walk. First, 2-3 days were good, not achieving the goal, but at least I started, a modest sense of accomplishment. As the days passed, not even a week yet, walking inside my home was getting monotonous, with frowns of frustration. No sooner I started walking, I began to check my watch every 5 minutes—how many steps! Wow! It looks like even the Fitbit gave up with this monotonous routine. It just broke.
To speak a bit more of my background, I have been meditating for a while for over 20 years now, which indeed is my regular practice. I also read about Mindful Walking but never really practiced it, let alone of any thoughts of walking inside the house. Suddenly, I realized mindfulness can be practiced anytime, anywhere, so why not during my home-walks, utilizing—Mindful Walking. I decided to give it a try.
Mindful Walking does not only mean what we intuitively think it is—being aware of the surroundings, the flowers, the trees, and the small things we encounter during walking. Mindful Walking means walking while being aware of each step with our focus on the breath. I started my Mindful Walking without a goal or intent. As for my walking patterns now, my footsteps are slow, very relaxed, and calm. I am never in a rush as there is no goal to be achieved, I am certainly slow but consistent, focusing on my breath frequently, with each deep breath, I take another step into Mindful Walking.
It is like, I am meditating while walking, with open eyes, in the motion, observing everything around me, my steps, my breath, but simply walking…not thinking about anything, not striving to attain a goal, enjoying every step.
As the days, weeks and months had passed by, unlike before, when it was a tedious and challenging task to reach a goal of reaching 10,000 steps, now, with ease, 20,000 steps have become a piece of cake. This is the power of Mindful Walking.
Benefits
Mindful Walking has helped me not only exceed my previous walking-goal, which I once craved for, but has made me realize that it is merely a play of body and mind. I am more calm, relaxed; it relaxes both my body and mind. I have become more compassionate, humble, and grounded in myself, and I am very thankful for that.
I mindfully walk, just to walk. It gives me much happiness, letting go of everything, not seeking or longing for anything. This is enough for me to be happy.