How to Practice Meditation through Breathing and Walking Articles | Meditation

By: Darren Williger

Of the many types of meditation methods available only a few common ones are discussed below. If you do not find them suitable, try the internet to find more options. Some forms of meditation can be done without any aid like a candle or a CD or MP3 playing in the background. Since there is no hard and fast rule of meditating, choose which ever method suits you best.

Breathing Meditation

One of the easiest methods of meditation, in this process, you simply focus on your breath. Sit on a chair or lie on your back – choose the position you feel most comfortable in. then close your eyes and notice how you breathe in and breathe out. Breathing process is so natural that most of us take it for granted. Continue breathing easily and keep your focus on your breathing. You will soon notice thoughts coming up. These could range from friends, family, spouse, children, office, and neighbor – whatever. It does not matter as this is a natural thing to happen. Do not shun the thoughts – instead let them come and go as naturally as possible. Once a thought comes out, let it leave you with your next breathe out, as you continue to focus on your breathing.

Walking Meditation 

If you find that sitting or lying down in a particular position with your eyes closed is a difficult meditation posture for you, then walking meditation could be of help, of which there are four components:

• Awareness of your breathing.
• Awareness of your environment
• Awareness of the movements of your body.
• Reflection on the meditation experience.

Focusing on your breathing is the same way as in breathing meditation where you become aware of your inhalation and exhalation process. Each exhalation means discarding your thoughts one after the other till they all somehow does not come any more.

Becoming aware of your environment is an amazing process by itself. There are so many things around us, yet half of them go unnoticed. Try with colors – is the blade of grass just green or a mixture of some other colors?

Then the sounds around you – the traffic, the sound of birds, the chatter of people are all sounds we hardly pay any attention to. Slowly tune in to these sounds. Then try to appreciate the smells around you. They could be from freshly mown grass or a roadside flower. There are innumerable colors, sounds and smells around us, most of which we are not even aware of.

Start noticing the various body movements as you walk: the pressure on your heels, the slow twisting of your toes and the gentle sway of your hands. Feel the air touching your skin. Once you start noticing and becoming aware of the several body movements as you walk, you would be transported to another world, quite of your own.

After you have completed your walking meditation, take some time off to contemplate and run over your walking meditation experience. Think whether there are any ways you could improve this experience the next time you take up walking meditation. After this, slowly and steadily come back to your regular world.