A Practice for Fidgeters, Restless Minds, and Anyone Who Hates Sitting Still | Meditation with Sebene Selassie
This episode features a guided walking meditation led by Sebene Selassie, co-author of Dan Harris's new audiobook, 'Even You Can Meditate'. It introduces walking meditation as a practical mindfulness tool, especially for restless individuals, helping to bridge formal practice with daily life by focusing on each step.
Deep Dive Analysis
9 Topic Outline
Introduction to Even You Can Meditate Audiobook
Benefits of Walking Meditation
Introduction to Guided Walking Meditation
Preparing for Walking Meditation
Focusing on Foot Sensations During Walking
Expanding Awareness to Body and Surroundings
Acknowledging and Releasing Thoughts
Infusing Walking with Gratitude
Concluding the Walking Meditation Practice
4 Key Concepts
Walking Meditation
A mindfulness practice that integrates awareness into physical movement, serving as a bridge between formal sitting meditation and everyday activities. It's particularly beneficial for individuals who struggle with stillness.
Mindful Measurement
Refers to walking at a pace that is slower and deliberate, yet feels natural and conscious, rather than artificially slow, allowing one to fully experience each step.
Soft Gaze
A technique used during walking meditation where the eyes are focused a few feet ahead, enabling broader peripheral awareness without fixating on specific visual details or getting lost in thoughts.
Non-judgmental Acknowledgment of Thoughts
The practice of recognizing thoughts as they arise during meditation without assigning them positive or negative value, then gently redirecting attention back to the primary focus, such as the sensations of walking.
4 Questions Answered
Walking meditation is a mindfulness practice where you walk slowly and deliberately, paying attention to the sensations of each step, which helps bridge formal meditation with daily life.
It is especially helpful for 'fidgeters, restless types, and anyone who finds stillness unbearable' during traditional seated meditation practices.
When thoughts arise, acknowledge them without judgment, then gently return your attention to the sensations of walking, allowing thoughts to pass like clouds.
The basic idea is to walk very slowly and deliberately, paying attention to the sensations of each step, and then gently starting again every time your mind gets lost.
5 Actionable Insights
1. Use Walking for Mindfulness
Incorporate walking meditation to bridge formal mindfulness practice with daily life, especially if you find seated meditation challenging or are naturally restless, as it can be a transformative tool.
2. Return to Sensations
During walking meditation, when your mind inevitably wanders, acknowledge the thoughts without judgment and gently redirect your attention back to the physical sensations of walking.
3. Cultivate Gratitude While Walking
Infuse your walking meditation with appreciation for your body’s ability to move, the path beneath your feet, and the present moment of mindful awareness.
4. Expand Awareness Gradually
After focusing on your feet, progressively broaden your awareness to include your entire body, then your surroundings (sights, sounds, air on skin), without getting caught in mental stories.
5. Walk Mindfully, Not Artificially Slow
Adopt a slower, mindfully measured pace, rather than an unnaturally slow one, to fully inhabit each step and cultivate presence in the moment.
3 Key Quotes
If you're somebody who finds seated meditation excruciatingly difficult, if you're a fidgeter, if you're restless, if your mind goes haywire every time you try to sit still, walking meditation can be a game changer.
Dan Harris
Walking meditation brings mindfulness into motion, helping us bridge our formal sitting practice with everyday activities.
Sebene Selassie
Like clouds passing in the sky, let thoughts come and go while you remain grounded in the physical experience of each step.
Sebene Selassie
1 Protocols
Guided Walking Meditation
Sebene Selassie- Find a quiet path where you can walk undisturbed.
- Begin by standing still, feet hip-width apart, shoulders relaxed, and arms resting naturally at your sides.
- Take three deep breaths: inhale through your nose, filling your lungs completely, and exhale slowly through your nose.
- Feel your feet connecting with the ground beneath you, noticing the pressure, temperature, and texture.
- Start walking at a slower, mindfully measured pace.
- With each step, notice the lifting, moving, and placing of your foot, feeling how your weight shifts.
- Keep your gaze soft, focused a few feet ahead of you.
- Expand your awareness to include your entire body, noticing arm swing, body rhythm, and any sensations without judgment.
- Gently expand awareness to include your surroundings (colors, shapes, movements, sounds, air on skin) without getting caught in thoughts or stories, while maintaining awareness of walking and breathing.
- When thoughts arise, acknowledge them without judgment, then gently return your attention to the sensations of walking, letting thoughts come and go.
- Cultivate a sense of gratitude for your body's ability to move, the path, and the mindful awareness of the moment.
- Gradually come to a stop, standing still once more, feeling the ground beneath you.
- Take three deep breaths in and out, just as you did at the beginning.
- Acknowledge the space you've created for mindfulness within your day.
- When ready, return to your regular pace and activities, carrying this quality of awareness with you.