It's considerably simpler to maintain peripheral awareness during walking meditation than it is while sitting. This is simply due to the increased number of stimuli to be aware of.
- However, it's also more simpler to lose focus of attention on your feet, which may lead to forgetfulness and mind wandering.
- You've become a lot better at remaining in the present, so you're ready to focus on attention stabilization in the following two stages of walking practice.
- So far, you've mostly utilized the feelings in your feet as an anchor to help you remain in the present when you've been distracted.
- Instead of diverting your attention to whatever is appealing or fascinating at the time, attempt to concentrate your attention on the sensations of walking for as long as possible.
- You'll need to alter your walking style to do this.
WALKING MEDITATION IN STEPS
- When we walk normally, the rear foot lifts before the front foot is fully planted on the ground.
- In Step-by-Step walking, you want to finish one step completely before moving on to the next.
- You'll have to walk a little slower at first, but the procedure is simple: don't move your rear foot until you've transferred your weight to your front foot.
- Always keep your focus on the feelings in your moving foot.
- Don't attempt to focus on both feet at the same time.
- Direct your focus to the opposite foot after the moving foot is securely planted with all of your weight on it.
- Keep your focus on the feelings in your moving foot until you've taken the following stride. Then shift and keep going.
- During Step-by-Step walking, it's simple to tell the difference between focus and peripheral awareness.
- Because your focus is on your feet and peripheral awareness largely takes care of itself, your primary worry may be stabilizing attention.
STOP whenever introspective awareness warns you that you have lost track of what you were doing and that your mind has strayed.
- Celebrate your “aha” moment of reawakening to the present, just as you did when you were seated.
- Give whatever your mind was preoccupied with a simple name to enhance your introspective awareness (see the section in Stage Three on Cultivating Introspective Awareness through Labeling and Checking In).
- Return your focus to the feelings of walking after that.
