When you were seated, you tightened your attention on the breath to combat distractions that were going to lead you to forget. When walking, the approach to dealing with distractions is a little different.
- Walking, particularly outdoors, exposes you to a variety of sights, sounds, sensations, and odors.
- Be aware of how your mind, particularly your attention, responds to certain situations.
- Instead of quickly refocusing your attention on your feet when a distracting sense item grabs your attention, spend a few moments to investigate the distraction.
- Whatever it is—a song, a wind, or the delightful warmth as you move from shade to sunlight—stop right where you are, even if you're in the middle of your stride.
- Direct your attention to the distracting item on purpose.
- Make it your new focal point of attention.
- Take your time to study it and really appreciate it.
When your curiosity wanes, return your focus to the foot that is ready to move and resume walking.
- The goal is to retain conscious control over your attention movements while you take in the whole of your experience.
- Try going outside or finding a more exciting place if you've been performing walking exercise in a somewhat confined and boring environment.
- This is the only method to look into sensory distractions.
- Focus your attention more carefully on the sensations of walking if the distraction is a thought, memory, or any other mental item.
- During these moments, though, feel free to ponder about the sensory things you're seeing, hearing, or experiencing, but do so gently.
- Don't get caught up in your thoughts and stay completely present.
For example, if you hear a dog barking in the distance, you may pause and think about where the sound is coming from or why it's barking while you listen.
But don't start thinking about the dog's owners, or what breed it is, or anything else that may distract you from the present moment.
- Simply focus on the sound and be conscious of any nagging ideas in the background.
- Try to be conscious of your thoughts while you're thinking.
- During walking exercise, your overall attitude should always be one of curiosity and pleasure.
- Stop walking, relax, and evaluate your state of mind if you ever feel the exercise is becoming tough or boring.
- You'll probably likely discover that you weren't really there in the moment.
