The Best Place to Meditate While Walking
Meditation can be done anywhere, anytime. Ideally, meditation should be practiced in a quiet and peaceful place. It can be practiced in a meditation room, office or from the comfort of your home. How can you choose a quiet and peaceful place if you plan to meditate while walking?
The best place to practice walking meditation is in the woods. The forest is also a peaceful place to meditate since it has all natural elements of meditation. The sound of nature, scent of the ground and trees and the natural beauty of the view all make it ideal for all kinds of meditation.
Most essentially, state parks are the most realistic place to practice walking meditation. Parks are conveniently available and accessible and it usually has some natural elements of meditation like trees and flowers. National parks on hand can be ideal if you want to take your walking meditation to another level by combining another kinds of meditation.
Do not fret because the city itself has a lot of places to offer if you want to combine light exercise and meditation at the same time. The bridge, blocks, college campuses or even your garden can be a good place to meditate. Just do not forget to put on your headphones to eliminate the hustle and bustle of the city.
Where can I walk and meditate?
Most comparatively, these are the recommendable places to meditate while walking.
- Woods
- Forests
- City Parks
- National Parks
- Sports complex
- University compound
- Garden
- City Blocks
- Bridge
- Road
Woods
This is the most perfect place to practice walking meditation. This is where you can find peace and harmony with nature. Woods are not so far away from your place. Therefore, they are often accessible for public.
The amazing thing about walking in the woods is that it’s naturally turns on your meditation mode. Being closed with nature has always associated with positive mood and feelings. As you breathe the air, you will feel the freshest fragrance of the nature especially early in the morning where the sun will kiss you unconditionally.
Forests
This place is similar to the woods except that it’s more daring and daunting to get there. This is ideal place for those who seek adventure combined with mindfulness and meditation. This adventure type of meditation is not only practiced by explorers and adventurers but also by practitioners of movement meditation like famous monks around the world like Thich Nhat Hanh who has pondness in taking his followers into woods or forests as they all say their mantra while walking and hiking up forests.
City Parks
Let’s go back to the city and explore its limitless possibilities. City parks like Central Park in Manhattan has a lot of things to offer for athletes or meditators. Anybody has access to state or city parks so make use of them by meditating. If you are lucky to have a park like the Central Park in New York you can easily concentrate and focus meditating right in the middle of the city.
National Parks
With minimal fee, you can have both relaxation and meditation. There are many national parks around you to explore. They promise you nature, fun and excitement while you incorporating your meditation goal. Walking meditation in national parks is an ideal activity on the weekend as you have to spend time driving to your favorite national parks.
Some of the parks allow visitors to have an overnight camping. Take this chance so you make use of your effort and practice walking meditation for another day.
Sports complex
For athletes, sports complex is their haven. Meditators can turn those tracks as their haven as well. The trick here is identify the time where less people go there for a run. Or if the sports complex in your area is always busy, then bring your cool headphones and play your meditation music. Remember to spend your 20 minutes for walking meditation and do not be tempted to run no matter how fast the other people run.
University compound
If you live near a university, it’s worth giving it a try for a quick walk while meditating. Some of the university compound especially if it’s located in the suburbs have massive area. Cambridge University is a good example. Look at its grandiose and picturesque view. Walking in most university compounds give you nostalgia with a sense of meditation. Wait until the students break if you really need a quiet atmosphere.
Garden
This is very closed to your home and your heart as well. You don’t need to go far if you have this garden in your front yard. Size doesn’t actually matter as you can simply walk around it. One thing to remember is that let your housemates know of your meditation goal so they can give you some space and privacy while you’re walking.
City Blocks
Let’s just accept the fact that you don’t have time to drive to other places beside your workplace. Then let be it. Relax and chillax! There’s a place for you to walk while meditating. Walk around the blocks in one of those skyscrapers next to your building. Use your break time for this kind of relaxing yet invigorating meditation. Reward yourself by grabbing a cup of chamomile tea after finishing your walking meditation. As you hold the warm cup, feel and smell it before you take a sip. Continue walking while being aware and mindful of your breathing.
Bridge
We all have this amazing structure. Bridges are also a perfect place to walk while meditating mainly because of the breeze of the air and the picturesque view around it. It’s absolutely free to walk across The Golden Gate Bridge. The only issue is that most runners and walkers like bridges as well. So it’s best to choose the time so you can mindfully walk like early in the morning. If you decide to walk in the morning, that means you are also prepared to walk or run after practicing meditation for 20 minutes.
On the Road
Just pull over your car and go for a 20-minute walk whenever you spot a road with amazing landscape and quiet environment. I am pretty sure you have your favorite road that is safe and perfect for a short walk while meditating.
Sometimes we often see spots where we wish we could walk. If you had time, do not wait for tomorrow and do just simply pull your car and give it a go. Breathe in deeply, breathe out slowly and walk mindfully.
Who should practice walking meditation?
For some people, meditation lulls them to sleep. This is the reason why movement meditation works well for those who find sitting meditation tiresome or simply boring. I used not to be a big fan of meditation until I have found out that meditation can be combined with movements.
Walking meditation is for beginners. The reason is pretty clear and simple. Many beginners have a hard time focusing as they meditate. Breathing is also a big issue if you are first timers. By walking meditation, you can practice proper breathing, balance and focus.
Most relatively, walking meditation is ideal for those people, including:
- Businessmen
- Full-time employee
- Students
- Parents
- Sick People
- Dog lovers
- Nature lovers
- Athletes
- Explorers
- Movement meditation lovers
Related Topics
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