Walking and Talking Meditation

Formal Mindfulness Walking instructions, on retreat or at home at dedicated practice times, encourage practitioners to walk slowly enough to be able to perceive the myriad of small separate movements that, all together, constitute taking a step forward. Watching meditators cruising very slowly back and forth in retreat center corridors, or outdoors in the paths nearby the dormitories, definitely looks peculiar to newcomers. I’ve found that paying attention to all the subtle changes in physical sensations during movement to be wonderfully evocative of insights: movement requires intention, every single things leads to another thing, once a step is initiated it continues because of every moment. “I am walking” becomes “Walking is happening.” These are important insights.

These days, with so much of the country being encouraged to stay at home, I am walking every day, sometimes twice a day, down the hill from my home and then around a road that circles three streets of houses. I wear my mask. Most people do, even though there aren’t many people out and about. We are mindful to keep a physical distance. My practice is paying attention to my mind as it has one impression after another. And, I find that even with masks on, people feel like communicating.  People exchange greetings, albeit muffled by their mask. I am touched that they, as I, feel like connecting. They wave. I wave back. They admire each other’s dogs. I think of my eighteen-year old dog who recently died and I miss him. I pass a woman out in her driveway watering plants and we have a long conversation—standing at a distance from each other—in  which she tells me that she has three young adult sons in school who have come home and are studying for final exams. “I love them,” she says, “But I am not used to them all being around all the time. And I am tidy and they are not.” Then she adds, “That sounds terrible. I really love them, but this is a lot.” We both laugh about how these are intense times and we could all give ourselves a little slack. We exchange names and she tells me that if I need anything to let her know and they would help me. We had never met before, and I am touched by her kindness.

This non-retreat walking meditation has insights. People being kind make me happy.  Talking through masks to greet one another is kind, admiring is kind, and sharing stories is kind.

Being alive in these difficult days and paying attention to the mind habits I have that lead to happiness is an important insight.