Seeking assistance with walking meditation

[Cyath]

About 2 months ago I went to see my guru and she recommended me walking meditation as a means to calm and center myself, especially since my life is going through many changes right now (dealing with heartbreak, moving out from my place in a while, changing jobs, emigrating - it's a whirlwind!)

I managed to complete the meditation with her assistance at her house,  but I am having some trouble doing it at home. For me I think the chief issue is that I talk long walks everyday both for exercise and to work out what is going on in my mind, so when I start walking, I start thinking. I can sort of change my mode and walk veeeeeeeeeery slowwwwwwwwwwwwly as my guru recommended (so I know it's meditation time, not walking time) but it's sometimes a challenge.

My guru also recommended me to set a place in the house as a "sacred space" but the trouble here is that my place is really small and I share it with 3 other people. Plus, I am not very space conscious - I don't really care where I live or where I am, preferring to carry my calm and peace of mind inside my body. I wanted to ask her more about this but our sessions was short and I had lots of other questions.

I do wish to improve my meditation practice, but I'm sort of questioning whether walking meditation is "right" for me and whether I should just stick with it or go back to what I've already been doing. Have only been doing it for a month or so, which I know is not that long. My mind tends to drift and wander a lot while doing walking meditation (which I understand is normal for meditation) but it does so more than my "normal" meditation (which is along the lines of counting the breath and doing guided meditation from Youtube)

I typically try to do walking meditation for 10 minutes each day.

Any help would be much appreciated!

[stillpointdancer]

I always found walking meditation difficult. If I ever tried to walk very slowly I always felt like I was about to fall over. You don't say how much meditation you have done, so the next stage depends on whether you have done much mindfulness of breathing meditation. If you have, you could try spending ten minutes of mindfulness of breathing before walking, or even stop during the walk to do that, and then carry on.

If you haven't, then mindfulness of breathing is for you at your stage, where you aim to get more control over your thinking by continuously concentrating on the breath. Eventually, the mind gives up for a while, and calms the whirlwind. If you live in a busy house, the other thing you could try is 'just sitting' meditation when out and about, breathing mindfully but aware of everything around you.

[Cyath]

I've been doing meditation on and off for about 2 years...not as consistent as I would like it to be. I tend to do mindfulness of breath meditation, as I stated.

Thanks for your comments! I will see what I can do.

[friendo]

Why not do mindfulness of breathing while walking?

[Cyath]

I do do that!

Had more success yesterday. Maybe I just need to stick with this?

[Matthew]

I can sort of change my mode and walk veeeeeeeeeery slowwwwwwwwwwwwly as my guru recommended (so I know it's meditation time, not walking time) but it's sometimes a challenge.

Your guru recommended that for good reason. Walking meditation is different to breathing meditation. The primary focus of breathing meditation is the physical sensations created by the breathing process. The primary focus of walking meditation is the physical sensations created by walking. Of course there is some mindfulness of breathing while undertaking walking meditation yet still the primary focus is the sensations created by walking. The touch of the feet, the way your weight shifts, movement in the legs, the pelvis, the spine ... gaining familiarity through walking meditation quiets the mind and builds concentration. Same goals, different technique.

Walk slowly. Don't shift to a different practice because you meet an obstacle.

[Slfdevelopment]

Dear Cyath.

 I liked the idea of walking meditation, but i think its necessary to go abit deeper then that too.

Emotions and feelings is only how we choose to react physically on a thought. And thoughts are actually possible to ignore. You got thousons of small thoughts in Your head everyday, but most of the thoughts wannish as quick as they arrive. As when you Wakes up and you see the  color on the wall in Your bedroom. Gues you doesnt think about that the rest of the day?   Well no thoughts needs to be bigger then that or to  take more undesirable Space of your lifetime. Its all about how mutch energy you actually give the thought, that matters.

The idea is to be pressent all the.. and to practise mental training wherever you are and not only when you meditate as when you are at work, when Your eating, when Your working out, when you are chilling home. Train yourself to be present all the time is a big key and to not identify yourself With Your thoughts.

 But when that is said.. Let it be room for for emotions  trought the day too. Take one hour from time to time where you can have a deep conversation to a friend about life situations. A wise master told me once to use a calender/date book where you fill in all Your plans detailed. This way you will feel more controll over Your life and will help you getting good daily routines.

 "yes i can take a meditation now, becouse i have a Meeting With my best friend later this day and then i will talk about my problems. This meens that i can leave my problems home when i take this walk" 

If you needs a walk to think about Your life situation then allow you too. There is no shame in  talking  with yourself or to reflect With  yourself about Your life situation. But work out and think in sepreratly...One day you let yourself think, the NeXT day you do the walking meditation.

Hope this will help you out a bit. Its just to ask if you need more help

[stillpointdancer]

Does using a guru mean you are following Hindu meditation practice? Didn't think they were in Buddhist organisations. Nothing against the practice, just wondering.

[Matthew]

Tibetan Buddhism is all about guru's. Only they call them Lamas or Rinpoches.

[Cyath]

Thank you very much for all your replies! They are very helpful and I will continue to think (and meditate) on them. I have decided to stick with the walking meditation for now, I believe maybe it is too early to see definitive results. I have a habit of being impatient so maybe this is good practice for that too. Please keep the comments coming, they are useful and appreciated.

My guru is a Hindu by birth, but her spiritual tradition is not from any one particular school or religion, much like mine. Perhaps I would more correctly call her a spiritual teacher? I do not 100% identify as a Buddhist but I definitely use Buddhist meditation and philosophy in my own practice and path. It's kind of hard to explain, especially in a single post!

[stillpointdancer]

Tibetan Buddhism is all about guru's. Only they call them Lamas or Rinpoches.

Hi Matthew. This always puzzled me, as the Buddhist group I studied with said there was a subtle difference between the term 'guru' and that of 'Lama' or 'Rinpoches'. I'm not that well versed in Tibetan Buddhism, so do they act as gurus in the Hindu sense of the word?

[Matthew]

Yes, you give yourself up to them.