The summer months- when we are more likely to be out in nature- is a wonderful opportunity to practice walking meditation.
Walking Meditation with Divine Mother – excerpted from Awaken to Superconsciousness by Swami Kriyananda
To practice interiorization of the mind during normal waking consciousness, try this walking meditation. Walk alone, if possible, during this exercise, for its purpose is to interiorize the mind, not to externalize it in the company of others…
Throughout this practice, make it a point to relate to God, to God through Nature, and to your own higher Self.
- … Walk easefully. Express in outward action the peace you feel in meditation.
- Now, be aware of the energy as it moves through your body. Feel yourself surrounded by a great, inverted vortex of cosmic energy, spinning slowly around you, and drawing you upward toward its source in infinity.
- Bring that energy down, after a time, into an awareness of its manifestation in your physical environment.
- Listen to the birds singing: Hear the Divine Consciousness singing through them. Ask the Divine Mother if She hasn’t some special message, in their singing, for you.
- Listen to the sounds in your vicinity: to dogs barking, people’s voices in the distance, cars moving. Feel the Divine Mother communicating with you through all those sounds.
- Gaze at the sunlight as it trembles on a leaf; at the clouds sailing overhead; at the trees, the bushes; at countless objects around you. Share those visual impressions with the Divine Mother, as if also with your higher Self.
- Feel the wind on your skin, the warmth of the sunlight or the coolness of the evening air. In every thought, in every impression, make the Divine Mother a participant.
- If thoughts come to you in the form of words, share them with the Divine Mother as though you were talking to Her. Don’t only think about Her, in the third person. Talk to Her.
- Feel yourself as the breath of divine love and joy. Walk joyfully on an earth where all beings rejoice in their unseen, heavenly origin.
Silent Sharing Walk:
from the Sharing Nature Worldwide- for 2 or more people
The ideal number for a Silent Sharing Walk is two or three walkers. If the group is larger, divide into sharing teams of two or three people.
Tell the participants to walk in silence. When one walker sees something captivating, instead of speaking aloud about it, he should gently tap the shoulder of one or more teammates, then point to the object and silently share the enjoyment.
Choose an attractive trail or open area that’s easy to wander through. Since sharing teams move slowly, the distance they travel won’t be great. If there are several sharing teams, agree on a time and place to gather afterwards.
Silent Sharing Walkers experience a beautiful rapport among themselves and with nature. Keeping silent and sharing nonverbally, the walkers become fully present with nature and with one another. It is moving to observe the serene, childlike love of the walkers as they gather around newly discovered flora, bird nests, and other natural wonders.
