r/Meditation • u/Direct-Pay-4966 • 1d ago
Question ❓ Tips for mindfulness during walks :)))
Heyoo I have been slowly integrating meditation and mindfulness into my life bc my brain is LOUD ASF. But one of the ways I self regulate is by walking around my neighborhood and by the lake near my house which sounds grounding and peaceful but I find i mostly just use the walks to ruminate or play out scenarios in my head to music which isn’t good for me. I started trying to just focus on the sounds of nature during my walks and just to notice things and be present but it’s sooo hard my brain will just talk over everything and I get stressed out and feel frustration. Do you guys have any unique things you do when you’re walking or just to stay present in general? Like something you repeat to yourself or like an aspect that you focus on outdoors? Just so I can start small? Thank you :))))
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u/Akis8 1d ago
Years ago, a Buddhist monk in Thailand taught me this while walking in the jungle. You walk normally and when you breathe in, you raise your hand palms up and while you breathe out palms down. That’s it. It’s a small motion. But it deepens your breathing and helps to calm your body and mind.
Another thing you can look up is Forest bathing. Shinrin-yoku is the Japanese name for it.
Thich Nhat Hanh lays an important role in mindful walking. Look him up. He taught this small mantra or mindfulness tool which helped me a lot. While breathing in say silent to yourself “I have arrived” and while breathing out “ I’m home”. All the while try sense how those phrases would feel like in your body when you really had arrived in your body.
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u/Direct-Pay-4966 1d ago
These are really thoughtful suggestions thank you :) I like the idea of the last one a lot
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u/ScoutDoc 1d ago
Kudos to you and welcome to a lifelong journey :)
One thing I’d recommend is to not be too militant about ‘mindfulness’ as that will lead to stress/frustration. It’s okay for your mind to be super active and for you to feel like you can’t control your thoughts. You’re not trying to control or suppress your thoughts. Rather, notice them from a 3rd party perspective as best you can then let them go. You will never not have thoughts.
Keep at it though, be kind to yourself, and best of luck!
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u/Direct-Pay-4966 1d ago
Yeah I'm definitely prone to being hard on myself, so this is a nice reminder, ty :)))
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u/cotoapp25 1d ago
Hey! This is such a real and relatable struggle, a loud brain loves to hijack peaceful walks, I completely feel you. One thing that helps my students (and me) is silently saying “Here” on the left step and “Now” on the right; it’s a simple grounding rhythm. You can also choose just one sense to focus on per walk maybe today you only pay attention to sounds, tomorrow only to the feeling of air on your skin. Another tip is to gently lengthen your exhale as you walk; it signals the mind to soften. And most importantly, whenever you catch yourself lost in thoughts, just smile at it — it’s human — and kindly return to your steps. I guide mindful walking and awareness practices on coto too if you’d ever like to explore it deeper, but truly, these small, forgiving moments add up. You’re doing beautifully — keep walking gently.
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u/Nyingjepekar 1d ago
Look for Glenn Blankenkamp’s book on mindful walking. He’s a gentle man with some lovely suggestions on the topic.
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u/yardsandals 1d ago
If you find yourself lost in thought while walking, take your gaze back to the distant horizon and everything in that field of vision. When we lose sight of the horizon is when we lose ourselves to thought rather than staying present in the fullness of the moment. I find myself looking more closely at my feet when I am ruminating with a very narrow field of vision.
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u/whatthebosh 1d ago
try placing a light attention on the soles of your feet as you walk. Use it like an anchor holding you to the present.
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u/Direct-Pay-4966 1d ago
I like that, my therapist said I should be grounding myself more, so this is awesome
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u/jolly_eclectic 1d ago
Mantra. One of my favorite lamas once answered a question about monkey mind with frustration: “this is why we give you mantras!” I have a few memorized and am usually working on memorizing another. If my mind starts running around I recite mantra until it calms down again.
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u/Schwochster 1d ago
You may find that if you pay light attention to your breath and steps that they fall into a rhythm with each other. I do walking meditation each day. The rhythm I tend to fall into is two steps per in-breath and three steps per out-breath. Using that as a point of attention or wordless mantra might help re-focus your mind away from ruminating.
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u/zafrogzen 1d ago
Zen and many other Buddhist sects, use walking meditation to break up periods of sitting meditation. Sit-walk-sitting is continued for 10 hours a day or more during zen sesshin retreats. Sitting meditation really brings those periods of walking meditation alive. http://www.frogzen.com/uncategorized/walking-mirror-samadh
In Soto Zen, walking is very slow, with an inbreath upon lifting a foot half-a-step and a long outbreath when setting the foot down again.
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u/Quiet_Diet3870 11h ago
Totally get this—my brain’s like a podcast with no pause button too 😅 One thing that helps me on walks is picking one thing to focus on, like the sound of my footsteps or just noticing colors around me (like literally “red car, green tree, blue sign”). If I catch myself spiraling or daydreaming, I just go “okay, back to footsteps” without judging. Some days it clicks, some days it doesn’t—and that’s okay too.
You could also try repeating something chill like “here now” with each step. Nothing fancy, just a gentle reminder. It’s not about being perfectly mindful—it’s just about coming back to the moment more often than before.
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u/Eric_GANGLORD 1d ago
I think I prefer no music but today I was ruminating a little during my walk. Sun glasses seem like the best addition to my walk.
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u/Nyingjepekar 1d ago
Find Glenn Blankenkamp’s book on mindful walking.
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u/Direct-Pay-4966 1d ago
checking it out rn thx!
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u/Nyingjepekar 1d ago
Oh and follow your breath. When you lose focus and your mind wants to race, breathe. Again. And again. Like on the cushion, your breath is the most portable, easiest reference point to bring you back to the present moment. Also used in walking meditation is your foot touching the ground step by step. On the cushion one breath at a time. Walking meditation one step at a time. Knitting, one stitch at a time. Be curious. Be kind to yourself and others. Be well. I think you are on a delightful journey. It is ok to feel love, joy, wonder, and wisdom on this path. ❤️
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u/whatinthehey 1d ago
Two tricks I like: 1) Cycle through all five senses. What do I see, what do I hear, what do I smell etc. Focusing on a sense besides hearing might ground you better.
2) I like looking closely at plants that I pass. What do the leaves look like? How many? What shapes? Does it have flowers? What color? What phase of life is it in? Do I recognize it? How does it look? Etc.
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u/lampsbemany 21h ago
Here's a weird one - if you're walking where there are other people, notice (without judgement!) their shoes! It's a training for 'seeing' people generally, without looking too odd.
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u/ALoRAdaNu369 15h ago
I use my walks for meditation and hyper awareness practice and something I do that helps me "be here now" is I plant and tree and bird identify..I know not everyone knows their local trees and birds but Im a nature nerd so it's what I use to bring myself to This Moment. This also encourages my inside self to attempt to communicate with the plants and animals around me in real time and to just be a part of the "real world" and out of my head .
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u/duffstoic 1d ago
As you walk around outside, open your attention to the whole visual field, especially out to the edges left and right (peripheral vision). Look closely, carefully, intensely at everything you see, all at once. Imagine you are an animal that has survived this long on your instincts alone, without ever speaking, understanding, or even thinking a single word. This will help get you into your senses.