A 5-Minute Walking Meditation for Mind-Body Connection

Before we get started, lets recap how far you’ve come these last few weeks. The first mediation in this fall series asked you to recall your surroundings with eyes closed while seated. The second meditation asked you to focus on staying present with eyes open, again while seated. For the last mindfulness-building exercise in this series, we ask you to try something a little different: To walk as part of a moving meditation that is designed to foster the important connection between the mind and the body.

Get ready to start walking, and count your steps from this moment on. Count backwards from 100 to 1. Consider every step you take with full awareness. Feel your legs moving. Notice when your feet touch the ground. Pay attention to how your arms swing back and forth and how your hands feel. Observe your breath.

Now count from 1 onwards. Bring your awareness to your toes and see how your joints move. Notice your calves, knees, thigh muscles, and hamstrings. Watch your chest go up and down with each inhale and exhale. Take in every little detail about the movement of your body and how it feels in this instance.

What’s the end-goal, besides getting from point A to point B?

Heightening your awareness of your own body is one of the best ways to ensure your body and mind are in sync. Developing this type of awareness allows you to feel more present and better in control of how you move through space. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or you just want to stay mobile and avoid injury, a keen sense of where you are and how you’re moving will serve you well.

What’s more, many of the emotions you feel manifest in your body. When you’re stressed, you can feel the tension physically. When you’re happy, you might feel a sense of lightness. In the same way, we can bring a sense peacefulness that happens in the mind during meditation to the body. Like any other mindfulness practice, the key is consistency. Bring this counting exercise into your everyday walk to work, strolls with your pet, or your daily jog.