BlackGoaty Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Is it possible to use my brisk walking workout (about 10-15km per session) as a walking meditation with concentration on my feet or does walking briskly defeat the purpose of it? Link to post Share on other sites
denise_xo Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Is it possible to use my brisk walking workout (about 10-15km per session) as a walking meditation with concentration on my feet or does walking briskly defeat the purpose of it? My personal experience is that any physical exercise can be "meditative" if you want it to be. Meditation is really about being in the present. Focusing on one particular thing is not the aim of meditation, it's just one out of many other available tools. So if it works for you, then go for it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
dougmccoy Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 denise is so right on this one blackgoaty. sometimes i meditate while jogging! Link to post Share on other sites
Author BlackGoaty Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 denise is so right on this one blackgoaty. sometimes i meditate while jogging! What do you focus on while jogging and meditating? On the breath? Link to post Share on other sites
Author BlackGoaty Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 My personal experience is that any physical exercise can be "meditative" if you want it to be. Meditation is really about being in the present. Focusing on one particular thing is not the aim of meditation, it's just one out of many other available tools. So if it works for you, then go for it. I have an extremely distracted mind thus I need something to focus on or focusing on nothing. Everytime I meditate, my mind wanders and I have to bring it back to the present many many times. Over time, it got better with longer meditations. Link to post Share on other sites
denise_xo Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I have an extremely distracted mind thus I need something to focus on or focusing on nothing. Everytime I meditate, my mind wanders and I have to bring it back to the present many many times. Over time, it got better with longer meditations. It's extremely common that your mind wanders multiple times when meditating. The key with physical exercise, IME, is that it helps you tune into your body more, which is one of the ways in which an over active mind can be relaxed a little because you're moving towards a holistic experience of your body rather than focusing everything on a spinning head. In this sense, regular physical exercise is a tool in the tool box towards being present, even though it doesn't necessarily mean that you have a 'still' mind at the exact moment when you are exercising. But one thing you could consider is to listen to meditation tapes while you walk. I often find guided meditation easier than silent meditation when my mind is particularly active, and you should be able to find guided walking meditation CDs/tracks, for example on Spotify. Another is to learn a dance you like - such as salsa - because it forces you to focus on coordinating your different body parts to music, which will in turn still your mind from a lot of the other things that might be moving around up there because your focus will be exclusively on your body parts and the music. Link to post Share on other sites
TaraMaiden Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Is it possible to use my brisk walking workout (about 10-15km per session) as a walking meditation with concentration on my feet or does walking briskly defeat the purpose of it? You can but try.... Although in my experience, calm methodical and deliberate, slow movements, require a much higher degree of effort and concentration.... When I taught my students Qi Gong, they all agreed that so much focus had to be given to all the movements, posture, angle and breath, they never had a chance for their minds to wander or think about anything else..... Link to post Share on other sites
happydate Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Is it possible to use my brisk walking workout (about 10-15km per session) as a walking meditation with concentration on my feet or does walking briskly defeat the purpose of it? It is not possible to meditate if you PLACE an expectation on your workout. You already expected this in your mind (10-15km/session) which means your workout will be based on linear thinking. When we do workouts, we must first ground ourselves and connect with the Universe. Remember the I am that I am and we are all I am that I am. How do you know if you are on your walking meditation? First, you will feel a light floating feeling, an effortless effort and then when your mind is calm. Second, your effort will be effortless. When everything felt grounded, movements are smooth and circular. External limbs and arms are strong. If you try to bend someone's arm, it becomes unbendable. If you try to lift that person's body, it becomes unliftable. If you try to stop the person from walking, he or she will either bulldoze you like you're not there. That's how a person do higher-self meditation as opposed to someone who is just day dreaming. Good smooth movements come from a calm mind connected to the Universe. It is universal movement. People who concentrated too much on movement has a ways to learn to become calm. Besides with a calm mind, your intuition starts flowing if you are somewhat psychic developed. Lastly, there are several forms of meditative practises. Formal meditation and maintenance mediation. What you are doing is maintenance meditation and functioning in daily life. Formal meditation requires a formal sit in, with no movement and the stillness calms the mind even more to allow the flow of energy from the Universe through you like an unrestricted pipe. When you do formal higher self meditation regularly in the morning for like 1hr or more, it makes maintenance meditation like running, cycling, swimming and all sports easier because your mind will become stronger and harder to disturb, therefore more easily grounded and stay grounded. If your mind wanders during sport activities, this can only mean that you need to do more formal higher self-meditation. If you have blocked emotions you try to get rid off, then you should do lower-self meditation rather than higher self. Know what you want achieve spiritual wise before you do the things you want to do. Blessings. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author BlackGoaty Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 Lastly, there are several forms of meditative practises. Formal meditation and maintenance mediation. What you are doing is maintenance meditation and functioning in daily life. Formal meditation requires a formal sit in, with no movement and the stillness calms the mind even more to allow the flow of energy from the Universe through you like an unrestricted pipe. When you do formal higher self meditation regularly in the morning for like 1hr or more, it makes maintenance meditation like running, cycling, swimming and all sports easier because your mind will become stronger and harder to disturb, therefore more easily grounded and stay grounded. If your mind wanders during sport activities, this can only mean that you need to do more formal higher self-meditation. Blessings. Thanks Happydate for pointing out the differences in maintenance meditation and formal meditation. That is exactly what I am doing. I do a formal sit-in meditation for 20 mins in the morning and 45mins before bedtime. I am trying to incorporate my exercise bit of it. Link to post Share on other sites
Author BlackGoaty Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 You can but try.... Although in my experience, calm methodical and deliberate, slow movements, require a much higher degree of effort and concentration.... When I taught my students Qi Gong, they all agreed that so much focus had to be given to all the movements, posture, angle and breath, they never had a chance for their minds to wander or think about anything else..... Thanks Taramaiden. I remembered and jotted down in my note in the other thread where you taught me how to do the various walking/look don't say/washing up meditation and I try to incorporate it into mini walking meditation sessions when taking a break in the office and into my everyday life. Link to post Share on other sites
skydiveaddict Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Any physical exercise can be "meditative" you have to choose some other practice for meditation. Yoga is an excellent meditation practice,. Meditation is really just a fallacy. It's more accurately described as mental distraction. When you watch your favorite movie, you are totally engrossed in it. You are in fact meditating on it. That's why people spend a lifetime trying to master the "art" of meditation. They study it, teach it, devote their lives to it. But they never do. The reason is that it does not exist. Link to post Share on other sites
TaraMaiden Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Sorry. That's rubbish. It exists, it's a very real practice and there's proof of its efficacy. May I respectfully suggest you stick to expounding the skills and virtues of sky diving? I'm certain without a shadow of a doubt you are extremely knowledgeable about that.... I on the other hand, am a complete ignoramus, and would never dare express an opinion on a subject I personally actually know very little about. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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