Yoga With Rob Chambers

While it is not necessary for us to walk in as formal or deliberate a manner as the Burmese monk who is mindful of every movement of his feet, nor imitate the student of Zen who walks in a circle synchronizing each step, we need to be as acutely aware of our body when walking as we are of our environment. So be mindful of your posture and the way you carry yourself. You should be 'centred', poised and economical with your movements. You are not walking for exercise so do not put any effort into it. Establish a steady rhythm and allow the momentum to lull you into a relaxed state of awareness.

Avoid any distractions by focusing on a point directly ahead of you in the middle distance. Obviously, this is more practical if you are on a long straight track in the countryside or on the beach, but if you are having to negotiate a labyrinth of urban streets you simply change the object of your attention every time you turn into a new street.

Tune into a specific sound and replay it in your mind. It can be the roar of a car engine, the barking of a dog or the sound of the wind rustling the leaves in the trees. It might even be a snatch of conversation that you pick out in passing or the sound of your own footsteps. Regardless of whether it has a mechanical or natural origin it will have a dominant tone. Can you tune into it? And, when you have done so, can you retain its resonance in your mind?

 

Focus on a stationary object and try to retain its image for as long as you can after it has passed out of your field of vision. This will help develop your powers of visualization and you should find these images coming vividly to mind during your nightly review.

Make yourself acutely sensitive of all sensory input -the wind on your face, the crunch of gravel under your shoes, the quality of light, the collage of colours, any lingering smells, the taste of salt in the air if you are walking by the sea and the shifting balance in your body as you move.

Remember that the object of this exercise is to be mindful of your body and your surrounding environment. Do not let your mind wander and, if you find yourself becoming lost in thought, focus yourself gently back to a state of detached observation.