Meditation is deeply rooted in the Buddhist culture and traditions. In the twentieth century, the concept of Vipassana meditation was altered in order to come up with modern meditation practices which are commonly followed by the socially engaged Buddhists of our times. The term engaged here implies that the need for both mental and physical involvement is present in order to reap the maximum health benefits of meditation. This is where the concept of walking meditation comes in, which is in essence a contemporary visual art belonging to Southeast Asia.
The primary goal of meditation is to enable an individual to gain insight in order to achieve a calm mind. Walking meditation is a type of meditation practice that engages the individual's body and enables the mind to focus primarily on breathing. It is worth mentioning here that every type of meditation places prime importance on breathing being a meditation object. Achieving discipline in one's life is directly linked to a person's capacity to control his/her breathing in meditation. While different meditation positions maybe used by an individual, this discussion shall focus on walking meditation for self-care. Typically, it is performed via a labyrinth which is a unicursal continuous path. A labyrinth is in indication of a sacred place in various cultures and has been used in various regions and times across the globe. It is representative of one's spiritual journey, where walkers are able to connect with their inner selves and their past and future. Walking meditation is a whole-brain activity which allows individuals to walk a non-linear path, taking them gradually from one level to the next in order to open up greater solutions to life. A labyrinth used in walking meditation may either be designed as a labyrs, a rosette or lunation.
Walkers are urged to set their own rhythm, choosing their preferred natural pace and style. The movement, thus produced is somewhat of a sacred dance that allows one to view walking as not merely a physical exertion or an activity conducted to reach a particular destination but one that helps search answers to different problems and to understand the true meaning of life. Walking meditation, is very similar to sitting meditation as it helps evoke the same spiritual and physiological outcomes.
Walking meditation consists of three phases, namely: releasing, receiving and returning which are followed in the same order. For many walkers, the release phase may either refer to releasing stress or to the release attained through emotional expression such as crying. The second phase called receiving is normally experienced by either sitting or standing in the centre of the labyrinth for a considerably longer time period. The last phase, dubbed as returning is experienced when the walker returns from the centre to the everyday realm. Walking meditation places aggressive focus on various experiences gained from the environment, including colors, sounds and light.
The primary goal of meditation is to enable an individual to gain insight in order to achieve a calm mind. Walking meditation is a type of meditation practice that engages the individual's body and enables the mind to focus primarily on breathing. It is worth mentioning here that every type of meditation places prime importance on breathing being a meditation object. Achieving discipline in one's life is directly linked to a person's capacity to control his/her breathing in meditation. While different meditation positions maybe used by an individual, this discussion shall focus on walking meditation for self-care. Typically, it is performed via a labyrinth which is a unicursal continuous path. A labyrinth is in indication of a sacred place in various cultures and has been used in various regions and times across the globe. It is representative of one's spiritual journey, where walkers are able to connect with their inner selves and their past and future. Walking meditation is a whole-brain activity which allows individuals to walk a non-linear path, taking them gradually from one level to the next in order to open up greater solutions to life. A labyrinth used in walking meditation may either be designed as a labyrs, a rosette or lunation.
Walkers are urged to set their own rhythm, choosing their preferred natural pace and style. The movement, thus produced is somewhat of a sacred dance that allows one to view walking as not merely a physical exertion or an activity conducted to reach a particular destination but one that helps search answers to different problems and to understand the true meaning of life. Walking meditation, is very similar to sitting meditation as it helps evoke the same spiritual and physiological outcomes.
Walking meditation consists of three phases, namely: releasing, receiving and returning which are followed in the same order. For many walkers, the release phase may either refer to releasing stress or to the release attained through emotional expression such as crying. The second phase called receiving is normally experienced by either sitting or standing in the centre of the labyrinth for a considerably longer time period. The last phase, dubbed as returning is experienced when the walker returns from the centre to the everyday realm. Walking meditation places aggressive focus on various experiences gained from the environment, including colors, sounds and light.
