I regularly organise a silent walking meditation, where we spend one hour walking through our local forest in silence. It is a wonderful moment where we leave our worries behind and contemplate the natural scenery along the path we take through the forest. I also like to set a theme for these walks: for example, this month it was PEACE and PROSPERITY. The idea is that as we walk, we reflect on these two states of being, first for ourselves, then for our friends, family and local community, then for our city, country and continent, and finally for the world.
“When you practice walking meditation, you go for a stroll. You have no purpose or direction in space or time. The purpose of walking meditation is walking meditation itself. Going is important, not arriving. Walking meditation is not a means to an end; it is an end. Each step is life; each step is peace and joy. That is why we don’t have to hurry. That is why we slow down. We seem to move forward, but we don’t go anywhere; we are not drawn by a goal. Thus we smile while we are walking.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh