In his book, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, Jon Kabat-Zinn offers a detailed description of his Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. He defines mindfulness as the awareness that arises by paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, in an accepting, non-judgmental way.
How does mindfulness play a role in stress reduction?
So often, we respond to stress by trying to identify its source and then address that source by controlling or avoiding the stressors we identified. This control or avoiding doesn’t work because stressors are not bad; they are simply part of life. Mindfulness practices allows you to experience the presence of these stressors. When you pay attention to the stress, in the moment, in an accepting way, you gain the wisdom and the space you need to decide what kind of relationship you want with the stress. This is very different than trying to get rid of it.
In responding to stress, it is helpful to develop a formal mindfulness practice. However, when I introduce this idea to clients, often the response is, “Great, now I have to find time in my already busy life for this mindfulness thing.” I go on to explain that there are a variety of ways to practice mindfulness during your daily life. Anything you normally do during the day, you can do mindfully.
Walking is something you do all through the day. If your physical condition keeps you from walking, you have other means of getting around, like a wheelchair. Let’s consider how you can practice mindfulness with this daily activity.
Mindful walking is “bringing your attention to the actual experience of walking as you are engaged in it. It means simply walking and knowing that you are walking” (123). As with many mindfulness practices, this is not as easy as it sounds.
For example, the most common reason you walk is to go from one place to another. But while you are walking, your mind is thinking about where you are going. Maybe it’s a meeting or a lunch appointment. Your mind is wondering how it will go and even what comes after this meeting you are walking to. While you are walking, your mind may be thinking about where you have been, what happened at the last meeting or appointment you attended.
What does walking mindfully look like?
It involves giving attention to the sensations in your feet, your legs, all the parts of your body that are involved in walking. Begin by standing still and becoming aware of your body in space. Notice that as you begin to walk, your foot stabilizes as it prepares to accept the weight of your body. Notice the movement forward and the process starting over again as you shift your weight to the other foot. Notice what it feels like when your foot makes contact with the floor.
Walking mindfully is not just noticing your feet. Be mindful of the muscles in your legs. Be mindful of the movement of your arms. There may also be sensations in other parts of your body as you move through space and your foot comes down on the ground. To help deepen your focus, don’t look around you. You don’t have to focus on your feet; they know how to do their job. Instead, keep your focus in front of you.
There will be moments when your mind wanders away from this gentle attention to your walking. It’s okay; that’s what the mind does. When that happens, simply notice what your mind is on at that moment, and then gently, bring your attention back to your walking.
You can try different gaits. You can slow down your walking. You can walk at a regular pace. You can walk faster. Sometimes it is helpful to focus your awareness on one aspect of your walking: your feet, your legs, your arms.
If you are trying to incorporate mindful walking into your daily life, you can find a specific time when you know walking is going to be part of your routine. For example, I have many clients who use a parking garage at work. They use the moments when they walk from their car to their office to practice mindful walking.
Walking mindfully is one of the many practices you will learn in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. In future posts, I’ll describe some more mindfulness in daily living practices, but for now, pleas visit my stress reduction specialty page to learn more.