Walking Meditation – Increase Both Inhales and Exhales

Walking exercises may improve your breathing. They help you let go of your busy mind, relax, and focus on the present moment. Paying attention to your breathing helps focus your mind and lets you see where your mind is wanting to go. It is an easy exercise you can do anytime you are walking and nobody knows you are doing it. Do it when you are moving from room to room, on regular walks, or anyplace your feet are moving.

You may find similar walking exercises posted and feel they are exactly the same. It is true that they look the same, but they work with different lengths of breath.

Count your steps with your breath as you walk. When you breathe in, count the steps you take on each foot. While you are breathing in, count 1 for your left foot, 2 for your right foot, 3 for your left foot, and so forth until you finish your in-breath. Do the same process for your out-breath. We all breathe at different lengths. Whatever length of in-breath and out-breath you have been averaging, stay with that length for a minute or two.

Next, start increasing both your inhales and exhales. If you normally breathe in for 3 steps and out for 3 steps, increase the in-breath and the out-breath to 5 steps each. If this is uncomfortable, go back to 3 steps each for a minute or two. Then increase to 4 steps each. If 5 steps were comfortable, increase to 7 steps on each in-breath and each out-breath. Increase the number of breaths slowly and always stay comfortable. Do this for a minute or two and then go back to your regular walking and breathing. If it is comfortable you might want to do it for longer periods.

If thoughts, emotions, or sensations take you away from counting your steps, this is normal. As soon as you realize your focus has wandered, just let go, and move your concentration back to counting steps. If whatever pulled you away is strong, let your attention stay on it until it lessens and then return to counting your steps. This can occur often and is a process. The thoughts pulling you away from the breath are normal and necessary, and help with developing focus and awareness.