3 Reasons Why Moving Meditation Is Easier Than Sitting
Learning to meditate is not just about being able to sit still with your eyes closed hoping to heck that your mind will quiet down for a little while. In fact, sitting meditation is probably the hardest way to learn to meditate if you’re just starting out.
Moving Meditation Definition
Any movement can be turned into a meditation. All that’s required is a little awareness to be brought to your movements. Normally, we move from one task to the next without much awareness of what we are doing with our mind, breath, or body. In a sense, it’s quite mechanical and automatic in nature.
Just by using movement plus awareness of what you are doing it can then become a moving meditation. In fact things like Yoga, Tai chi, Quigong and Zazen, are good examples of wellness practices that focus on using slow body movements combined with being aware of what your body is doing to still the mind and center yourself.
It’s more natural and easy to stay alert while you are in movement. When you try to sit quietly and meditate the body tends to either get restless, or falls asleep. Even trying to meditate lying down has the same challenge – the body tends to fall asleep. But in movement, it’s not possible to fall asleep.
Moving Meditation Exercises
One of the easiest moving meditations to start with is walking meditation. You can virtually do this anytime and anywhere that you are walking. I even do it when I am walking my dogs of an afternoon as it helps me to stay relaxed and present.
So how exactly does it work? The key is to stay alert while you are moving. Any movement can become mechanical if we forget to pay attention, and when that happens then we miss the opportunity turn it into a meditative experience.
The secret is to focus on the rise and fall of your feet, or the breath coming in and out of your body, or even the feeling of the wind on your face and skin. It doesn’t matter what you focus on as long as it’s something that connects you to your body.
Even a few minutes of paying attention to your body movements in any activity will help your mind to start to quiet down and to become more centered and present. Then when you have finished moving the body just take a few moments to be still and notice how peaceful the mind is and how alive your body feels.
Moving meditations are one of the best ways for people who are new to meditation, or who find it hard to sit and meditate, to have fun while learning to meditate. Once you get into the swing of it, you’ll be delighted with just how good it makes you feel.
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Michael Atma
Meditation Dojo Blog
Skype: michaelatma
Email: Michael@MichaelAtma.com
