Intensify Your Walking Meditation Practice to Reduce Stress Even More Effectively

For many years, I have been encouraging my Camino de Santiago Walking Retreats guests to practice both walking meditation and breathing meditation, alternatively, while they are walking the Camino. Most of my guests found this hugely beneficial and continued both practices when they were back home, as both practices are extremely effective at reducing stress.

This year, at the end of the retreat season, I had a new idea: why not encourage my guests to combine the two practices? Breathing is already a key part of walking meditation, but it can be difficult to maintain focus with the many distractions that arise while walking in nature.

By incorporating specific breathing exercises that follow a set pattern into walking meditation, the rhythmic nature of these techniques can potentially enhance the benefits of the practice, making it even more impactful.

To recap:

What is Walking Meditation?

Walking meditation is a form of mindfulness practice that combines the act of walking with meditative awareness. It involves walking slowly and deliberately while focusing attention on the sensations of movement, being aware of your body, your breathing, and your surroundings, and maintaining a present-moment awareness. This practice allows you to cultivate mindfulness while in motion, as opposed to traditional seated meditation. Walking meditation can be done indoors or outdoors, and is often used to bring meditative awareness into everyday activities. This practice is particularly useful for those who find seated meditation challenging. More information.

Why practice Walking Meditation?

Walking meditation can be an effective practice for reducing stress and anxiety in several ways:

1. Walking meditation encourages focusing on the present moment and bodily sensations, which can help break cycles of anxious or stressful thoughts. By directing attention to the physical act of walking, you can cultivate greater awareness.
2. The gentle, rhythmic movement of walking helps release tension in your body, which is often associated with stress and anxiety. The practice allows for a mind-body connection that can promote relaxation.
3. Mindful walking can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” state. This helps counteract stress.
4. Walking meditation has been shown to increase the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin, which can help regulate mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
5. By practising non-judgmental awareness during walking meditation, you can develop healthier coping mechanisms for dealing with negative thoughts and emotions. This can lead to improved emotional regulation and resilience.
6. Walking meditation naturally increases physical activity, which is known to have stress-reducing benefits. Even short sessions can help break up sedentary behaviour and provide a mental reset.
7. Research suggests that meditative walking, especially when done outdoors, can help you cope with sleeping difficulties. Better sleep quality is closely linked to reduced stress and anxiety levels.
8. Focusing on foot placement and bodily sensations during walking meditation can help individuals feel more grounded and connected to their environment, which can be particularly beneficial for those experiencing anxiety.

By regularly practising walking meditation, you may experience a cumulative effect of these benefits, leading to an overall reduction in stress and anxiety levels over time.

Operating Instructions

In walking meditation, your focus shifts from your thoughts to your steps and breath:

1. Set an Intention: Before starting, take a moment to breathe deeply and set an intention. It could be to calm your mind, reflect on a specific issue, or simply become more present.
2. Focus on Movement: Begin walking slowly, paying attention to each movement—how your heel touches the ground, how your weight shifts, your posture and how your body responds to movement.
3. Synchronise your Steps with your Breath: Try to coordinate your breath with your steps, which helps anchor your mind in the present. You might breathe in for a few steps and out for a few steps, finding a natural rhythm.
4. Mindfulness of Surroundings: Although your focus is inward, part of walking meditation is remaining aware of your environment. The goal is not to isolate yourself but to engage with your surroundings without distraction.
5. Mute your phone and do a Silent Walking Meditation

Which breathing techniques can you combine with walking meditation?

1. 4-4 Breathing
How it works: Inhale for 4 steps, then exhale for 4 steps.
Why it works: This breathing technique is simple yet effective. It helps synchronise your breath with your steps, promoting a natural flow of movement and mindfulness. The steady rhythm can calm your nervous system, reducing stress and bringing your focus to the present moment.
2. Counting Breaths with Steps
How it works: Breathe in for a certain number of steps (e.g., 3 steps), then breathe out for the same number of steps (e.g., 3 steps). Over time, you can gradually increase the number of steps per breath.
Why it works: This exercise promotes mindful attention to your body and surroundings, while also providing a natural progression as you extend the breath. It’s a great way to slowly build lung capacity while staying grounded in your practice.
3. 2:1 Breathing
How it works: Exhale for twice as long as you inhale. For example, breathe in for 2 steps, then breathe out for 4 steps.
Why it works: This technique helps relax your body by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digestion. Longer exhalations naturally reduce stress and calm the mind, making it perfect for walking meditation in a serene environment.
4. Breathing with the Senses
How it works: While walking, breathe in and become aware of a sensory experience around you (e.g., the sound of leaves rustling, the smell of the air, or the sight of the sky). Breathe out while continuing to focus on that sensation.
Why it works: This exercise combines mindful breathing with heightened sensory awareness, grounding you in the present moment. It also helps prevent the mind from wandering by anchoring your focus to both your breath and the external world.
5. Box Breathing (Square Breathing) – my personal favourite
How it works: Inhale for 4 steps, hold for 4 steps, exhale for 4 steps, hold for 4 steps. Repeat.
Why it works: Box breathing is highly effective for calming the mind and body, especially in stressful situations. It promotes balanced and controlled breathing, helping you stay fully present during your walk.
6. Nasal Breathing
How it works: Simply focus on breathing in and out through your nose while walking, without changing the natural rhythm of your breath.
Why it works: Nasal breathing helps filter and warm the air before it enters the lungs, which can improve oxygen exchange. This can lead to a sense of calm and balance, making it easier to stay mindful while walking.
7. Breath of Joy (Energising Breathing)
How it works: Take three short inhales through the nose with each step, followed by one long exhale through the mouth.
Why it works: This energising breathing technique is great for a more active walking meditation, especially if you’re feeling sluggish or need to boost your energy. It can invigorate your mind and body, bringing a playful and revitalizing aspect to the practice.
8. Mindful Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing)
How it works: Breathe deeply into your diaphragm (belly), allowing it to expand with each inhale. Exhale fully, letting your belly contract. Keep your breaths slow and controlled, matching your steps.
Why it works: Diaphragmatic breathing helps reduce tension and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. By breathing deeply into your belly, you can foster relaxation and greater awareness of your body’s movements while walking.

Which Exercise to Choose?
For Relaxation: 2:1 breathing and nasal breathing are great choices.
For Focus and Mindfulness: Counting breaths with steps and 4-4 breathing work well.
For Energy Boost: Breath of Joy or Box breathing can revitalize you.
For Sensory Engagement: Breathing with the senses integrates your external environment with your internal awareness.

Each of these breathing exercises can be adapted to suit your walking meditation practice, depending on whether your goal is relaxation, focus, or energy enhancement. Experiment with different techniques to find the one that best complements your practice. The key is to choose a method that feels natural and doesn’t disrupt your walking rhythm.

You are hugely welcome to join me here in the sun-blessed south of France, in my 200-year-old farmhouse, on my little French farm, for a Camino de Santiago Walking Retreat and to put my suggestion into practice on the trail. For more information about these retreats, or to inquire about availability, email me at welcome2gascony@gmail.com.

In the meantime, you’ll find a list of useful Apps and books to help you start or improve your walking meditation practice below:

Some of the best Walking Meditation Apps

1. Headspace: This popular meditation app includes specific walking meditations in its “movement and sport” section. It offers guided sessions like “Walking in Nature” and “Connect With Your Body” that are well-suited for mindful walking.
2. Calm: Calm features a “mindful walking” series designed to enhance awareness of your body and surroundings while walking. It uses natural sounds and scenic videos to create an immersive experience.
3. Buddhify: This app provides guided meditations specifically made for multitasking, including a series called “Parks and Nature” that focuses on increasing appreciation of the outdoors through guided focus on the natural environment.
4. Meditation Oasis: While not mentioned specifically for walking meditations, this app created by experienced meditation teachers likely includes walking meditation options given their extensive background.
5. Insight Timer: Although not specifically highlighted for walking meditations, this app offers a vast library of over 100,000 meditations, some of which are likely to include guided walking sessions.
6. Walking Meditations: This dedicated app offers three different walking meditations, each with a different emphasis:

• “Being Fully Present” (16 min)
• “Enlivening the Body” (17 min)
• “Enhancing the Senses” (18 min)

When choosing an app for guided walking meditations, consider factors like the variety of sessions offered, the ability to customise your experience, and whether the app integrates with health tracking features on your device. Many of these apps offer free trials, so you can test them out to find the one that best suits your needs and preferences for mindful walking.

My Recommended Reading List

If you want to find out more about walking meditation specifically, I have listed below a couple of books that I find useful and that I have used to create the walking meditation practice that I recommend to my Camino de Santiago Walking Retreats:

1. “The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation” by Thich Nhat Hanh
   This book is a classic guide to walking meditation, offering simple and practical advice to make each step an act of mindfulness.
2. “Mindful Walking: A Path to Health and Well-Being” by Adam Ford
   Ford delves into the benefits of mindful walking and how it can enhance physical and mental health.
3. “Wherever You Go, There You Are” by Jon Kabat-Zinn
   While not solely focused on walking meditation, this book explores mindfulness in daily life, including how to integrate it into walking and other activities.
4. “Mindful Walking: Walk Your Way to Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Hugh O’Donovan
   This book offers a practical guide to developing a walking meditation practice, helping readers cultivate awareness through walking.
5. “Walking Meditation: Easy Steps to Mindfulness” by Nguyen Anh-Huong and Thich Nhat Hanh A step-by-step guide that breaks down the techniques and the philosophy behind walking meditation.

Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, said: “When we walk like we are rushing, we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the Earth… Be aware of the contact between your feet and the Earth. Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”

References

1. Teut et al. (2013) conducted a randomized controlled trial published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. They found that participants in an 8-session mindful walking program experienced significant reductions in psychological stress symptoms and improvements in quality of life compared to a control group.
2. Research by Gotink et al. (2016), published in Consciousness and Cognition, demonstrated that adults who participated in mindful walking retreats showed increases in mindfulness and positive emotions
3. A study focusing on elderly Thai adults with depression by Prakhinkit et al. (2014), published in Clinical Interventions in Aging, revealed that those who practised walking meditation for 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week for 12 weeks, showed improvements in depressive symptoms and cardiovascular health compared to those who walked normally
4. Gainey et al. (2016) conducted a study with 72 participants, published in the Journal of Body Work and Movement Therapies, which showed that a mindfulness exercise, including walking meditation, improved measures of mood
5. A meta-analysis by Khoury et al. (2015), published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, found mindfulness-based interventions to be effective for reducing stress in healthy individuals
6. A 2014 study specifically examining Buddhist walking meditation, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, found that it can lower symptoms of depression, especially in elderly individuals
7. A study by Hanh et al. (2021) on people with diabetes who used walking meditation, published in the Journal of Diabetes Research, found that their blood pressure was significantly lower compared to those who engaged in regular walking

The diverse range of publications and consistent findings across different populations underscore the potential of walking meditation as a valuable practice for managing stress, anxiety, and related health concerns.