Exercise 4: Mindful Walking
-	This is a way to get some exercise and practice mindfulness at the same time. Just go for a walk. Make sure you have comfortable shoes and that you’re dressed appropriately for the weather. It doesn’t have to be sunny and warm to be a good day for a walk, brisk and raw is fine. Plan for about a half hour to start with; if you want more strenuous exercise you can pick up your pace, but keep attending in a mindful way. Leave your cell phone, iPod, and BlackBerry behind.

-	Attend to your body. Stand up straight and let your arms swing. Put your neck as straight up as possible and let your head balance on that point; notice the changes in your shoulders, chest, belly, chin, throat. Pay attention to your leg muscles as they warm and loosen up; you’re giving them what they need. If you notice any pains, visualize sending your blood and its warmth to that particular area. Chances are the pain will diminish, but of course don’t ignore any severe pain. Pay attention to your breath; breathe deeply, through your nose.

-	Attend to your path. I walk the same path all the time, and old rail trail. I notice the animals, the plants and trees, the evidence of the seasons, the birds singing. But you can walk a different path every day, attending to the same things, or other distinctive features on your path. Notice your footing and be sure it’s secure at all times. Walking is what the human body was designed for; notice how well your body functions in walking, how your balance comes naturally, how your weight shifts easily from one leg to the other, how your muscles know how to do this without any guidance from you. If you try to think about walking, you’ll probably stumble.

-	Attend to your senses. Listen carefully for sounds that are usually in the background, and focus on them. Notice how much more aware you can be. Look around you and see where the sun is shining from. Watch the shadows, including your own, that it casts. Look carefully at anything that strikes your eye, and again notice how much more aware you can be. Same with smells. Keep your nose open. Maybe all you’ll notice is the fresh air, but think about it. Fresh air brings life and energy. If there are other smells, try to identify them, and see what they remind you of. Smells are deeply connected to the memory centers. When I smell fresh-cut grass, it takes me right back to childhood. Most of us keep ourselves too busy to notice smells.

-	Attend to people. If you meet others on your path, make eye contact, smile, and say hello like you mean it. It will make for a better day for both of you. If you’re in the city and there are lots of people on the path, look at faces. Make up stories about them – who’s waiting for them at home, what’s good in their lives?

-	Attend to your mind. As in a mindfulness exercise, notice where your thoughts go. When you find yourself worrying, or thinking about other things, drag your mind back to your present experience. Focus on the rhythm of your walking. Let your unconscious attend to your worries, and keep focusing on where you are right now, how you feel, what you see, hear and smell.

-	If you have a dog to walk, all the better. Imagine what it’s like to be a dog, to see the world from only a foot or so high, to have such a sophisticated nose, to run simply for the joy of it.