I read the introduction and the first chapter then went to the website to listen to the audio for conscious breathing. I started with the walking meditation video that coincides with page 23 to set the foundation for walking meditation itself. I’m glad I did. It’s a video of Thich Nhat Hanh discussing walking as meditation. He explained that walking to arrive somewhere is not the goal, walking is not a means to an end but an end itself. Each step is meant to be happy, peaceful, serene. He talks about the lack of awareness, of presence in our culture and that people are focused on preparing for life, not living life. They are always going so they can’t stop and live deeply in the moment. In this practice, he says, we will learn to walk naturally and pay attention to our breathing and focus our attention on our foot’s contact with the ground. Each step will be filled with joy, happiness, serenity. As we walk, he suggested that we count our breaths, and measure the length of the breath by the number of steps you take while breathing (a normal inhalation and exhalation). The core experience seemed to involve feeling Peaceful, Happy and Serene and steps, breathing, counting the breath. And smiling! Smiling he said is proof that you have sovereignty over yourself—you are your own master.
Then I listened to the conscious breathing video, followed the guided meditation/breathing process.
From here I was set to practice. My first attempt was while hiking. I spent 30 minutes walking between Sun Peak and a lower, false summit, a gradual rise between the two with dramatic 360-degree views: snow capped mountains, verdant valleys, snaking rivers, wildflowers in full bloom. I was in Sun Valley, Idaho for my niece and nephew’s high school graduation and took advantage of some early morning trail time. Bringing my awareness to my breath, to my steps, to smiling and being present, I started walking with intention. I counted my breaths, counted my steps, let my body move quietly, gracefully, no drive to reach the top (I’d already been there!), just wandering back and forth from one peak to the other. I realized that my mind didn’t go backward into the past, nor forward into the future, my ‘monkey mind’ chattered on as a narrator for the present tense: we’re counting the breath, noticing the flowers, it’s okay to stop and appreciate the beauty, that’s what he said in the video, but only if you are here in the moment. If you go to the past or to the future then you are no longer present and no longer meditating.
I tried to silence the narration. Tried to just count breaths. Tried. And in my move for silence, my mind went to one of its happy places, it started singing. So, I counted my steps and smiled and moved with the Eagles (an American rock band that formed in 1971) singing in the background:
Take it easy
Take it easy
Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Don’t even try to understand
Just find a place make your stand
Take it easy . . .
