I love walking in the forest or through woodland. It’s great to be active. I’ve also learned it’s a great way to meditate. To let my thoughts and feelings emerge. And to open up a conversation with the bits of me that are often hidden behind the activities of the material world.

I have to confess that it took me a long time to get used to meditating. My Ego Mind was a bit too keen to stay in control. Learning to step out of those active thoughts, to still myself, was a bit of a challenge. So was sitting still. I think I must have been a natural twitcher. My body would protest if stuck in one pose too long. It was a distraction. And one my Ego Mind used against me. Until I discovered active meditations. There is a long shamanic tradition of entering an altered state of consciousness through movement. Sometimes repetitive movement, like Sufi spinning or tribal drumming, or random movement like dancing.

Discovering these forms of active meditation made my life so much easier. Because I began to walk my meditations. I would pace through a guided piece, letting it play through my headphones or on my CD player, focusing on the actions being in rhythm with the words or music. Round and round the room I would stride. Letting myself feel the movement in my physical body. Opening up to the feelings that would arise. Noticing the thoughts and where they connected with the guided piece. Eventually I noticed another me. One that would peep out at me from time to time. A me who wanted to walk alongside the physical me. So I invited her to join me. At that point my meditative space became quite crowded.

There were others with me. All wanting to take part in my active meditation because they had been trying to connect with me for a long time.

They helped me by taking my walking outside my house. I have always enjoyed walking so they encouraged me to get back in my long distance groove again. When I did I found that I could drop into that state of meditation very easily. I didn’t need to be guided by music or a CD. All I had to do was focus my attention on each step, each breath and each surge of forward energy. To help me I would try to notice everything around me. But without specifically focusing on any one object. If I am in a woodland it feels as if the trees form a protection around me and the everyday world withdraws. I am sheltered and often in half light. It feels like a return to the womb.

On the beach I feel the pull of the air and a sense of vast space. The waves make a backdrop to the waves of my thoughts. And it doesn’t matter if my thoughts are active. I let them bubble to the surface without challenge. Stream of consciousness ideas flowing and inspiring me. It’s an easy way to tell which are mine and the thoughts that belong to Energy Beings. Because wherever I am walking my aim is to receive the intuitive messages that are waiting for my attention. If I take active notice of the intuitive information then I boost my connections to the non physical world. Exactly what I want to be able to do in my life. That information had helped me to live a more spiritual and peaceful life.

When I am active in my meditations it’s as if I can achieve a perfect balance of body, mind, feelings and Spirit. My whole being is involved. And that includes my intuitive sense too. I am complete.

Finally, I hope that I have inspired you to give walking meditation a go. Even on the shortest walk you can open up a space for your Spirit self to speak to you. Why not give it a try?

Day 862 of my blogging challenge