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Hi Guys,
Have anyone done any Buddhist walking meditation, many many yrs ago i was learning Insight meditation and this was one of the exerices.
Would anyone know what the healing benifits of this slow walking meditation be or chi cultivation?
Do anyone else do walking meditation, even bagua circle walking supose to be good for you!
Garry
many years ago, when i was a wee piece of sushi :D i belonged to a zen buddhist community. as part of the community, we occasionally held one day and half day retreats. walking meditation was a part of the several forms of meditation practiced during the retreat times.Quote:
Originally Posted by fiercest tiger
healing benefits? my personal opinion is that walking meditation forces one to calm down, and helps one focus on what is going on not only with one's body, but also around oneself. again, just my opinion. :D
"Walking this way over time will improve your circulation and filter your blood. It will also help you learn to relax your mind and listen to your body. Eventually the air around you will become quiet,and people will notice an aura of peace as you walk by. You will carry this space of stillness with you wherever you go, and even in the midst of chaos, confusion and noise, lotus flowers will seem to blossom beneath your feet. The earth will be healed by the little path of quiet your footsteps leave as you walk by."
- Lorie Eve Dechar in "Five Spirits - Achemical Acupuncture for Psychological and Spiritual Healing"
"When you practice walking meditation, you go for a stroll. You have no purpose or direction in space or time. The purpose of walking meditation is walking meditation itself .... Each step is life; each step is peace and joy"
- Master Thich Nhat Hanh
I was studying for a time with a teacher over the 7 Precious gestures of Chi Gong...part of this was Tai Chi walking......she related a story of a group of Chinese women who walk every day (with a lot on Saturday)....they used this walking more for its medicinal benefits than anything else....see, all the women were cancer survivors.....and all were still in remission several years later.....
I find the walking to be relaxing....and a very powerful tool....
As far as the Pau Kua circle is concerned....I am still learning the 8 classic forms....and haven't had a chance to walk the circle at length.......but I find that the rules with the Tai Chi walking to be more beneficial than the rules one follows for the Pau Kua one.....Tai Chi being for inner awareness and balance mostly.....Pau Kua being the offensive side of internal training.....
my 2 cents....
Here's the study itselfQuote:
Marlynn Wei M.D., J.D.
Urban Survival
New Study Finds Meditation With Walking Reduces Anxiety
Researchers find that meditation with walking works better than just walking.
Posted Dec 10, 2017
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos...re-id548553305
Researchers have found that adding meditation before or after a brief walk, for 10 minutes each, significantly reduces anxiety in university students. The new randomized control trial published in the American Journal of Health Promotion examined the effects of meditation alone or meditation before or after a 10-minute walk on a group of 110 university students, who were on average 21.4 years old.
Ten minutes of meditation combined with or without a brief, 10-minute walk reduced levels of anxiety, as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire. In contrast, a 10-minute walk by itself (or doing neither activity, as with the control group) did not result in significant changes in their anxiety. These results suggest that doing meditation before or after aerobic exercise can help reduce anxiety levels more than just physical exercise alone.
This study continues to add to the growing body of research supporting the benefits of meditation for anxiety disorders. If you are pressed for time to do both meditation and physical exercise, you can try another form of meditation, which combines meditation during walking (known as mindful walking or walking meditation). You can try this walking meditation on your way to work, walking up stairs, or even for a brief 10-minute walk on your lunch break. There are many variations on the walking meditation.
Walking Meditation Instructions (5-10 minutes)
1. Bring your hands to a relaxed position, however feels best for you. Take a few relaxed breaths before you begin, and notice the sensation of both feet on the ground.
2. Breathe in a relaxed and natural manner.
3. Start to walk at a slower, unhurried pace.
4. Notice the sensation of your feet:
How does it feel when your back foot lifts?
How does it feel when your heel touches the ground, and your weight shifts forward?
How does it feel when your weight shifts forward and passes to the next foot?
5. Continue to pay attention to the sensation of each step, and feel the weight in both of your feet transfer or shift as you continue to walk.
6. Notice how the rest of your body feels as it moves: your back, legs, arms, shoulders, chest, and neck.
It's normal to be distracted during your walking meditation, but just gently bring your mind back to the sensation in your feet. Beginners can start with five to ten minutes, but you have the option to do it for longer as well.
Quote:
Differential Experimental Effects of a Short Bout of Walking, Meditation, or Combination of Walking and Meditation on State Anxiety Among Young Adults
Meghan K. Edwards, MS, Simon Rosenbaum, PhD, Paul D. Loprinzi, PhD First Published December 7, 2017
Abstract
Introduction:
Single bouts of aerobic exercise and meditation have been shown to improve anxiety states. Yet to be evaluated in the literature, we sought to examine the effects of a single, short bout of aerobic exercise or meditation, as well as exercise and meditation combined on state anxiety among young adults.
Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
University.
Subjects:
Participants (N = 110, mean age = 21.4 years) were randomly assigned to walk, meditate, walk then meditate, meditate then walk, or to sit (inactive control).
Measures:
All walking and meditation bouts were 10 minutes in duration. Participants’ state anxiety was monitored before and after the intervention using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire.
Results:
Significant group × time interaction effects were observed (P = .01). Post hoc paired t tests revealed that state anxiety significantly decreased from baseline to postintervention in the meditation (P = .002), meditation then walk (P = .002), and walk then meditation (P = .03) groups but not the walk (P = .75) or control (P = .45) groups.
Conclusion:
Meditation (vs a brisk walk) may be a preferred method of attenuating anxiety symptomology. Individuals desiring the health benefits associated with aerobic exercise may achieve additional anxiolytic benefits if they employ a brief meditation session before or after exercising.
I circle walk for two and a half hours a day six days a week ~ sometimes 7 ~ I walk fastQuote:
Originally Posted by fiercest tiger