Walking practice

Walking practice. This track is for a walk, or for the part of your commute you do on foot. Eyes stay open the whole time. A safety line first. If you are near traffic, or crossing roads, your attention goes to the road first and to this track second. Pause the track at crossings if you need to. Keep the volume low enough to hear what is around you.

Start by walking at your normal pace. Nothing special.

Bring your attention to the feet. The heel landing, the foot rolling, the toes pushing off. Left, then right.

Notice the ground through the shoes. Hard or soft, even or uneven.

Now the pace. See if you can slow it by a small amount. Not so much that people notice. Just enough that you notice.

Feel the arms swinging. The weight shifting from one side to the other.

Now the sounds. Let them come to you without going after them. Traffic. Birds. Voices. A horn. Someone's phone. Each one arrives and goes.

Feel the air on your face and hands. Warm or cool, still or moving.

If the mind has gone off into the day ahead, or the day behind, that is normal. Come back to the feet. Heel, roll, toes.

Walk like this for a little longer. Feet, pace, sounds.

When the track ends, you can keep walking this way, or go back to your usual pace and your usual thoughts. Either is fine. Watch the road.