Standing Up Straight: Lessons from Walking Meditation
Where We’re Headed
I’m sure you’ve seen the evolution of man sketch, which suggests the next iteration of humans will be one with a hunched back and forward-carried head, the result of spending our lives sitting and looking at phones and computers.
While this has always concerned me on a theoretical level, to be quite honest, I’ve never had the best posture myself. From a young age, my dad, a seasoned physical therapist, tried to teach me to stand up straighter, tuck my chin, and bring my shoulders back. Unfortunately, I didn’t take his advice very seriously at the time. I didn’t yet understand why good posture mattered, and of course, there was something inherently defiant about taking my dad’s advice. Sorry, Dad!
Posture has actually been on my mind a lot lately after returning from a silent meditation retreat at Trinity Retreat Center in West Cornwall, Connecticut. On this retreat, we alternated between 30-minute sitting meditations and 30-minute walking meditations for the duration of the day.
For the walking meditation, we were encouraged to walk without a destination and to hyper-focus on each step, essentially slowly pacing back and forth. We were instructed to notice each and every part of the foot as it touched the ground, the texture of the ground beneath our feet, how our joints felt in space as they moved, how our breath changed as we walked, and the beauty in the trees and clouds and sounds that surrounded us.
Just picture: a grassy knoll filled with people who looked more like zombies walking around aimlessly than mindful retreat participants.
We were encouraged to stay present and mindful with everything we did on the retreat, not just during the structured meditations. This led to many of us continuing to walk at an inhumanly slow pace in between sessions, much to our leaders’ dismay on the first day when we all showed up late. One of our teachers gently reminded us of our set schedule and that we didn’t necessarily need to walk at a slug’s pace in order to stay mindful. This got a chuckle out of me, but also taught me a bigger lesson…
“Be Where Your Feet Are”
I noticed by the end of retreat that I was suddenly walking a lot straighter. The crown of my head felt closer to the sky, as if it were being gently pulled upwards by a string. My shoulders naturally settled back, and my sense of center within my body felt different than before. Interestingly, I wasn’t necessarily trying to correct my posture, but it happened naturally as I became more aware of where my body was in space.
This concept was solidified by the wonderful Reverend at the retreat center, Reverend Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones, aka Father Mark, as he spoke to us about presence. He emphasized time and time again how important it is to “be where your feet are.” He told us, “If you are where your feet are, you can do no wrong.” I took this to heart as I practiced meditation on the beautiful land he stewards.
According to him, presence is a path toward peace in the world. As it applies to you, dear reader, maybe it is a path toward your own inner peace. You might be wondering how.
Well, I am back in the real world now, but I noticed again during my evening walk tonight that my posture is still slightly better. It got me thinking about how often we spend our lives leaning toward what comes next.
Rushing Forward
I know that you already know that we exist in an ever-hurried society.
Do you ever feel like you’re constantly being pulled forward? Like your center of gravity is actually outside of your body, like you have to lean forward in order to get where you’re going?
And despite that, are you on a path of figuring out how to slow down in a world that doesn’t want you to? How to slow down in your work, in your social life, in your daily actions, in your mind?
Maybe that’s what drew you to take a moment out of your busy day to read this blog.
I wrote a poem a couple of years ago that speaks to this idea. I called it “Rush.”
Even the things that give me rest, I rush to.
I rushed to this paper
Because the thoughts replayed over and over in my head.
I rush through the pages in a book that could be my favorite
But I’ll never know.
Up and down, from this to that.
Rush to the screen, just to fumble around on another one.
A hurried shower a brisk walk a race in my mind.
What remedy do I need
Except for a pause
To breathe
To find stillness in the things that give me rest,
Instead of rushing to the next.
Finding Your Center
If you resonate with this, hear me out…
Maybe we can still be present even when we have a destination. You can walk quickly and still walk mindfully. You can have somewhere to go without mentally leaving where you are.
Try bringing your center of gravity back into your body. Imagine it behind your sternum. Focus on that space for a moment. Your heart space, where part of your soul resides. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice where you are. Take a breath. And stand a little straighter.
Not because you need to fix your posture, but because you’ve remembered where you are.
Maybe that’s where the present is. Maybe that’s where the peace is.
In light,
Dr. K
