Mindfulness: 3 Questions To Practice Mindfulness & The Art Of Mindful Walking Which Together Lead To Spiritual Growth & Awakening
The mind, body and soul are all interlinked. It’s commonplace for us to get overwhelmed in many moments of our lives with what happens around us.
This can lead to constant suffering, because our mind is wandering to perhaps, the pain of the past or the worry of the future.
That’s why in Zen Buddhist teaching, it is paramount to remain in the present moment, or in other words the ‘Now’, at all times.
Being completely present and aware of the present moment and our breath and living in the moment, can help us not let our thoughts bleed or let our thoughts drift, which in turn, leads to suffering.
Mindful Breathing
One such way of immersing in the now is to ‘watch breath’. That’s the most common technique practiced in Zen Buddhism to be completely aware and immersed in the ‘Now’.
To watch your breath, a simple technique I practice which is a very basic meditation technique,(and no I don’t sit crossed legged on the floor to do it, I do it even when I’m sitting in front of my computer). It’s a simple basic technique — to count each breath you take(in and out) until you get a thought that interrupts the count and then start over and repeat and see how far your count can go without thinking.
Mindful Walking
However, there is another way of meditating by practicing ‘Mindful Walking’. It’s a simple way of being aware of the moment and being present in it.
The way to walk mindfully, is to feel every step you take & your breath & observe your steps and nature as you walk. It’s fairly simple. And it helps in staying completely immersed in the present moment and enjoy and feel amazing by just walking.
As Sister True Dedication, a Zen Buddhist monk, ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh, explains:
“Do you remember the first steps you took outside this morning? The feel of the ground underfoot, the fall of the light, the quality of the air. Do you remember the first tree on your way?”
“In the Zen tradition, we know that awakening doesn’t happen only with the intellect. We need to engage our whole being right in the heart of the present moment. And a very simple way to do this is with the practice of mindful walking, a powerful meditation that doesn’t require hard labor or even extra time.”
“Mindful walking can help. We really feel the contact between our feet and the ground. And we enjoy the harmony between our breathing and our steps. With each step, we arrive into our body, into the present moment. And we become fascinated by the whole experience of walking.”
3 Questions That Lead To Spiritual Growth & Awakening
Self-inquiry and being more aware of ourselves i.e. not our goals, ambitions, our jobs, and our career, I’m talking about real self-inquiry by asking yourself repeated questions to find out who you truly are and lead to spiritual growth and awakening.
There are 3 simple questions to keep asking ourselves, which will lead to immense spiritual and mindful growth.
They are:
1. Who Are You?
“The first question is: Who are you? Say you’re walking to do something. Perhaps something very important. Something that may be the right thing to do but very hard. Ask yourself. Who is walking to do this? Can you see that you are, in fact, an entire lineage of parents, grandparents and ancestors? We carry all of them within us. Their qualities and their weaknesses. Their hopes, their regrets, their fears. Each one of us is in some way an ambassador of our species. And as we walk, we have a chance to activate the best of ourselves. The qualities of awakening. Endurance. Compassion. Generosity. Fearlessness and hope.”
2. Where Are You?
“This brings us to question number two: Where are you? Are you here? Are you now? Do you feel at home in yourself, relaxed and at ease? Or is there still some restlessness, perhaps a little agitation? We may feel distracted, preoccupied. There are those who say we are too much in the present, not planning enough for the future. But there’s a difference between being alert and awake to what is going on and being lost in our work or projects, or drowning ourselves in consuming to cover up, escape from or numb ourselves to what is actually happening. Training our body and mind to be fully present in the here and now is essential to our survival and to the future we are creating. It is in the present and only in the present that we can truly nourish our happiness and handle and take care of our pain and our suffering.”
3. What Do You Want?
“Which brings us to question number three: What do you want? What do you really want? What is most important to you? This is not only about doing, this is also about being. It is possible to be firmly rooted in the present moment, and yet motivated, energized by a deep desire, a deep love to contribute something positive. And wherever we choose to make our contribution, our task is to do our best in that spot and we will have peace. Even the simplest act born from love resonates without limit.”
By practicing mindful walking or mindful breathing or perhaps a combination of both, we can be immersed into the vastness of the present moment and be here and aware.
And it’s these 3 questions and this process of being aware and in tune with ourselves and the moment & nature that we can feel immense peace and satisfaction.
So we’re walking. And we can arrive into our life at every step. And we get to ask ourself, Is this how I want to live my life?
So who am I? Where am I? And what do I want? The act of asking these three questions in the heart of our daily life, as we walk, will help us to wake up.
In her TED Talk, Zen Buddhist monk, Sister True Dedication, explains the art of mindful walking and these 3 questions which are part of Zen Buddhist teaching that will lead to powerful spiritual growth and awakening which is what we and the world needs more of.
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Peace, Love and Light :)
