When you think of meditation, you probably think of the stereotypical, stationary, sitting-down kind where you’ve got your eyes closed and try to empty your mind as best you can. But did you know you can meditate in other ways? If you’re the type that prefers to build your meditation into an activity (or the type that has a hard time working out at the gym!), moving meditation might be for you. Here’s an overview of what it is.
Moving Meditation, Defined
In a nutshell, moving meditation is about the same principle as traditional meditation: mindfulness. The difference is that you’re practicing mindfulness while moving or performing some sort of activity.
The reality is that it doesn’t really matter what the activity is; but hold that thought for a sec. It’ll help if you have some examples to wrap your head around first. Some of the more common forms of moving meditation include yoga (yep, that sun salutation counts as a form of meditation if you do it with the right mindset), qi gong, tai chi, and even simply walking.
The idea is that you focus purely on the task at hand, and bring your mind back to that every time it tries to wander off on some random train of thought. If you’re doing yoga, tai chi or qi gong, focus on how the different parts of your body feel as you go through each movement. If you’re walking, focus on your movements and how they feel, without training your eyes on anything in particular.
Can Moving Meditation Apply to Other Things?
Well, I’m no expert, but I personally think it can, for sure. Since we’re talking about a state of mind and not a specific movement, I’d argue you can apply moving meditation to almost any physical activity. Call it a flow state, if that helps you wrap your head around it. In Japanese, you could call it mushin, the idea of emptying your mind while performing an action.
When you look at it that way, almost anything can be a form of moving meditation: painting, dishwashing, chado (Japanese tea ceremony), kyudo (the art of Japanese archery), woodworking, cooking… the list goes on. If you’ve ever experienced that flow state while doing something you love, where time seems to pass differently, you’ve experienced moving meditation. They key is to get there deliberately.
Wrapping it Up
Moving mediation is nothing more than another way to practice mindfulness. It’s an idea you can take away and apply to almost any activity you enjoy doing, and for many people it’s a more approachable form of meditation than traditional stationary meditation. If you’re interested in learning more about moving meditation, here are some great resources to check out:
- 10 Unexpected Ways to Meditate Every Day – Greatist.com
- Moving Meditation Practices – One Mind Dharma
