Meditating Through the Noise - Bloom & Thrive Therapy Services

Written By: Angela Bishop

Whether you meditate for stress, sleep, or anxiety, meditation can do wonders to keep you calm, centred, and focused.

Mindworks states that mindfulness and awareness are what meditation is all about. Mindfulness is “fully and openly embracing the present moment”, and awareness is where we use “thoughts, emotions and sensations that arise in the mindstream as the actual focal point of meditation”.

A good meditation sets the tone for everything from a productive, inspired day to a restorative night’s sleep. It also increases feelings of social connectedness and increases grey matter in the brain, which can sharpen cognitive ability and improve overall health and well-being. Check out some of the free meditations below and see what style speaks to you!

Walking Meditation

Think about the last time you walked alone— where was your mind at? Was it occupied by your phone? Or maybe you were lost in thought. Was your mind busy, while your body functioned on autopilot with the all-too-familiar walking route taken? When we’re outside, it’s almost second nature for our legs to be moving while our attention is somewhere else.

Walking meditation is designed to bring body and mind in sync while we’re out and about. And if you don’t like to sit and close your eyes to meditate, this is a great alternative that still trains the mind in awareness.

Because walking is such an automatic action for many of us, we tend to do it on autopilot. The moment we step out the door, our mind tends to go wandering; caught up in remembering, dwelling, planning, worrying, or analyzing. Does this sound familiar?

Each time that happens, we move away from the present moment and away from the chance to connect with nature and our surroundings. We forget to appreciate the simple pleasure of walking.

Meditating while walking is a way to get the mind to walk with us and to bring a relaxed focus to this everyday pursuit. It’s amazing how different we feel when paying attention to what’s going on around us rather than what’s swirling in our heads.

Curious? Next time you take a walk try this technique.

Simply follow each cue for about 30-60 seconds:

1. Body check

As you start to walk, notice how the body feels. Take a few seconds to observe how your body feels.

2. Tune in

Tune into what’s going on around you — what do you see? Pay attention to the movement and still of things, or any other sights that come into your awareness field. Note the sounds you hear that you may often dismiss, simply acknowledge what you see.

Notice: Familiar smells – Now turn your attention to any smells, whether pleasant or unpleasant. Notice how the mind habitually wants to create a story out of each smell and how it might remind you of somewhere, something, or someone.

3. Physical sensations

Next, make a point of noticing any physical sensations, from how the weather makes you feel to how it feels as the sole of your feet touches the ground. There’s still no need to think about any of these observations. Simply notice, acknowledge, and let go.

4. Movement

After a minute or two, contemplate the sensation of movement in the body: how the arms hang or swing by your side or how the weight steadily shifts from right to left. Observe your stride, your pace, and the rhythm you’ve become accustomed to.

Notice: Are you scurrying along with a hundred things on your mind? Or are you walking slowly while daydreaming? The more you notice these things — the more you step into your body. The more you’re in your body, the more awareness you can bring to the world around you.

Meditate while walking in nature

There’s perhaps nothing more refreshing than getting outside and taking a walk in nature, connecting with all its sights, sounds, and scents. Notice how your mood and energy level shift once out in the fresh air. Checking in with yourself and the scenery can turn an ordinary walk into a direct experience, and appreciation, of life. The stillness of a natural landscape — a park, river, forest, or mountain trail — means that the only real distractions will be the mind itself (or any devices taken with you).

Meditation in Motion is essentially pairing mindfulness and awareness with motion! This is an extension of the walking meditation mentioned above. This can be done by engaging in yoga practice, walking, running and even swimming! Basically any time you move your body, you can incorporate meditation.

For those of you struggling with the idea of sitting still or quieting your mind, feeling unable to bring your mind back to a calm state of being; enter meditation in motion! In this, you can focus on your body and breath, while moving into relaxation movement.

Ready to give meditation a try?