Movement Based Meditation

Contrary to popular belief, meditation doesn't need to be carried out sitting perfectly still in the lotus position. This is especially true of Movement Meditation which simply put, is meditation while moving. More specifically, it is moving while being minutely aware of the movements of the body (i.e. how the legs feels when tensing) and the outside elements occurring in tandem with those movements (i.e. the smells of the air, the sound of your feet hitting the pavement).

Ideal for people with energetic bodies and spirits who grow restless while sitting still, movement meditation provides the body with a physical outlet for its energy while at the same time stimulating circulation. It is commonly practiced through walking meditation, an activity that releases tension while at the same time creating a calm mind.

It is also commonly practiced by walking a labyrinth or practicing mindfulness during T’ai Chi or Yoga. Even a routine trip to the gym can be a great time to practice movement based mindfulness!

Please see below for articles on these topics as well as further instructions and information on Movement Based Meditations including the traditional Buddhist Walking Meditation.

Wherever your path may take you, movement based meditation is a useful tool for calming your mind while on the go.

This quick series of movements is meant to help you get in touch with your body and open up the “lower” chakras a little bit before you sit to meditate. It is also a reminder that body mind and spirit are all interconnected. You could consider them to be a small series warm up movements before chakra meditation.

All of the Chakras are equally important but because the 6th and 7th chakras are less physical, and higher energy we will only be touching in with the first 5 chakras with physical movement. I chose these movements for their simplicity. The whole series should take no more than 5 minutes, and no yoga experience is necessary. 😉

Let’s start with the Root Chakra (see overview pag e) and work up to the throat.

Root (1st) Chakra
Slowly squat down towards the earth, and stay for a few seconds (if comfortable) Imagine you are connected to the earth through your feet, as though your feet were rooted to the center of the earth. Feel the strength of that connection to the earth.

If squatting is difficult, you can modify this so you are standing while still imagining your connection to earth.

Sacral (2nd) Chakra
Sway your hips in gentle circles first in one direction then in the other for a few seconds to loosen up the navel area.

Solar Plexis (3rd) Chakra
Stand tall and lift your arms straight out from your sides bring them gently overhead, press your palms together and bring them down in front of your body. Imagine as you do this that you are bringing energy from the sun down into your solar plexis area.

Heart (4th) Chakra

Grasp your hands behind your back and gently pull them up and away from your buttocks. This will help loosen up your shoulders and open up the heart area.

Throat (5th) Chakra
Huuuuummmmmm 🙂 No, really I mean it … hum, just a few seconds will do the trick.

Notes:

There are many yoga poses that are wonderful for opening and strengthening the physical parts of your body that are associated with each chakra.

If you choose to learn yoga, find an experienced yoga instructor to ensure you get good results without pulling any muscles. If you do not have qualified yoga teachers in your area there are many great DVDs and books on the topic. I will do some further research and come up with some I like that I feel are useful for people who are relatively new to meditation and include links to them 🙂

Movement Based Meditation

Movement Based Meditation Articles:

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