Meditation
is one of the great mindful eating tools to stop stress eating for good.There are many forms of meditation. Walking meditation is one of my favorite.
Walking meditation provides the benefits of meditation combined with
the benefits of exercise, and has the
bonus benefit of being easy to learn, thereby making walking meditation a great
technique for those new to meditation.
Take Action:
1. Get into comfortable clothing and shoes,
and set aside some uninterrupted free time.
2. Begin walking at a comfortable pace.
Really focus on the sensations that you feel in your body as you walk. Feel the
weight of your body on the bottom of your feet. Feel your arms swinging with
each stride. If you find thoughts coming into your mind, gently let them go and
redirect your focus to the sensations you're feeling as you walk. Stay focused
on now.
3. Focus on your breathing as you walk.
Try to breathe in for two steps, and out for two or three, for example. Focus
on keeping your breathing and your steps coordinated.
4. Again, if thoughts you might have or
other stressors creep into your head gently redirect your attention to now,
to your walking meditation practice.
It's
optimal to do this for 30 minutes, several times per week, but if you only have
10 minutes, or even 5, that's better than no practice at all. Walking
meditation can be useful even in small doses.
Remember, this is not an exercise in movement, it is a practice of mindfulness that uses movements to develop greater awareness.
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