It’s the time of year when we revel in the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the summer months.

Here are three walking meditations to explore and play with. Try these on your breaks to experience the great outdoors. Remember to be keenly aware, and walk safely!

1. Regular Pace Walking
Walk at a relaxed pace, and as your left foot touches the ground, say ‘left’ silently to yourself. As your right foot touches the ground, say ‘right’ silently to yourself. And so on. This keeps you mindful and present as you pay attention to syncing your words with your steps.

2. Shifting Awareness
Walk at a relaxed pace, and place your awareness on your breath for a short while. Anchor in the present moment by feeling your body breathing. Then shift your awareness to your surroundings (for example, place keen awareness on sounds, sights, smells, activity, etc). Shift your awareness back and forth between your breath and your surroundings.

3. The Very Slow Walk
If you don’t care who may watch you, try taking super slow small steps, synced with your breathing. As you take a step forward and your heel touches the ground, exhale. As you shift your weight forward on the same foot, inhale.

Walking meditation is a wonderful, mindful way of giving ourselves a break from our busy days. It’s a great way to bring more movement into our lives and a sense of relaxation and calm. You can even try doing this during your work day as you walk from place to place, meeting to meeting.

HR professionals are busy people! Capture these opportunities for mindful moments for yourself.

Don’t miss the free How HR Can Start a Great Workplace Mindfulness Practice webinar with Wendy Quan on June 19, 2018.

Wendy Quan provides mindfulness meditation facilitator training and certification online courses which are available to CPHR BC & Yukon members at a preferred rate. Find out more. Also, CPHR BC & Yukon member can access her on-demand sessions Mindfulness for Busy HR Professionals and How to Bring Mindfulness into Your Workplace with No Ongoing Operating Costs free!

Wendy Quan, founder of The Calm Monkey, is an industry leader, helping organizations implement mindfulness meditation programs and combining change management techniques to create personal and organizational change resiliency. She trains meditators to become workplace facilitators.