Friday, May 12, 2017

Walking Meditation Part 2 (Picking a Word)

Did you try walking meditation?  Don't know what walking meditation is about?  Check out my last post for the detailed instructions.  If you got stuck on picking a word or phrase to meditate with, try one of these suggestions:
1.  Utilize a deck of angel or meditation cards with one word on them and randomly pick one of the cards (examples of words on these types of meditation cards:  insight, success, laughter, observation, etc.)
2.  Utilize the Bible:  the Psalms are particularly helpful for this practice because they have so many "living" words and phrases (dwelling place, praise, glory, creation, new life, etc.)
3.  Utilize a word or phrase that keeps “popping up” for you (maybe, for example, you've awakened with a lyric on the brain)
4.  Something else that is specific to your practice (you read a daily devotional, you look at words in advertisements, etc.)

Still not sure?  Here's a poem that has many words or phrases to choose from.  I wrote it in 2013 after reading Chapter 4, The Cup of Thanksgiving, from Joyce Rupp's A Cup for Our Life

Alive
Alive, aware, awake.
Beautiful, bountiful, bold.
Colorful, curious, creative.
Delicious, delightful -
I eat my breakfast, peering through
Vased flowers, out into the backyard.

Ever-changing, eternally evolving.
Fresh and fragrant.
Gorgeous, gleaming, great.
Heavenly, homey, humble -
Lord, please mold my soul
with the same loving care.

Intense and immediate,
Jonquils jumping joyfully,
Knowingly kept,
Light and lush. 
I wait for my daughter to wake,
Intent to tell her "I love you."

Much mulch mounded,
Nature's newness near, and
Opening,
Prettily packed.
I desire the same, 
A life of living.

Quaint and quiet inside,
Rejoicing, rolling robins outside.
Squirrelly sites and shadows,
Trees towering.
I hug my son as he rises, and
Listen as he lays his day.

Unassuming and
under-appreciated Visitors
are varied, including
Wispy winds and
EXuberantly youthful zinnias.
I put down my pen,
And go outside. 
-----------------------------------------
Now for the reflective questions which you can journal about or if you'd like to share your story, the community and I would love to hear from you!  Your comment could have a major impact on someone else.  Most likely it will be just the right thing at the right time for one of the readers. For me, God* wanted me to know that helping even just one person is wonderfully impactful.

Reflective questions:
1. Do you have time today for walking meditation?

2. What does God* want you to know about this (ask directly, God, what do you want me to know?)

* I use the term God as a universal term.  You may decide that Great Spirit, Allah, Higher Power, Sensibility, etc. better suits you today.  It is not for me to decide.

Photo by MH

Note:  These posts are part of a broader call to do spiritual journaling (read more at CardinalTouch.net)

1 comment:

  1. I am not sure if I will have time to do a walking meditation today but love it when I can.
    Lately God has been asking me to be quiet and listen more. I want to try walking with a clear mind and open heart to see if I can hear more of his plans for me.

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