We’ve all heard how good meditation is for you. Maybe you’ve tried it, the traditional way, with the “ummmm” while focusing on your breath and being absolutely still.

For some reason, I cannot do this.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot focus on nothing. It works for maybe a minute, then my nose will itch, or I’ll hear a noise, or something will happen to break my concentration.

After several failed attempts at traditional meditation, I’ve hit upon the perfect solution for me… walking meditation.

Yes, you can walk and meditate, especially if you have a treadmill or a long stretch of beach available, someplace you can walk without fear of running into something.

In my case, it’s a no-brainer. I spend most of my day walking on my treadmill anyway, why not take a few of those minutes to meditate? I don’t remember when the thought came to me, probably while trying to meditate the regular way.

It’s really quite easy once you solve the problem of how to keep your eyes closed while walking. You can do this at the gym, maybe with some earplugs to drown out background noise. Using a treadmill makes it so much easier to block out distractions because you can hold onto the rails very lightly and close your eyes.

Here’s a guide that you may find useful, although it doesn’t discuss the use of treadmills. Actually most of the articles and guides discuss how to do it with your eyes open, sometimes along a marked path outdoors. That would be ideal but here in hot Houston, not something I want to do most of the year. It’s just like anything else … take the part that works for you and leave the rest!

Happy Meditating!