When we picture someone engaged in meditation we usually think of someone sitting quietly, legs crossed, while focusing on the breath. While this is one way of meditating, it is not the only way. One of the lessons of ecospirituality is that we may meditate anywhere, at any time. As long as we are living in the now by paying attention to what our senses are telling us in the moment, we can be said to be engaged in mindful meditation.
This means that we may engage in any activity in a mindful way.
A common exercise to perform in a mindful manner is an activity called mindful walking. The basic process of mindful walking is to walk while focusing on the physical sensations of the process of walking by shifting energy from the thinking cycle to the cycle of sensations. What do my leg muscles feel like as I walk? Can I feel my diaphragm as I breathe? What sights do I see as I walk? What do I hear? What aromas are in the air?
The Coyote Walk is a way to practice mindful walking. To use this technique, first picture how a coyote walks. She places her paws one in front of the other so that she makes as little noise as possible. She experiences here environment largely through her sense of smell, pausing here and there to read her environment before moving on. If she spots something of interest, she stops for a while to investigate. She is open to what her senses tell her, but at the same time she approaches life with a playful attitude.
The way to perform the Coyote Walk is to allow yourself to become the Coyote by drawing her archetypal energy into yourself. Shamans from around the world are credited with the ability to shape-shift. What if this shape-shifting is not a physical transformation, but a transformation of the mind? Imagine yourself becoming a Coyote and you will be halfway there.
- To perform the Coyote Walk, first go to an outdoor place, weather permitting, and find a spot where you may walk undisturbed for at least thirty minutes.
- When you have found your place, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Now ground and center yourself while contemplating the energy in the archetype of the coyote described above.
- Feel yourself becoming the coyote. Take the coyote energy into yourself and begin to walk, placing one foot in front of the other as quietly as possible. To do this, it may help to visualize a straight line drawn on the ground. Imagine your feet touching that line with every step.
- Continue to walk, remaining open to the sensations of your feet as they rise and fall, to the sensations of your breathing, and to all of the information your senses are giving you about the immediate environment.
- Don’t stare at your feet, but instead look around you so that you may experience the environment to the fullest.
When you have completed this exercise, go on to answer the questions on the Coyote Walk worksheet below.
