Week 7 - Mindfulness and Compassion 마음챙김과 연민
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Week 7 - Mindfulness and Compassion
Lovingkindness Meditation & Walking Meditation
Video
We Are Built To Be Kind - Dacher Keltner
When we think about the evolution of the human species… From the standard framework of evolution, which is really about individual survival, competing, getting your genes to the next generation.
Within that framwork is
“why are people so frequently and routinely good and generous and sacrificing?”
In the notion of Darwin view of human evolution, he really feels that sympathy is the strongest instinct that humans have and communities that have the most sympatheric members, will flourish and raise the greatest number of offspring.
If you feel physical pain, a part of your brain lights up and if I see others have that physical pain, the same part of yoyr brain lights up.(mirror neurons)
We are wired to have the same experience of other people.
Empathy is this really complicated task. It really engages the frontal lobes, these newer regions of the cortex that are involved in more complex symbolic processes like language and imagining the future. Because empathy requires that you think: there is someone out there who has feelings and thoughts that may be different from mine-that is a really complicated cognitive achievement.
In the Berkely social interaction lab, they showed images of prototypical suffering to thier participants. They trigger massively powerful reactions of compassion and what we found in the brain is that a very old part of the brain called the periaqueductal gray, which is common to mammals when they take care of things, lights up when you feel compassion.
What does it do to the human mind?
It is the longest bundle of nerves in the human nervous system. It is called, Vagus nerve.
In research compassion, the feeling of caring for someone in need, activates the vagus nerve.
Lower class individuals, if we show them images of suffering, the have a vagus nerve response. You don't see that in upper class individuals. It literally is a compassion deficit that is produced by lots of wealth.
인간 종의 진화에 대해 생각할 때 제일 어려운 질문은 무엇일까요?
진화의 표준적 틀에서, 그것은 실제로 개인의 생존, 경쟁, 유전자를 다음 세대로 전달하는 것에 관한 것입니다. 하지만 그 틀 안에서 사람들이 왜 그렇게 자주 그리고 일상적으로 선하고 관대하며 희생하는 것일까요?
인간 진화에 대한 다윈의 관점에 따르면, 그는 동정심이 인간이 가진 가장 강력한 본능이며 가장 동정적인 구성원이 있는 커뮤니티가 번성하고 가장 많은 자손을 키울 것이라고 정말로 느꼈습니다.
신체적 고통을 느끼면 뇌의 일부가 켜지고, 내가 당신이 그 신체적 고통을 겪는 것을 보면 내 뇌의 같은 부분이 켜집니다.(미러 뉴런)
우리는 다른 사람과 같은 경험을 하도록 만들어졌어요.
공감은 정말 복잡한 작업이에요. 언어와 미래 상상과 같은 더 복잡한 상징적 과정에 관여하는 피질의 새로운 영역인 전두엽을 실제로 활용해요. 공감은 당신이 생각해야 하기 때문이에요. 나와 다른 감정과 생각을 가진 사람이 세상에는 있을 수 있어요. 정말 복잡한 인지적 성취죠.
버클리 사회적 상호작용 연구실에서 그들은 참가자들에게 전형적인 고통의 이미지를 보여줬어요. 그들은 엄청나게 강력한 연민 반응을 유발했고, 우리가 뇌에서 발견한 것은 포유류가 물건을 돌볼 때 흔히 볼 수 있는 뇌척수관 주변 회색이라고 불리는 아주 오래된 부분이 연민을 느낄 때 밝아진다는 거예요.
인간의 정신에 어떤 영향을 미칠까요?
그것은 인간의 신경계에서 가장 긴 신경 다발입니다. 미주신경이라고 합니다.
연구에 따르면, 도움이 필요한 사람을 돌보는 느낌인 연민은 미주신경을 활성화합니다.
하류 계층의 사람들에게 고통의 이미지를 보여주면 미주신경 반응을 보입니다. 상류 계층의 사람들에게서는 그런 반응을 볼 수 없습니다. 말 그대로 많은 부로 인해 생기는 연민 결핍입니다.
Cultivating Altruism - Matthieu Ricard
One of the qualities of that inner flow is some kind of unconditional benevolence. This flow have a kind of felicity.
Love, defined as positive affective resonance is the supreme of all emotions or all mental state. It is among al the positive effects, the one that broadens the most your perspective that cause, that come along with the most other positive emotions.
This kind of warm-heartedness is the best possible thing to be.
The pursuit of selfish happiness supposes that we are sort of separate entities. And then we think me, me, me all day along. Everything is like a storm in a glass of water and that samll world is always in turmoil. This is basically at oods with reality, because we are so deeply interconnected, and we are not seperate entities.
If selfish happiness is the only goal of your life, your life will be soon goaless. It doesn't work while the pursuit of happiness true altruism, and compassion, its a win-win situation, and it works because it reflects the deep interdependence of everyone.
We have that as the most common part of humanity. And therefore, if we have consideration and value the fact that I don't want to suffer and I'd like to flourish, I should then value it in others. No one wants to suffer.
How altruism could play a role in our fast pace of the world?
Two thing, the quality of every moment that passes by, the flow, and also how do we look over a larger span of time. Was it worth living?
How could I see next years?
If I have a goal, every step is a joy in the form of effert.
How Mindfulness Cultivates Compassion - Shauna Shapiro
The awareness that arises out of intentionally paying attention in an open, kind and discerning way. 마음챙김이란 열린 마음으로 친절하고 분별력 있는 방식으로 의도적으로 주의를 기울임으로써 발생하는 인식
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How we pay attention?
What we practice becomes stronger.
Attitude
-Acceptance
-Openness
-Curiosity
- Nonstriving
- Trust
- Kindness
- Patience
- Letting Go
- Caring
- Compassion
Our repeated experience shapes out brain. Mindfulness practive increases grey matter density i areas of the brain assoiciated with learing, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, interception and compassion.
Cortical thickening correlated with expeience: The more you practice the stronger the cortex.
So Does training in mindfulness increase compassion?
Through the randomized control trials, Mindfulness increased their empathy and compassion.
Then How does Mindulness cultivate compassion?
1. What we practive becomes stronger.
2. Slowing Down
When we are hurried, stressed, scared we lose touch with out natural compassion. Mindfulness helps us slow down, see clearly and stay connected to our deepest values.
3. Mindfulness helps us see out interdependence.
When we begin to see clearly that we are not separate, compassion naturally arises.
4. Remembering our essential nature.
Mindfulness training can significantly enhance compassion for oneself andothers.
Overcoming Objections to Self-Compassion - Kristin Neff
Self-compassion. Why isn't there more of it? Why isn't it more prevalent?
A big one: Confusion with self-pity. It is not ego-centric, quite the opposite. It is a much more connected way of relating to yourself. And also this is why the mindfulnee is so important. When we are mindful of our suffering, we see it as it is. We don't ignore it, but we also don't over-exaggerate.
"Don't we need self-criticism. don't we need some like constructive, healthy criticism?" It sounds extreme but it is really not. If you actually write down, especially on a bad day, some of the things you say to yourself, it can be really shocking how nasty it is. What self-compassion does is it doesn't evaluate and judge the worth of yourself as aperson, it does see wisely.
Another big thingd: Confusion with "Making excuses"
"I am only human." You could just blow things off and say it is self-compassion. If you really have self-compassion, you are more able to see yourself clearly. It is safer to see yourself and is it easier for you to take resonsibility because it is okay to have messed up, to have made a mistake. So research shows you are more likely to take responsibility for mistakes because it is not so psychologically damning to do.
A lot of people are afraid of compassion well for various reasons; but one of them is they really think they need their self-criticism to motivate themselves and keep themselves in line. It is a really entrenched beleft and our culture kind of supports that idea. We need to be hard on ourselves and we need to crack the whip.
Self-compassion, there is motivation inherent in self-compassion, but it is all about wanting health and well-being for yourself and encouraging and supporting yourself to be healthy as opposed to saying, "You are not worthwhile if you fail."
When thinking of friends, parents, and children. When a child comes home from the schoo with a failing math grade. You could say, "spare the rod, spoil the child." It would be to harshly punish the child and a father could say, "I am disgusted with you. I am ashamed. You blew it. What a screw up."
Is that really going to motivate the kid?
It may make the kid behave but what happens when you criticize like that, when we self-criticize especially, is first of all, we almost inevitably get depressed. Very painful. Depression is not exactly the most conducive mood to motivation. That is one of the things about depression is that you don't feel mtivated.
The other thing it does is it makes us lose faith in ourselves. IF we all the time tell ourselves "I'm not good, I am not worth, I can't do it," we don't feel confident to take on new tasks.
Actually the research shows that self-confidence, or perceived confidence, is one of the most important factors in motivation that makes peopel keep trying. And the thrid think that happens when you constantly criticize yourself is you become afraid of failure. "I'm not even going to try because the consequences if I fail are too debastating. Better just not even going to go there.
But imagine this scenario instead, which hopefully happens much more often. The son comes home with a failing math grade and the father says, "Whoa, you must be really disappointed, hey, listen, it's okay, it happens to everyone. People do fail, I still love you. you aren't bad for failing, I accept you anyway. so what can I do to help you, I am here to nurture and support you." That is going to be much more affective in the long run for having that child learn the skills he needs to learn.
Self-compassion is a very effective motivator.
Our genes, or early history, our culture, our stress lever. There are so manya reasons why it is hard to be exactly who we want to be. Somehow when we criticize ourselves we feel that maybe if I just tried a little bit harder, I could be perfect. And that is not reality.
Self-compassion takes a different approach.
First of all, self-compassion is about self-aceeptance. I fully accept myself as I am and we are, flaws and all, then it allows to see ourselves cleary and we can change.
She ends up with one sentense, "It is plant's seeds. We are going to water those seeds with this sense of care and nurturance and kindness, but we know at the end of the day I don't havee total control where or not that three is going to grow. But I am going to do what I can.
*There were so much beautiful teaching in her speech so I wrote down everything here.
Radical Acceptance is a Prerequisite for change - Tara Brach
"Put your right arm over your left and hug yourself and now your put your left arm over your right arm and hug your evil twin."
Part of this practice(from one yoga teacher) pf radical acceptance revisited is knowing that, whatever arises, whatever we can't embrace with love imprisons us.
The biggest fear I encounter is if I try to embrace myself, if I try to bring this wing of allowing and compassion to myself, I will never be a better person, in fact it is indulgent. I will only become more of that person I don't like. That is the fear of radical acceptance.
It wasn't until I accepted myself just as I was that I was free to change. - Carl Rogers
This acceptance and recognizing what is going on inside us and this deep unconditional tenderness is the prerequisite to change.
Reading
Survival of the Kindest - Paul Ekman
Darwin did offer an explanation of the origin of compassion:
“We are,” he wrote, “impelled to relieve the sufferings of another, in order that our own painful feelings may be at the same time relieved…”우리 자신의 고통스러운 감정도 동시에 덜어주기 위해 다른 사람의 고통을 덜어주어야 한다고 생각한다.
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Does Mindfulness Make You More Compassionate? - Shauna Shapiro
She attended her first meditation retreat in Thailand a long time ago. On the fourth day, she told a monk from London,
“I’m a terrible meditator. I can’t do it. I am trying so hard, and every time I try harder, I get even more tangled up. Meditation must be for other, more spiritual, calmer kinds of people. I don’t think this is not the right path for me.”
And this was the response from the monk.
“You are practicing impatience, judgment, frustration, and striving.”
Then he said five words that profoundlyaffected my life:
"What you practice becomes stronger.”
This wisdom has now been welldocumented by the science of neuroplasticity, which shows that our repeated experiences shape our brains.
Mindfulness is more than just moment-to-moment awareness, It is a kind, curious awareness that helps us relate to ourselves and others with compassion.
Begining to cultivate kindness toward ourself, as well as a sense of interest and curiosity for our lived experience. so start to practice infusing our attention with care and compassion, similar to a parent attending to a young child, saying to myself,
“I care about you. I’m interested. Tell me about your experience.”
How mindfulness helps us cultivate compassion and empathy,
1) she says truly practicing mindfulness helps us learn how to become more compassionate toward ourselves—Simply put, what it means is that our awareness of what’s happening is always kind, always compassionate. So even if I’m feeling angry or frustrated, I am embracing my experience with a compassionate awareness.
“Cultivate self-compassion!"
When we begin to welcome our experience in this way, we are better able to be with it, see it clearly, and respond appropriately to it and we’ll be strengthening the skills that help us extend compassion toward others.
2) Another way that mindfulness cultivates compassion is that it helps us see our interconnectedness.
3) A third reason mindfulness appears to cultivate empathy and compassion is that it guards against the feelings of stress and busyness that make us focus more on ourselves and less on the needs of other people.
“The most important thing is to remember the most important thing.” - Zen monk Suzuki Roshi
We clearly do not have all the answers yet; I think what is most interesting is to ask the questions. As Rilke said, “Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.”
The Five Myths of Self-Compassion(What Keeps Us from Being Kinder to Ourselves?) - Kristin Neff
While mindfulness helps us acknowledge and accept our suffering, self-compassion goes a step further by offering warmth, kindness, and understanding to ourselves during painful experiences.
Five common false myths about self-compassion keep us trapped in the
prison of relentless self-criticism.
1) Self-compassion is a form of self-pity 자기 연민은 자신을 불쌍히 여기는 한 형태다.
One of the biggest myths about self-compassion is that it means feeling sorry for yourself. In fact, it makes us more willing to accept, experience, and acknowledge difficult feelings with kindness—which paradoxically helps us process and let go of them more fully.
Research shows that selfcompassionate people are less likely to get swallowed up by self-pitying thoughts about how bad things are. That’s one of the reasons selfcompassionate people have better mental health.
A study(Filip Raes, 2003) found participants ith higher levels of self-compassion tended to brood less about their misfortune. Moreover, he found that their reduced tendency to ruminate helped explain why selfcompassionate participants reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
2) Self-compassion means weakness.자기 연민은 약함을 의미합니다.
John had always considered himself an ideal husband. So he was devastated when his wife left him for another man.
He didn’t want to admit how hurt he still felt and how hard it was for him to move on with his life. When his colleague suggested that he try being compassionate to himself about his divorce, his thought self-compassion is for sissies and he had to be hard as nails to get through the divorce with some semblance of self-respect.
What John didn’t know is that instead of being a weakness, researchers are discovering that selfcompassion is one of the most powerful sources of coping and resilience available to us.
John assumed that being a tough guy during his divorce—stuffing down his feelings and not admitting how much pain he was in—is what got him through. But he wasn’t “through”: he was stuck, and self-compassion was the missing piece that would probably have helped him to move on.
Studies suggest that it’s not just what you face in life, but how you relate to yourself when the going gets tough—as an inner ally or enemy—that determines your ability to cope successfully.
존은 항상 자신을 이상적인 남편으로 여겼습니다. 그래서 아내가 다른 남자를 위해 자신을 떠났을 때 그는 엄청난 충격을 받았습니다.
그는 여전히 얼마나 상처를 받았는지, 그리고 자신의 삶을 계속해 나가는 것이 얼마나 힘들었는지 인정하고 싶지 않았습니다. 동료가 이혼에 대해 자신에게 연민을 베풀어 보라고 제안했을 때, 그는 자기 연민은 겁쟁이를 위한 것이고, 자존심을 갖고 이혼을 극복하려면 못처럼 강해야 한다고 생각했습니다.
존이 몰랐던 것은 연구자들이 자기 연민이 약점이 아니라 우리가 이용할 수 있는 가장 강력한 대처 및 회복력의 원천 중 하나라는 것을 발견하고 있다는 것입니다.
존은 이혼 중에 강인한 사람이 되는 것, 즉 자신의 감정을 억누르고 자신이 얼마나 많은 고통을 겪었는지 인정하지 않는 것이 자신을 이겨낼 수 있게 했다고 생각했습니다. 하지만 그는 "끝내지" 못했습니다. 그는 꼼짝 못 했고, 자기 연민은 그가 계속해 나가는 데 도움이 되었을 법한 잃어버린 조각이었습니다.
연구에 따르면 인생에서 직면하는 것뿐만 아니라, 일이 힘들어질 때 내면의 동맹자 또는 적대자로서 자신과 관계를 맺는 방식이 성공적으로 대처할 수 있는 능력을 결정합니다.
3) Self-compassion will make me complacent. 자기 연민은 나를 안주하게 만들 것입니다.
The belief that self-compassion might hinder motivation, suggesting that without self-criticism, we might become lazy or unmotivated. It challenges this notion by using the example of a parent’s response to a child’s failure. Instead of criticizing the child harshly, a compassionate response encourages support and motivation to improve. Similarly, self-compassion works better than self-punishment in motivating personal growth.
Research is presented showing that self-compassion fosters motivation more effectively than self-criticism. For example, a study with college students showed that those who were taught to be self-compassionate about past mistakes were more motivated to make amends and avoid repeating their behavior. The passage emphasizes that self-compassion allows us to acknowledge our failures kindly, leading to clearer self-awareness and stronger motivation to do better. Rather than avoiding accountability, self-compassion strengthens it, offering the encouragement needed for improvement
4) Self-compassion is narcissistic. 자기 연민은 자기애적입니다.
American cultural emphasis on high self-esteem, which often involves standing out and being "better than average."
The problem with this is that not everyone can be exceptional in every area, leading to feelings of failure when comparing ourselves to others. This pressure can also fuel negative behaviors, such as bullying or prejudice, as individuals seek self-esteem boosts by putting others down.
When contrasting self-esteem with self-compassion, self-esteem depends on positive evaluations of oneself and often fluctuates with success or failure, self-compassion is not about judgment or comparison. Instead, it is about relating to ourselves with kindness and acceptance, especially in times of failure or inadequacy. Self-compassion remains consistent and supportive, whereas self-esteem is fragile and dependent on external validation.
One study shows that self-compassion helps individuals maintain emotional balance, while self-esteem can lead to defensiveness when feedback isn’t positive.
5) Self-compassion is selfish. 자기 연민은 이기적입니다.
Many people are suspicious of selfcompassion because they conflate it with selfishness.
Many people believe that caring for themselves detracts from their ability to care for others. However, the text argues that self-criticism often leads to being more self-focused, leaving little emotional energy for others. In contrast, self-compassion helps meet emotional needs, making individuals better able to focus on and support others.
Self-compassionate individuals are described as more caring, accepting, and supportive in relationships, leading to higher satisfaction and emotional connection. Self-compassion also helps individuals sustain their ability to care for others. Self-compassion not only supports personal well-being but also enhances the compassion we offer others, creating a positive cycle of care.
She was sharing her experience of raising an autistic child. Once, when her son was five, she took him to England to see his grandparents. In the middle of the flight, he threw an almighty tantrum and screamed.
What to do? She tried taking him to the bathroom in hopes that the closed door would muffle his screams. But the toilet was occupied. Huddled with her son, Rowan in the tiny space outside the toilet, she felt helpless and hopeless. But then she remembered self-compassion.
"This is so hard for you, darling, I said to myself. I’m sorry this is happening. I’m here for you."
While making sure that Rowan was safe, 90 percent of her attention was on soothing and comforting herself.
Furthermore, as she’d already discovered, when she was in a more peaceful and loving frame of mind, her son also calmed down.
As I soothed myself, he was soothed as well.
When we care tenderly for ourselves in response to suffering, our heart opens. Compassion engages our capacity for love, wisdom, courage, and generosity.
We have known for a long time that being kind to ourselves isn’t—as is too often believed—a selfish luxury, but the exercise of a gift that makes us happier.
Walking Meditation Instructions - Tara Brach
Meditation is a practice of presence that you can bring alive in all settings and activities.
Begin by choosing a place - an indoor or outside walking path about 10-30 paces long.
Start by standing still and sensing the weight of your body at your feet, feeling your muscles supporting and stabilizing you. Your hands can be in whatever position is most comfortable.
In the stillness, remain relaxed and alert.
As you begin walking, start at a slower pace than usual, paying particular attention to the sensations in your feet and legs: heaviness, lightness, pressure, tingling, energy, even pain if it’s present.
Sense each step fully as you walk in a relaxed and natural way to the end of your chosen path.
When you arrive, stop and pause for a moment. Feel your whole body standing, allowing all your senses be awake, then slowly and mindfully – with intention - turn to face in the other direction.
Before you begin walking, pause again to collect and center yourself.
During the walking period you might alter your pace, seeking a speed that allows you to be most mindful of your experience.
As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, “The miracle is not to walk on water. It is to walk on this earth with awareness.”
Common questions:
Can I follow my breath as I walk? What about listening to the sounds around me? Taking in the sights?
Ultimately, the purpose of walking meditation is to calm the mindand cultivate an embodied awareness as you move. There are many styles or ways to practice. If coordinating the breath with your steps helps you to feel more collected, that’s fine.
My mind is so distracted, I can’t keep my attention on sensations. What do I do?
Just as with sitting meditation, we have strong conditioning to be lost in thought. Most importantly, please don’t judge. Some people find that mentally noting “lifting, placing” with their steps helps collect their attention
It’s fine to experiment with this with the breath, with opening all the senses. Discover whateverallows you to be most embodied, relaxed, and awake as you walk.
What if I want to go for a walk, rather than go back and forth on a short pathway?
Thepurpose of walking a short pathway during formal practice is that it helps free you from the notion that you’re trying to get somewhere else. But this doesn’t mean you can’t take this practice anywhere! When you go for a walk, begin with the intention to be awake in your senses rather than lost in thought.
Practices
Lovingkindness Meditation
Beginning to bring awareness to body, feeling you feet, legs, hips, lower and upper body, arms, shoulders, neck, head…
Breathing and when you are ready, you might bring to mind image of a person you know in your life to be loving and kind to you. Someone who easily invokes feelings of warmth and love.
Imagine sending wishes to them,
May you have love, warmth, and affection. May you be protected from harm and free from fear. May you be alive. May you be happy, healthy, and whole. Connecting you to them.
When you are ready, seeing if you can imagine this person or figure, wishing these very same things for you. Imagining them saying to you. May you have love, warmth. Feeling their presence, unconditional love as they say. May you be protected from harm and free from fear. May you experience inner peace and ease.
Letting those feelings wash over you and letting those feelings of love and safety grow in you. Knowing there is nothing you have to do to deserve these feelings and wishes, that they are given freely without condition,
Now seeing if you can have these wishes for yourself. Hearing yourself say to yourself, May I be happy and healthy and loved. May I be safe and protected. May I be alive and free. May I experience inner peace and ease.
May you be happy and healthy and loved in your life. May you be safe and protected and not suffer. May you be alive and joyful. May you have inner peace and ease.
You can extend these good wishes to a friend, neighbor, coworker. May you be happy and healthy and loved. May you be safe and protected.
It might even be possible to expand even further to acquaintances. May you be happy and healthy and loved. May you be safe and protected.
You might try extending these wishes to someone who is difficult for you right now, just someone with whom there has been some sort of frustration or misunderstanding. In doing this, it might help to remember that just like you, they want to be loved. And just like you, they want peace in their life. You could say to yourself, just like me they want to feel happiness and joy. So just like me, they are doing the best they can with what inner and outer resources they have.
And if this is possible, the people you do not know. And who may live far away in other countries or cultures, and saying, May you be happy and healthy. May you have peace and ease. May you have love and warmth in your life.
You could even imagine extending these wishes to include animals and plants. All life on our planet and beyond including ourselves, and saying, may we all be happy and healthy. May we all be safe and protected. May we all live together in peace, ease, and happiness.
Taking time to appreciate and feel what has been generated through this practice. This practice has the potential to increase your sense of aliveness of connection, and of belongings.
Feeling again your physical presence, sensation of your body. Noticing the movement of your own breath. Bringing an aliveness and nourishment to your body as a whole… just as your good wishes of goodwill bring aliveness and nourishment to those around you.
Walking Meditation
The miracle is not to walk on water. 기적은 물 위를 걷는 것이 아니라
It is to walk on this earth with awareness. 의식을 가지고 이 땅을 걷는 것.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Ultimately, the purpose of walking meditation is to calm the mindand cultivate an embodied awareness as you move. 궁극적으로 걷기 명상의 목적은 마음을 진정시키고 움직일 때 구체화된 인식을 기르는 것입니다.
Tara Brach
Start by standing still and sensing the weight of your body at your feet, feeling your muscles supporting and stabilizing you.
In the stillness, remain relaxed and alert.
As you begin walking, start at a slower pace than usual, paying particular attention to the sensations in your feet and legs: heaviness, lightness, pressure, tingling, energy, even pain if it’s present.
Sense each step fully as you walk in a relaxed and natural way to the end of your chosen path.
When you arrive, stop and pause for a moment.
Feel your whole body standing, allowing all your senses be awake, then slowly and mindfully – with intention - turn to face in the other direction.
Before you begin walking, pause again to collect and center yourself. If it helps, you can even close your eyes during these standing pauses, often called “standing meditation.”
As you’re walking, it’s quite natural for your mind to wander. Whenever it does, you might mentally pause, perhaps noting inwardly the fact of thinking, or even where your mind went: planning, worrying, fantasizing, judging. Then, gently return your attention to the sensations of the next step. No matter how long you’ve spent lost in thought, you can always arrive right here, bringing presence and care to the moment-to-moment sensations of walking.