Active meditation is meditation in movement. Essentially, it is about connecting with the here and now while carrying out daily activities: paying more attention to what is happening in your body while you perform a task helps you connect more with the present and be more self-aware. Practicing active meditation can benefit those who have difficulty sitting still in a traditional meditation setting.
This type of meditation helps you appreciate the simple moments in your everyday life and find inner peace simply by choosing to be more mindful.
Examples of active meditation
Active meditation is based on finding meditative moments during everyday life. Experts on the subject suggest the following examples:
- Preparing meals: While chopping vegetables for dinner, you can focus on your five senses, one sense at a time. Observe the sensations without judging. Maybe the knife feels cold, soft and heavy in your hand, you hear the sound of the knife swinging rhythmically against the cutting board as you cut, at the same time the pepper is bright green and the aroma of onions already cooking in the pan permeates your nostrils. Also, be sure to pay attention to the emotions you feel in the moment. You may feel warm toward your family as you think about preparing this meal to nourish them. You may also feel stress when your to-do list creeps back into your head. Your mind will wander, and that’s okay, you can always refocus on your senses and let yourself be absorbed by them. With practice, you will simply observe your feelings instead of being consumed by them.
- Cleaning: the simple act of washing a dish can be conscious. Observe the water coming out of the faucet and feel its warm temperature when it touches your skin. When sweeping the floor, focus on the way your body moves, and if you’re feeling brave, find a rhythm and start dancing while doing this household chore. Have fun with it!
- Walking: Focus on the way the pavement presses against your feet with each step as you stroll. Notice the stretching sensation in each calf when you lift them, the coolness of the breeze on your face, the softness of the scarf wrapped around your neck. Remember, the quickest way to get out of your head is to get into your body.
- Shower: Close your eyes and feel the water caressing your skin. Smell the shampoo and soap. Listen to the relaxing sound of water. If you want to go one step further, imagine that your worries disappear.
Who benefits?
Active meditation can benefit those who have had difficulty maintaining a regular meditation practice, whether due to busy schedules or mental or physical factors that make stillness uncomfortable, by integrating meditation with your daily activities.
This technique may be a more accessible form of meditation for people with a history of trauma who may find stillness-based meditation practices trigger feelings of anxiety. It can also be an important tool in developing self-soothing skills for those who struggle with emotion regulation or distress tolerance.
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Additionally, this type of meditation is most practical for people with chronic types of pain that make it difficult to sit for long periods of time. And for those who deal with insomnia, the combined benefits of movement and meditation can improve mood.
Tips for meditating
- Tune in to your senses: What do you see, smell, hear, taste and touch? As you walk from the parking lot toward the office building, notice the colors, shapes, and areas of shadow and light around you. Open your ears to sounds from near and far. Feel each stride and observe your natural gait as you walk. If there are smells or flavors present, internalize them. The best part is that you don’t need to set aside an hour in your schedule to start cultivating the qualities of presence that active meditation gives you. Try it for 5 or 10 minutes next time you go for that afternoon latte, and see how you feel!
- Forget about specific movements: Active meditation is less about the movement and more about the energy behind the movement. When we exercise, we tend to focus on how we move, body position, etc. Active meditation is not about this. It’s about focusing on the energy behind the movement. Focus on the energy your movements create, the place where the mind meets the body. Connect with the intention to move. You can do this with remarkably simple movements. For example, try slowly rotating your hand in a circle. Now focus on the energy behind the movement, investigate how the mind creates this movement. This will increase your mind-body connection, and you only need to do it for about 5 to 10 minutes a day.
- Next steps: When starting your active meditation practice, start by linking this new habit to an existing habit. This will increase your chances of success. Do you brush your teeth every morning? Do you walk the dog every night? You can make your routine activity your time for active meditation. Not only is it okay, but it is preferable to start small. Maybe for the first week, you want to try using active meditation for 2 minutes and then do your activity as normal. Maybe next week you’ll want to try 5 minutes a day. Setting small, achievable goals will give you the push you need to keep moving forward.
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