Walking Alone During Lunch Break: The Extraordinary in the Ordinary

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At lunch, I was alone.
The weather was nice, so I decided to go for a walk.

Lately, I've felt restless, busy, and lacking time for myself.
My thoughts haven't been clear.
That feeling has been constant.
I kept repeating the words "I have no time" in my head over and over.

Even so, I decided to take the plunge and head outside.

About five minutes into my walk,
the world around me started to come into focus.
The sunlight felt warm, and the breeze was pleasant.
There were surprisingly many people walking,
each moving quietly at their own pace.
I thought, "I think I can walk a little further."

After walking for another 15 minutes or so,
my body began to feel gently warmed up.
I looked up at the sky and saw the clouds drifting slowly.
In that moment, I suddenly thought, "I want to walk more."

I think my mind had started to quiet down.

It is said that the Buddha practiced a form of meditation called "walking meditation" (kinhin).
By focusing one's mind on the act of walking itself,
feeling the sensations in your feet, your breathing, and the sound of the wind as they are,
you can detach from thoughts of the past or future,
and return to the "now."

In our busyness,
we often feel like we "don't have time,"
but perhaps it's not that we lack time,
but rather that our minds are simply not in the "now."

Even in just a 20-minute walk,
there are moments where you can reclaim yourself.
I believe that is the time called "now,"
and it is your true self found within that stillness.

I think I'll keep walking whenever I feel like it.
I feel like that alone helps settle my mind just a little bit.

#PhilosophyOfWalking #TeachingsOfTheBuddha #Mindfulness #DailyRealizations #TimeAlone #NoteWriter

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