Kinhin -- Walking Meditation
by Franz Metcalf
Perhaps you envision meditation as something completely
peaceful and still. Not always. Meditation is a tool for calming and
concentrating the mind any time, any place. Sitting meditation comes
first because it's easiest, but there are other kinds. One of the most
important is walking. Now that you've tried sitting, try kinhin, a Zen form of walking meditation.
Sit down and begin meditation as you've learned to do. After five
minutes or so, when you feel you are calm, slowly stand up. If your
legs are asleep, uncross them and let them wake up first. Falling down
is not usually a good form of meditation!
Once you're upright, place your hands close in front of your chest,
with your left hand in a fist and your right hand resting on it, your
right palm and fingers covering your left fingers and back of your
hand. Let your elbows stick out naturally. Keeping your eyes half open
or a bit more, begin to walk around the room — very, very slowly.
The object is awareness. Be aware of the complexity of movement in
simple walking. When the weight transfers from your trailing leg, the
heel of your leading leg touches the ground, your weight comes down on
this leg, the ball of your foot and toes lower, you press down on this
leg and prepare to lift your trailing leg. Then you balance on the
leading leg, bend the knee of your trailing leg, lift that heel, and
swing it forward into the air. You're committed then; you're falling,
and the ground is there to catch you every time. Each step is like
this: trust and embrace, your balance, your foot, the ground, gravity,
a dance.
Don't think about it, just experience it. You will find not thinking
about it very difficult at first. You may take pride in your movement
when it's smooth and graceful. If you're beaming with pride or thinking
too much, remember that you're just walking — no reason to get puffed up.
Relax your thoughts and let your mind calm down.
If you can manage this slow kinhin, try speeding it up, letting your
arms relax and swing normally. Try doing kinhin outside. Eventually
you'll be able to bring kinhin awareness into normal walking. It's the
first step toward bringing meditation into your whole active life.
Fast Walking Meditation
In Japan kinhin is done really fast. It must feel good after
a long session of sitting meditation. You're probably not doing whole
days of meditation like Zen monks do, but you might want to try this
during finals time or some other time you've been sitting too long and
need action.
The meditation techniques we've talked about so far are usually done
indoors. For fast walking meditation, it's best to have a large space
to walk in. Unless you live in a big house, it will be easier to
practice outside. The back yard is often good, since you won't run into
anyone there, and no cars will run into you. Plan your route before you
start the meditation. Walking around the perimeter of the yard is good.
Try to stay on flat ground.
Sit in meditation for a few minutes until you can follow or count
your breath without getting lost too often. Stand slowly. You can take
the same posture as in kinhin, or you can let your arms hang normally
at your sides. It is a bit harder to do with arms hanging because
they'll begin to swing. Don't let it bother you, just let it happen
naturally. Next, start walking. Keep your eyes half open so that you
can see where you're going, but don't focus on any one thing. Don't
risk tripping and falling over, just don't get hung up on what is in
your field of vision.
Start slowly for a few breaths. Once you're moving and able to
return your mind to breathing, you can pick up your speed to a
normal-to-brisk pace. Remember, you are still meditating. You may be
tempted to start thinking, to look around, even to stop at an
interesting place such as the fridge or the basketball hoop. These are
thoughts. Don't follow them. Let them fall away. Return your mind to
meditation. Tougher here, isn't it? You are expanding your meditation
farther into your life. You can practice fast walking meditation
anytime you walk.
This article was excerpted from:
Buddha In Your Backpack
by Franz Metcalf.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Ulysses Press. ©2003. www.ulyssespress.com
Info/Order this book.
About the Author
Franz Metcalf did his Masters work at
the Graduate Theological Union, and received his doctorate from the
University of Chicago with a dissertation on the question, "Why Do
Americans Practice Zen Buddhism?" He currently works with the Forge
Institute for Spirituality and Social Change, co-chairs the steering
committee of the Person, Culture, and Religion Group of the American
Academy of Religion, and teaches college in Los Angeles. He has
contributed reviews and chapters to various scholarly publications and
is review editor of the Journal of Global Buddhism. He's the author of What Would Buddha Do? and co-author of What Would Buddha Do at Work?
If you want to learn more about Franz (and other Buddhist things), visit his web site at:
www.mind2mind.net
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