The Cadence of Practice; the Joy of Walking Meditation

The sky was blue. The air cool and sweet. Tsuki and I made our daily hike up and down the street. We live on a dead end road, and it’s exactly one tenth of a mile from the last house on the street to the yield sign on the opposite end. Ten laps equal two miles, respectively.

So we were walking, our shadows lengthening in the early autumn sun, enjoying our stride. I savored the pleasure the that came from the gentle sway of my hips, and she, her head low as her wolfy cousins do when they settle in for the long walk, our feet padding quietly upon the pavement as we went.

Somehow we were both hardwired to walk softly upon Mother Earth.

The cadence brought a meditative quality to the walk. Not quite a trance; more like hyper awareness.

First lap up
(what is this?)
First lap back
(Chenrezig)

Second lap up
What breathing?)
Second lap back
(Chenrezig)

Third lap up
(Chenrezig)
Third lap back
(Blessing all)

Fourth lap up
(This)
Fourth lap back
(all)

And so it went, up and down the street, the wind soft, the air dry and apple crisp. The beat and rhythm of the chant becomes synchronized with the cadence of the walk. The traffic on the street beyond faded into white noise, and then it was just Tsuki and me and the street, with the sun toying with my hoodie. Tsuki looked up and sniffed, her tail double curled, her mouth open in a big wide toothy grin.

And then

My mind is as clear as the sapphire sky above me, as bright as the sun shining through the trees.
I pick up the pace

Fifth lap
(what is this?)
(Chenrezig)

And the sixth

(Chenrezig)
(letting go)

And the seventh
(this)
(ease)

And time slowed to a crawl. Our pace quickened. Tsuki padded alongside me, and my thoughts as crisp and clean as the air, as free as the chevron of geese soaring high in the sky, my breath settling down into yogic ujai breathing, I continued.

The eighth
(Chenrezig)
(Blessing all)

And the ninth
(Chen)
(all)

And the tenth
(this)
(ease)

My breathing had synchronized along with the rhythm of footsteps, the dog marched at my heels, the chanting became one with everything else.

By this virtue may I quickly attain the enlightened
state of Chenrezig
and lead every living being without
exception to to that ground.

And then I found myself standing in front of the driveway to our little house. Tsuki tugged on the leash, eager to get back inside, and I too, feeling clear and clean and at ease, yearned for a glass of water and my recliner, my husband, and the smells of veggies cooking in the steamer.

It was a good day to be alive. A better day still to tuck a little Dharma in my life.
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