From the July 2012 magazine: “I Want to Be… Grounded”

Our July 2012 Shambhala Sun magazine is our annual All-Teachings Issue, celebrating the qualities of awakened mind and the Buddhist meditations that cultivate them. It features teachings and meditation exercises from seven great teachers, including Thich Nhat Hanh's piece about walking meditation. Now available online is this exercise from his piece.

"Walk slowly, in a relaxed way. When you practice this way, your steps are those of the most secure person on earth. Feel the gravity that makes every step attach to the earth. With each step, you are grounded on the earth.

"One way to practice walking meditation is to breathe in and take one step, and focus all your attention on the sole of your foot. If you have not arrived fully, 100 percent in the here and the now, don't take the next step. I'm sure you can take a step like that because there is buddhanature in you."

You can read the rest of the exercise here, and you'll find the full article—and a lot more great teachings—inside our July 2012 magazine. Click here to order a copy of this issue, and click here to subscribe.

For more from Thich Nhat Hanh, including teachings and interviews, see the Shambhala Sun's Thich Nhat Hanh spotlight page.

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