You Don't Need to Be a Monk to Practice Walking Meditation

Like millions of others around the world, I have been moved by the 2,300-mile walk for peace undertaken by 19 Buddhist monks from Texas to Washington, D.C. The journey was not without its dangers and difficulties. The monks, who often walked barefoot, battled frigid weather, snow, ice, and storms. One monk was hit by a truck and needed to have his leg amputated. Yet they persisted, hoping to bring some peace and understanding to a suffering and violent world.

Walks are an honored tradition in Buddhism. Why? The understanding is that they calm the body and mind, develop awareness, help us stay focused, and increase connection with others.

While most people are familiar with seated meditation, many don’t know about walking meditation. In fact, it can be a useful alternative to sitting meditation and is also beneficial for anxiety, depression, or trauma.

It used to be that people would privilege sitting meditation, believing that this was the pinnacle of the form meditation should assume. However, a recent talk by Joseph Goldstein (October 2025), one of the most senior teachers, practitioners, and writers on mindfulness, has called that belief into question. Goldstein said, at the end of a long retreat, that after 50 years of practice, he is now finding walking to be, as he put it, the “most insightful.” When we sit in community, when the practice is over, and people leave, we often feel alone. However, he feels that in walking meditation, if we feel that the earth is holding us, we are not alone. This way of meditating can simplify the practice. He suggests saying to ourselves, “Just this” with each step as the feet touch the ground. Or perhaps saying, “Here,” or “Now.”

He postulates that this posture is more stabilizing and grounding. When we take a step, we feel the step. It is anchoring us in the present moment and in our bodies.

Let me tie this into the message of the Buddhist monks who recently walked from Texas to D.C. Many of them were barefoot, as they wanted to feel the ground directly and be in the present moment. They shared some suggestions that we can all incorporate into our lives:

1. Practice mindfulness every day.
2. Cultivate peace in your hearts.
3. Wake up every day and write on a piece of paper: “Today is going to be my peaceful day.”

With this practice, you can add these words of loving-kindness.

• May I be free from resentment and conflict.
• May I be free from danger and anger.
• May I be free from physical and mental suffering.
• May my body and mind be at peace.

If you like, you can send these words or blessings to all beings throughout the world.

Try it and see what it is like for you.

I was recently listening to a talk by a meditation teacher and writer Christina Feldman. One student asked her how she handled all the darkness and violence in the world. Her response was simple and profound, and referenced the peace walk of the monks: “You can’t lose sight of the goodness."