Observe the movements of the body with curiosity
Some people misunderstand that "just paying attention" means "just be present." However, a pupil who is "just present" will not learn very much. In class, a pupil has to be alert and curious in order to pick up every word spoken by the teacher.
Similarly, when practicing mindfulness of body positions, we also need to pay attention to body movements with alertness, curiosity, and attention to detail. Otherwise, we become complacent, and instead of seeing things as they are, we see an incomplete picture. This unawareness is where thoughts arise and propagate, leading to a lack of knowing.
Although everyone walks by alternately moving their left and right feet forward, the movements of different people during the process can vary greatly, and even the steps of the same person are not exactly the same. It is often said that there are no two identical leaves in the world, and the same can be said for walking.
Please stand up and take a few steps. Observe with curiosity the sequence of movements that occur throughout your body as you walk. Just feel it with your heart; don't look with your eyes.
If you can't do this now, I will give you an example:
When I start to walk from a standing position, I find that I first slightly move my hips back and lean my upper body slightly forward. Then, my upper body slightly turns to the right and back, bending my knees and lifting the heel of my left foot. Continue bending the knee until the toes leave the ground. After that, the upper body drives the left leg to rotate clockwise, then straightens the knee, and the foot has already moved forward a small distance. At this point, it lands steadily, and the left side of the upper body also moves forward. By then, the heel of the right foot has already been lifted...
This walking sequence was observed as I was about to write this article. In fact, the sequence of each step is not exactly the same; sometimes, bending the knee before moving the upper body, sometimes turning the body to drive the foot, and sometimes the foot pushing the body, etc.
The movements of each step are also not exactly the same; sometimes the upper body will swing back and forth a few times before moving forward, sometimes the heel will be lifted a few times before lifting the toes, sometimes the back will bend while walking, sometimes it will straighten while walking, sometimes looking up, sometimes looking down, etc.
Remember, the point of mindfulness is not to remember every step you make or analyze how you walk or in what order. The purpose of mindfulness is to pay attention to see things as they are, without judgment or interacting and without missing any detail.
Alright, now let's practice. Look at your movements. Place your hands lightly in front of or behind you, look straight ahead naturally, and walk slower, like in slow motion. Keep a curious mindset, observe carefully, the more detailed, the better; try not to miss any movements.
If you have observed diligently like this for 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 5 minutes, then you have practiced mindfulness of the body for 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 5 minutes. Now, you just need to find a quiet place and walk back and forth in a straight line. Continue observing in this manner until your mind is fully paying attention, fully immersed in observing the various movements of the body.
During this time, you can pay attention to the movements of the whole body, or you can narrow it down to below the thighs, just paying attention to the movements of the legs and feet. But remember, just pay attention to the movements. If you are new to meditation, this point is not easy to get wrong.
However, if you have practiced other meditation methods before, you might habitually divert your attention to the tactile sensations of the body or other senses, or even analyze the principles of walking. At this time, you need to remind yourself: I don't need to worry about anything else, just pay attention to every detail of the movements of the body.