The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science

by Culadasa (John Yates)

Nine-Part Stepping Meditation While walking very slowly, divide each of the three parts of a single step—lifting, moving and placing—into three smaller parts, for a total of nine distinct parts. Where exactly you make these divisions is completely up to you, but I’ll describe how I do it to help get you started. The first part of lifting is where the heel and middle part of the foot leave the ground; the second part is where the ball of the foot comes up; and the third is where the toes break contact with the ground. The first part of moving is when the foot rises vertically in the air; the second part is when it moves forward horizontally; the third part is where it’s lowered toward the ground. When walking very slowly like this, I find it more natural to place the front of my foot on the ground first, rather than the heel. The first part of placing is where the toes and ball of the foot make contact; the second part is where the rest of the foot makes contact; the third part is the shifting of weight onto the foot. One you have decided how to divide your steps, practice clearly distinguishing each of the nine parts with every step. Following Sensations of Walking Once it’s easy for you to identify all nine parts in every step, you’re ready to try following specific sensations in each of the nine parts. Begin by clearly identifying one distinctive and recurring sensation in each of the nine parts. The most challenging ones to find will be during the three parts of the mov...