In times of confusion, anxiety and despair…

We live in difficult times. Uncertainty, sadness, and fear touch many people, especially in our communities. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when we don’t understand what’s going on, when there seems to be no room to breathe. That’s why I decided to do this blog series: to offer a space of calm, a pause among so much noise. Here we talk about breathing, about returning to the body, about simple practices that can help you feel more you, more at peace, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. Because taking care of you is important. Not only for you, but for everyone you love.

This is the beginning of a new series of blogs on different types of meditation. And we start with the practice that saved me at times when other techniques didn’t work for me: walking meditation.

Why walk to meditate?

There was a time in my life when I simply could not sit and meditate. I felt anxious closing my eyes. My body did not feel safe. I couldn’t sit still. But something inside me-perhaps the very need to heal-pushed me to keep searching.

It was then that I discovered walking meditation through the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. This practice offered me a different way to come back to myself. A way to be present without having to be still. Walking became my way of meditating.

What is walking meditation?

Walking meditation is not just walking. It is walking with mindfulness. It is about being present in each step, feeling the body, the ground, the air, the sounds. It is allowing yourself to inhabit your body without judgment.

Thich Nhat Hanh said:

“Every step is peace”

And that became a mantra for me.

How to start?

• Find a quiet place, even if it’s a hallway or your backyard.
• Connect with your breath. You can mentally say, “I inhale, I exhale” as you walk.
• Synchronize your steps with your breathing or repeat soft phrases: “I am here”, “I walk with peace”, “I am life”.
• Start with 5 minutes. No more is needed. The body will remember and want to come back.

Real (and proven) benefits

Studies have shown that walking meditation helps to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Improving sleep and quality of rest
• Strengthening the mind-body connection
• Regulating the nervous system
• Increasing awareness of the present moment

When I walk in the morning, especially at dawn, everything stops. I hear the birds, the sound of the wind, my dog walking beside me. I don’t need anything else. I feel part of something bigger. I am not alone.

This practice has been key for me as a woman, as a Puerto Rican, and as a human being in a world that constantly pushes us to the limit.

And that’s why I want to share it with you.

A practice for everyone

In times where uncertainty and fear surround us, where many communities live with constant anxiety, walking with attention is an act of resistance and self-love.

You don’t need equipment, money or experience. You just need to give yourself permission to come back to you, step by step.

Peace is every step. The bright red sun is my heart. Every flower smiles at me…

Thank you for joining me in this new beginning.

In the next blog: Variations of walking meditation and how to adapt it to your daily life.

💜 Love, Angelica