Walking meditation explained

Walking meditation, sometimes known as kinhin (Chinese: 經行; Pinyin: jīngxíng; Romaji: kinhin or kyōgyō; Korean: gyeonghyaeng; Vietnamese: kinh hành), is a practice within several forms of Buddhism that involve movement and periods of walking between long periods of sitting meditation. In different forms, the practice is common in various traditions of both Theravada and in Mahayana Buddhism.

Practice

Practitioners typically walk clockwise around a room while holding their hands in a gesture with one hand closed in a fist while the other hand grasps or covers the fist (; rōmaji: shashu). During walking meditation each step is taken after each full breath.^[1] The pace of walking meditation can be either slow (several steady steps per each breath) or brisk, almost to the point of jogging.

Etymology

The term kinhin consists of the Chinese words 經, meaning "to go through (like the thread in a loom)", with "sutra" as a secondary meaning, and 行, meaning "walk". Taken literally, the phrase means "to walk straight back and forth."

See also

• Ānāpānasati
• Anussati
• Buddhist meditation
• Circumambulation
• Jarāmaraṇa
• Samatha
• Shikantaza
• Vipassanā

Sources

• Smith, L. (2023). 28 Meditation Statistics: How Many People Meditate? The Good Body. https://www.thegoodbody.com/meditation-statistics/
• Team, M. (2022). How Many People Meditate? Mindworks Meditation. https://mindworks.org/blog/how-many-people-meditate/
• Wise, J. (2023). Meditation Statistics 2023: Popularity, Industry & Market Size - EarthWeb. EarthWeb. https://earthweb.com/meditation-statistics/#:~:text=Meditation%20Statistics%202023-,Approximately%20200%20to%20500%20million%20people%20across%20the%20globe%20partake,reduce%20school%20suspensions%20by%2045%25.

Bibliography

• Book: Aitken, Robert . Robert Baker Aitken . Taking the Path of Zen . 35–36 . 1999 . North Point Press . 0-86547-080-4 .
• Book: Maezumi . Hakuyu Taizan . Glassman . Bernie . Tetsugen Bernard Glassman . Taizan Maezumi . On Zen Practice: Body, Breath, Mind . . 48–49 . 2002 . 086171315X .
• News: Jin . Putai . Efficacy of Tai Chi, Brisk Walking, Meditation, and Reading In Reducing Mental and Emotional Stress . doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(92)90072-A
• Prakhinkit, Susaree "Effects of Buddhist Walking Meditation on glycemic control and vascular functions in patients with Type-2 Diabetes." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2016.03.009
• Prakhinkit, Susaree "Effects of Buddhism walking meditation on depression, functional fitness, and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in depressed elderly." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, vol. 20, no. 5, 2014, doi.org/10.1089/acm.2013.0205
• Chatutain, Apsornsawan “Walking Meditation Promotes Ankle Proprioception and Balance Performance among Elderly Women.” doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2018.09.152
• Smith, Alison. “Walking Meditation: Being Present and Being Pilgrim on the Camino De Santiago.” Religions, vol. 9, no. 3, 2018, p. 82., doi:10.3390/rel9030082

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kinhin. Empty Bowl Zendo. April 1, 2015.