Thinking about nothing in particular...

June 4, 2009 8:30 AM

I´m a week into a monthlong solo walk, and I´m consequently spending a lot of time thinking. I´m looking for some interesting ways to structure this thinking... meditation, thought problems, etc. Any suggestions?

I´m open to anything, the only constraint being that I don´t have a lot of time to spend on the internet researching mantras or things like that! Im trying to push myself mentally and spiritually and having a difficult time doing that... I seem to dwell on really everyday topics for hours at a time. Thank you!

posted by acidic to religion & philosophy (15 comments total)

You could try focusing on your walking. Try walking as perfectly as you can each step for a whole day. Fully be present and attentive to every step you take. Notice your posture, notice which particular breathing pattern works best, be aware of each muscle in your leg expanding and contracting and at which times. Feel the ground with your feet, notice the air moving about you.
posted by bigmusic at 8:36 AM on June 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

I seem to dwell on really everyday topics for hours at a time.

Sometimes, those are what require our attention. Trying to "push" yourself spiritually is pretty much what the story of Sisyphus. What might be best it to simply try to inhabit your physical body by paying attention to the sensations you feel, your breathing, and noting but not judging what you see and hear (including whatever happens to be flashing on the screen of your mind at any given time). But again, trying to force some kind of spiritual state is really only going to end in frustration. Stay relaxed and aware.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:38 AM on June 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

Or, what bigmusic said.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:38 AM on June 4

Take notes, perhaps write a short essay each night? I've done long solo motorcycle trips (fantasized about a walking trip, but never did it), and found letter-writing from the road very rewarding. I'm thinking this might help organize rambling thoughts into a coherent narrative or progression. You're out in the world, not in a sensory isolation chamber. and what you think will undoubtedly be influenced by what you see / do / experience each day, and vice-versa.
posted by jon1270 at 8:41 AM on June 4

Bigmusic's suggestion is good. You could also try paying attention to your breath, or to all the noises around you.

There's a lot more I could write, but the single most helpful thing I can think of is this talk, by a Buddhist teacher I know and respect. I really encourage you to listen to it - it's a whole talk about the experience you're having and I think it's really useful. Of course you do not have to be Buddhist or anything else to get something out of it.
posted by Cygnet at 9:36 AM on June 4

Oh, how strange, my link didn't appear... despite the fact that I checked it twice... does this work??

In case it doesn't, here's the URL: http://www.londoninsightmeditation.org.uk/recordings/2007-11-18_Yanai_Postelnik_Dharma_Talk.mp3
posted by Cygnet at 9:49 AM on June 4 [1 favorite has favorites]

A possible extension from what bigmusic and Burhanistan suggest would be, once you have established a sense of mindfulness about your own body, breath, and thoughts as you walk, also to meditate on your interconnectedness with everything you are passing through - from your feet walking the roads or sidewalks to breathing the same air as others to how others react (or not) when they see you passing, to how your thoughts/moods/emotions are affected by what you see, hear, smell, etc.
posted by aught at 10:00 AM on June 4

To take this in another direction, you could apply your mindfulness to developing a screenplay or novel. There is a lot of complexity and challenge to resolve in developing stories for film and print.
posted by Muirwylde at 10:50 AM on June 4

I used to memorize long poems and recite them (silently) during walks.
posted by metaseeker at 10:56 AM on June 4

Design and build your dream house. Dig the foundation, pour the slab, cure the concrete. Watch the walls go up. What kind of floor/ceiling between the first floor and second would keep the bedrooms quiet while others are moving around? Windows, got to have good windows. On to the roof. Could it be flat? I could have a shower up here. Room for solar water or solar electric panels. A spa? Must protect from lightning.

That is the sort of internal thinking I go through during my workout. Perhaps it would work for you.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 11:53 AM on June 4

Think about whether God exists.

Think about what you'd think about the world if s/he didn't.

Figure out what to value and why and how, assuming that we're nothing but a bunch of particles whizzing around, with no Great Bearded Man handing out cake at the end of the show.
posted by kestrel251 at 12:28 PM on June 4

There is a lot of complexity and challenge to resolve in developing stories for film and print.

Similarly, take a picture every morning within the first two hours of your walking. Spend the rest of that time "writing" a story or essay about that image in your head. That night, actually write it out. If you have regular internet acccess in the evenings, you could blog these images/stories.

This gives you a structure to your thinking (in the morning you're looking for a great image, in the afternoon you're thinking about what you want to say about that image) but also allows your mind to wander creatively.
posted by lunasol at 12:35 PM on June 4

Describe your surroundings. Notice what type of trees, birds, bushes, grasses. You seem to have internet access. Look stuff up and learn the names.

At least some part of the time, chant for peace. Quietly visualize a world of peace, and quietly chant. I am not religious, except that I believe in prayer. It's clearly good for the person who does the praying, and might be good for the recipient. There are many prayers; if you don't know any, the internet will provide.
posted by theora55 at 8:38 AM on June 5

read Sophie's World. each chapter gives multiple HUGE ideas in philosophy to ponder for at least a day's walk.
posted by cmchap at 11:58 PM on June 5

So how did this work out for you? What happened?
posted by bigmusic at 11:30 PM on June 30