A Practice for Fidgeters, Restless Minds, and Anyone Who Hates Sitting Still | Meditation with Sebene Selassie

Let go of your thoughts, stop getting caught in your stories, and try the ancient practice of walking meditation. Walking meditation is one of the most practical and underrated tools in mindfulness — and in this episode, Dan shares a guided practice from his new audiobook, Even You Can Meditate (co-authored with Sebene Selassie http://www.sebeneselassie.com/), out now on Audible. The practice is led by Sebene herself. The premise is simple: walk slowly and deliberately, pay attention to the sensations of each step, and when your mind wanders — just start again. It bridges the gap between formal sitting practice and everyday life, and it's a genuine game-changer for fidgeters, restless types, and anyone who finds stillness unbearable. In this guided practice, Sebene leads you through: Grounding yourself before you take your first step Tuning into the physical sensations of lifting, moving, and placing each foot Expanding awareness to include your whole body and your surroundings Letting thoughts come and go — without getting caught in them Closing with a moment of gratitude for your body and this moment of awareness The Even You Can Meditate (audiobook) by Dan Harris and Sebene Selassie is available now at audible.com/danharris http://audible.com/danharris. And mark your calendar for the Even You Can Meditate 5-Day Challenge — running March 23–27 on the 10% with Dan Harris app. Each day features a different guided practice, plus two live online events with Dan and Sebene. Download the app at danharris.com http://danharris.com/ Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here https://app.danharris.com/membership Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here http://www.danharris.com/ Follow Dan on social: Instagram https://bit.ly/3tGigG5, TikTok https://bit.ly/3FOA84J Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://bit.ly/3FybRzD This episode is sponsored by: Samsara — AI-powered fleet safety and operations platform. Request a free demo at https://www.samsara.com/happier Fatty 15 — The first essential fatty acid discovered in over 90 years, designed to support healthy aging at the cellular level. Get 15% off a 90-day starter kit at https://www.fatty15.com/happier with code HAPPIER To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:04Dan Harris?

  This is the 10% Happier Podcast. I'm Dan Harris.

• 0:18Dan Harris?

  Hello there. How we doing? I am very excited to share another sneak preview of my new audiobook, which is called Even You Can Meditate. It's out right now on Audible. You can grab a copy of the book if you go to audible.com/danharris. I'll put a link in the show notes so you can easily access it. What you're about to hear is a guided walking meditation. Walking meditation is great for a lot of reasons. First, it helps bridge the gap between formal meditation practice and the rest of your life, because many of us are walking all the time. Second, if you're somebody who finds seated meditation excruciatingly difficult, if you're a fidgeter, if you're restless, if your mind goes haywire every time you try to sit still, walking meditation can be a game changer.

• 1:02Dan Harris?

  I do a lot of walking meditation. The basic idea is simple. You walk very slowly and deliberately, pay attention to the sensations of each step, and then every time you get lost, you start again. You will get guided in this practice today by my great friend, Sebene Selassie, my co-author on this new audiobook, which again is called Even You Can Meditate. So if you like this guided meditation, you should check out the audiobook. We had a lot of fun making it. We worked hard on it. I think it's great. Also, check this out. Over on my new meditation app, 10% with Dan Harris, we're going to be running a five-day Even You Can Meditate challenge. It will run from March 23rd through the 27th. Each day features a different practice from Sebene, and these practices are good for both newbies and experienced people.

• 1:47Dan Harris?

  Plus, during the course of the challenge, Seb and I will do two live online events where we will guide a meditation and then take your questions. If you want to join, all you have to do is download the app, and you can do that at danharris.com. Okay, we'll do some walking meditation with Sebene Selassie right after this.

• 2:08Dan Harris?

  If you care about supporting independent media, and if you care about being a node of sanity in an insane world, there are a few quick, easy, and free ways that you can support me and my team, which I would be really grateful for. One way to do it is to sign up for my newsletter, which comes out on Monday mornings. It's a little dose of sanity in your inbox at the beginning of a busy week. The second way to do it is to follow and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening or watching right now. That really helps. Three, share your favorite episode with a friend. This is a great and low-stakes way to connect with somebody in your orbit. And not for nothing, it also helps us grow. And all of these things take about 30 seconds, and they really do help. You will be supporting me and my team and our mission.

• 2:53Dan Harris?

  And I, as I said, would be immensely grateful. You can find everything we do at danharris.com. It's all right there. Thank you. I mean that seriously. We'll be right back with more show. If you care about supporting independent media, and if you care about being a node of sanity in an insane world, there are a few quick, easy, and free ways that you can support me and my team, which I would be really grateful for. One way to do it is to sign up for my newsletter, which comes out on Monday mornings. It's a little dose of sanity in your inbox at the beginning of a busy week. The second way to do it is to follow and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening or watching right now. That really helps. Three, share your favorite episode with a friend. This is a great and low-stakes way

• 3:37Dan Harris?

  to connect with somebody in your orbit. And not for nothing, it also helps us grow. And all of these things take about 30 seconds, and they really do help. You will be supporting me and my team and our mission. And I, as I said, would be immensely grateful. You can find everything we do at danharris.com. It's all right there. Thank you. I mean that seriously. We'll be right back with more show.

• 4:01Speaker 01

  Welcome to this walking meditation.

• 4:05Speaker 01

  Walking meditation brings mindfulness into motion, helping us bridge our formal sitting practice with everyday activities. In our busy lives, we often walk on autopilot, our minds elsewhere. This practice teaches us to fully inhabit each moment by fully inhabiting each step.

• 4:28Speaker 01

  With practice, we experience the miracle of movement with fresh awareness. Walking meditation can be especially helpful for those of us who find sitting meditation challenging. Welcome to all my fellow fidgeters.

• 4:43Speaker 01

  Walking meditation can provide us a more active way to cultivate presence.

• 4:49Speaker 01

  Let's walk together.

• 4:52Speaker 01

  Find a quiet path where you can walk undisturbed. Begin by standing still,

• 5:00Speaker 01

  feet hip width apart,

• 5:03Speaker 01

  shoulders relaxed, and arms resting naturally at your sides.

• 5:11Speaker 01

  Take three deep breaths. Inhale through your nose, filling your lungs completely, and exhale slowly through your nose.

• 5:38Speaker 01

  Feel your feet connecting with the ground beneath you.

• 5:45Speaker 01

  Notice the sensations where your feet meet the earth, the pressure, temperature, and texture.

• 6:02Speaker 01

  Now, start walking at a slower pace than normal. Not artificially slow, but mindfully measured.

• 6:20Speaker 01

  With each step, notice the lifting, moving, and placing of your foot.

• 6:28Speaker 01

  Feel how your weight shifts from one foot to the other.

• 6:40Speaker 01

  Keep your gaze soft, focused a few feet ahead of you.

• 7:03Speaker 01

  As you continue walking, expand your awareness to include your entire body.

• 7:11Speaker 01

  Notice how your arms swing naturally at your sides.

• 7:20Speaker 01

  Feel the rhythm of your movement, the gentle sway of your body.

• 7:27Speaker 01

  And observe any sensations that arise. Perhaps warmth or coolness, tension or ease.

• 7:37Speaker 01

  Simply note these sensations without judgment.

• 8:02Speaker 01

  Continue walking mindfully, feeling each step fully.

• 8:58Speaker 01

  Gently expand your awareness to include your surroundings.

• 9:11Speaker 01

  Without getting caught in thoughts or stories, notice the colors, shapes, and movements around you.

• 9:25Speaker 01

  Hear the sounds near and far.

• 9:37Speaker 01

  Feel the air or breeze on your skin.

• 9:48Speaker 01

  All the while, maintain awareness of your walking and breathing.

• 10:43Speaker 01

  As you walk, your mind will produce thoughts. This is natural. When you notice thoughts arising, acknowledge them without judgment. Then gently return your attention to the sensations of walking.

• 11:05Speaker 01

  Like clouds passing in the sky, let thoughts come and go while you remain grounded in the physical experience of each step.

• 12:02Speaker 01

  With each step, you can cultivate a sense of gratitude for your body's ability to move, for the path beneath your feet, for this moment of mindful awareness in your day. Let appreciation infuse your walking meditation.

• 13:03Speaker 01

  Now gradually come to a stop.

• 13:09Speaker 01

  Stand still once more, feeling the ground beneath you.

• 13:15Speaker 01

  Take three deep breaths in and out, just as you did at the beginning.

• 13:34Speaker 01

  Acknowledge the space you've created for mindfulness within your day.

• 13:42Speaker 01

  When you're ready, you may return to your regular pace and activities, carrying this quality of awareness with you.

• 13:51Speaker 01

  Thank you for walking with me today. See you next time.

• 14:01Dan Harris?

  Thank you to Seb. Don't forget to check out our new audiobook. It's called Even You Can Meditate. You can get it by visiting audible.com/danharris. Also, don't forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming meditation challenge, which is inspired by the book. It will be running from March 23rd through the 27th over on my new app, 10% with Dan Harris. Head on over to danharris.com to download the app right now. Finally, I just want to say thank you to everybody who worked so hard on this show. Our producers are Tara Anderson and Eleanor Vassili. Our recording and engineering is handled by the great folks over at Pod People. Lauren Smith is our managing producer. Marissa Schneiderman is our senior producer. DJ Cashmere is our executive producer.

• 14:46Dan Harris?

  And Nick Thorburn of the band Islands wrote our theme.

• 15:01Speaker 02

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