Refresh your spirit. Touch the earth. Connect with nature.

Barefoot Walking Experience:

Meditation, walking, breathing, enjoying crisp air.

When

gather at 11:45; enter Yoyogi Park at noon Saturday 27 February 2021

Where

Yoyogi Park by the clock near Harajuku entrance https://goo.gl/maps/xabS6Nw7TgNScqeCA

Details

Third Annual Chilly Challenge: Barefoot Rob Walking Meditation

Join us again in Yoyogi Park! February is usually the chilliest month of the year in Tokyo.

• Wear layers,
• keep yourself warm,
• take off your shoes,
• enjoy feeling alive!

Enjoy Nature

Yoyogi Park has lots of big beautiful trees surrounding its large grassy field.

Enjoy Breathing

Get away from it all by settling into your being and noticing the motions of your body, one breath and one step at a time.

11:45am Meet at Harajuku Gate of Yoyogi Park https://goo.gl/maps/xabS6Nw7TgNScqeCA

12:00 noon: Enter Yoyogi Park

What to Expect:

• We will meet at 11:45 and by noon decided where to go.
• We will find a nice place in the big field past the fountains or a dry area.
• I will guide us in meditation, including walking meditation.
• Feel free to take off your shoes; whatever makes you comfortable.

Though chilly, the weather will likely be great for walking, so let’s mindfully walk slowly around the loop and arrive back at the clock by about 13:30.

Some of us will go somewhere (TBD) in Harajuku afterward to eat and warm up. You are welcome to join!

Costs:

free!

What to bring

It will likely be quite cold, so wear layers to keep yourself comfortable. Come wearing lightweight shoes and maybe a bag for them just in case you need to put them on during the walk!

Self care is important, so wear shoes whenever you need to!

Covid Considerations

COVID-19 Infection Prevention Measures in the park

To prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in the park, we ask all visitors to take the following measures.

● When you have cold symptoms such as fever and coughs, please refrain from visiting the park.

● Please wear a face mask and follow cough etiquette.

● Please frequently wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitizers.

● Please keep your distance ( about 2 meters ) from other visitors.

● Please refrain from visiting with a large group of people.

● To avoid congestion, please refrain from using large picnic blankets. ( one side: larger than 2 meters )

● Please refrain from visiting with a large group of people.

So happy Akiko, Cyabo, and Yui joined Amaru and I in the walking meditation workshop today. Amaru has joined three times, and for Akiko, Cyabo, and Yui, it was their first time each.

Entering the park, we walked slowly under the beautifully yellow, orange, red, crimson leaves on trees near the 新宿門 entrance. Walking meditatively toward the spot we used the past two times I have done walking meditation, we took in the colors and took some pictures.

I pointed out the nice soft grass and guided them to carefully try the rough surfaces of the asphalt sidewalks, including grates and round plates (manhole covers).

We did some freestyle meditative walking around the green tarp which held our stuff, and I tried crawling on the ground to get more contact with grass and earth. Amazingly, I found a bee(?) that was in its final stages of life, and held it in my hand for a while. Foolishly, I did not take a picture of it. Somehow I thought that would be irreverent, and now I wish I had the pic for my journal.

We ended up sitting in a group and I led some breathing meditation while feeling connected with the body and earth.

The wind started picking up a bit so we left our space around 1:30pm. Amaru headed home and I walked through the greenhouse with Akiko, Cyabu, and Yui.

Join us in Shinjuku Gyoen for a free walking meditation I’ll be leading on 21 November 2020 (土), Saturday.

Meet at noon at the “Shinjuku Gate” entrance of Shinjuku Gyoen. There are at least four entrances to the park, so please come to the one marked on the map!

Google Map to walking meditation meeting place, 12 noon Saturday November 21st 2020

When out and about, I like to allow plenty of time between clients so I can be relaxed while in transit. Today I took it a step (ha) further by walking quite slowly.

After slowing myself down physically, I noticed a sense of peace come over me. An awareness of joyful awareness like a tautology of being happy because you’re happy.

Time lost its meaning as I simply walked step by step, aware of the surroundings like being there for the first time. I was practically on vacation on my way to work.

There’s so much to see! Each leaf on each tree has a story. Each brick on each wall is unique if you look closely enough.

Walking down a walkway I have been many (!) times before, I noticed something new that I hadn’t seen before.

Each shop has its own design (and they clash like wow)!

What happens for you when you walk slowly and breathe?