Ten Companions

How to do Kinhin:

1. watch the breath.
2. put out one foot, let the heal lightly touch the ground.
3. exhale, shift the body’s weight gently onto the forward foot.
4. eyes gaze softly downward. Not looking at the floor, just relaxed and down.
5. relax, feel the weight of the body as you move, feel the floor beneath your feet, your torso held erect, shoulders relaxed: these are just momentary sensations, don’t linger with the mind upon them.
6. aware of breath, inhale. Breath gently, from the lower belly.
7. feel the trailing foot lift off the floor behind you. The toes giving a last goodbye to the floor, and then it is momentarily free.
8. the trailing leg naturally comes forward, as balance surrenders onto itself.
9. let the heal gently touch the floor a little ahead of you. A half a step ahead is not too little.
10. exhale.
11. hear the creaking of the floorboards, the shift of garments, the roar of a passing car on the street, the bark of a dog.
12. momentary sensations, , shift the weight of the body forward onto the lead foot gently.
13. repeat as necessary.