A walking meditation to meet uncertainty with compassion, from Mark Bertin

What this practice is for

Life is changeable and uncertain. Mark Bertin frames this walking meditation as a practical way to meet that uncertainty with patience, clarity, and compassion. The goal is not to eliminate emotion but to create a short pause where you can settle enough to choose skillful next steps.

How the practice works, in brief

Expand your awareness as you feel ready to include sounds, smells, touch, and sights. Hold attention with relaxed effort and allow appreciation for your body's strength in moving. If a thought or feeling hooks you, notice that getting caught feeling and then come back to the immediate sensation of a single step.

For the final minutes, introduce a compassion sequence. Remind yourself you are not alone. Offer to yourself short wishes such as: "May I be happy and at ease," and "May I recover my sense of resolve and strength." If it feels right, extend the same wishes to family and friends, then to strangers you pass and to all beings everywhere.

Practical cues for using this practice

• Choose a safe place to walk and keep volume low if you use audio so you remain aware of surroundings.

• Keep the compassion phrases short and grounded. They are intended to add warmth and perspective, not to require belief or elaborate visualization.

Why this approach helps with uncertainty

About the teacher

Mark Bertin, MD, is a pediatrician, author, professor, and mindfulness teacher who contributes regularly to Mindful.org and Psychology Today. He presents this script as both a read-aloud sequence and an audio practice you can follow while walking.

When to try it

• Before making a decision that feels urgent but unclear.
• During a walk to interrupt repetitive anxious thinking.
• At moments of transition when you want to combine presence with gentle self-support.

Short session outline you can memorize

1. 1Notice each step (lift, shift, place).
2. 2Label or count steps to stabilize attention.
3. 3Return to one step whenever thoughts pull you away.
4. 4Expand senses to include sound and touch if helpful.
5. 5End with brief self-directed compassion phrases, then extend them outward.

This practice is concise, repeatable, and adaptable to different walking routes. It aims to help you meet uncertainty with steadier attention and kinder self-regard so you can act with clearer judgment when needed.