Bottom Line — Close your eyes and pace a known room. My mind stops thinking and relaxes.

I use this powerful technique to clear my mind when it is running too hot. The mind runs hot when you have unexpected things popup, and when you’re so wound up, that you’re having a hard time focusing on doing a single thing. Paradoxically, this is the hardest time for us to take a breath, and force ourselves to rest our head.

When you’re feeling restless, you don’t have the willpower to sit down and meditate. Why not meditate while you move? Because your eyes allow visual information to pass through them, that becomes distracting. This is why closing your eyes while walking puts you in an easier meditative state.

Won’t I crash into things walking with my eyes closed?

No. Pick a spot at home, at work, or somewhere without too many people. Close your eyes gently, and start to walk forward. If you need to peek and orient yourself, slightly open your eyes for a moment. You don’t need to walk long distances. I find myself walking 10 feet, turning around, and repeating.

While your eyes are closed, you’re not receiving visual impulse. While walking, your mind is focused on taking the next step, and your mind naturally clears itself. At this moment, you are present and only focused on the next step. You’ll feel tension in your head that you didn’t feel before begin to dissipate. It will feel like a tense guitar string unwinding. I walk for 10 minutes and it feels like my mind has rebooted, and I can get back to doing things that matter.

In a nutshell

• Pick a semi-private place.
• Select a short area (10 feet or so) that you’ll pace back and forth.
• Close your eyes and start to slowly walk forward. At the end, turn around and walk back. Repeat.