A Meditation on Running

​One of the biggest claims I make as a running coach is that I can help others make running more enjoyable and more relaxed. But then, when I wasn't looking, something happened.

My running stopped being enjoyable. Shit, I thought. If I can't even do this for myself, what possible right or ability do I have to help others?

So today, I went for a run after a break for several days. ​

Before going, I thought about the last couple of runs, and I thought about how I've been doing this week.  I thought about the mixture of anxiety, stress, and worry from the week. 

I remembered that of course any run that doesn't create space for changing my perspective on all that was going to be a lame one.

So this is a story on how to make a run your meditation, in order to create that space. And once the space is created, you have a new perspective on what is going in your life. And once you have that, you start enjoying yourself and then the run can begin to flow.

It starts with knowing what's going on with you in the moment. Admitting what emotions are swirling around, noticing what thoughts are getting all the attention. This alone can be relaxing, a relief for some.

And then some form of meditation. The gateways into this moment are plentiful, fortunately. Here are a couple to play with:

• Notice silence, or the silence between sounds and even underneath sounds. 
• Notice space itself rather than the things around. 
• Watch the breath. 
• Watch the thoughts. 
• Smile.
• Bring your attention to your heart.
• Make your own mantra. Could just be chug chug chug, or could be any word or phrase that comes to you.

Future posts will no doubt go into these more, but for now I leave the exploration to you.

Happy running!


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