Finding the calm - Running, meditation and mindfulness

Hello my lovely Steemian friends,

This week has been one of a bit of upheaval with lots going on, including the loss of someone who was close to our family and very significant particularly in my younger years.

And to be honest this year has been one of feeling, well, generally unsettled. Maybe it's the impending doom of mid-life rapidly approaching (but isn't 40 the new 18?), maybe my stars are just not aligned, maybe I just need a good detox.

Whatever it is causing this restlessness, there are three things I can always turn to in order to balance myself again. Running, yoga and mindfulness and it struck me that these all actually work really well in combination.

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For me, a big part of mindfulness is the ability to go into a meditative state to gain some inner calm. This doesn’t necessarily mean sitting down, legs crossed and chanting Ohm. In fact, a meditation course I did during my Diploma of Energetic Healing opened my eyes up to many different ways of meditating. Sometimes it’s just doing something repetitive that allows you to focus on the moment.

Many people argue that running is a moving meditation, in which you get into ‘the zone’ and experience a state of little to no conscious thought, just a sense of awareness of everything all around you on the one hand and the blocking out of distractions on the other.

In my case both yoga and running are two of those repetitive activities that gets me into this state (Forget for the moment that sometimes breathing is the only thing I can think of or I’ll pass out on the track or yoga studio - there's a reason instructors are always yelling "breath"!)

But I've also found it works the other way around as well. While running can help meditation (certainly in my case) meditation can also benefit your running.

I've done a few half marathons (in my fitter days). Running 21km can really teach you a thing or two about yourself.

It's true that a race is won in your head first.

One of my favourite motivational sayings is from running legend, George Sheehan

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.”

This by the way, applies to all aspects of life.... not just running.

Many people think meditation is weird and New Age, but it has been around for more than 5,000 years and is really just a way of training the mind in the same way that runners train their bodies. It helps develop mental strength and consistency, which will help get you off the sofa and running every day. So in the first instance meditation allows you to gt your head right for running and focus on what you are doing and what you want to achieve – keeping you in the moment.

But it actually has physical benefits as well. During yoga meditation, the breathing also deepens and steadies. This exactly the kind of ‘deep belly breathing’ that will give the most oxygen when done through the mouth while running. It also works all the muscles in the torso and abs, giving them all a good workout. In addition, the outward breath is forceful enough to clear the lungs completely, expelling stale air and other impurities from the lungs.

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It is also ideal as a way of warming up the mind even as you warm up the body before each run. During your warm up sessions, you need to get your breathing and heart rate pumped up and your muscles ready for action. Many yoga poses are ideal for dynamic stretching, that is, moving to increase flexibility and range of motion, as compared with static stretching, where you bend down to touch your toes, for example, and stay there. Meditation improves the poses, and in turn, movement can become meditation.

Meditation develops body awareness and decision making. If it hurts, do you stop due to concern for injury, or run through the chafing and blistering. Meditation puts you in control of your stretching, breathing and running, making it an ideal tool for anyone who wants to improve their performance and level of concentration.

My favourite part of the week is Sunday mornings when I go for a run along the beach and lakefront where we live, before catching up with friends for breakfast. Sometimes I get lost in the music I'm listening to, or an audiobook, but often I just turn off the sound and feel at one with where I am, it's just me, the track and the morning. It's spectacular.. and I always end with a strong sense of peace and calm.

And well let's face it, I do live in a phenomenal part of the world!

Thanks again for reading my posts, I appreciate your support

Til the next adventure

Steem on with Love and Light

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Source:

1. Photos are the work of the author except where credited otherwise
2. This is original Content
3. You can check out some of my other posts here:
   • Amateur Adventures #36: Turkey Tripping - A Sombre Visit - Gallipoli & Anzac Cove
   • Amateur Adventures #37: Turkey Tripping - The Wonders of Old Istanbul
   • Cats of Steemit: Introducing My Little Diva - Miss Ava
   • The View from the Verandah #1: A veggie garden on the hill.

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