At the beginning of the week, I wrote about being able to use any type of exercise that you enjoy doing and make it into a mindful movement experience. As many of you know, I am an avid trail ultra runner. When I was diagnosed with Lupus 12 years ago, I turned to running as a way to stay strong, and to feel like I had some kind of control over my body and my health. Now... I am by no means a fast runner, but I do enjoy toeing the line on race day! I love being out in the woods surrounded by the peace and quiet of nature. Over the years running for me became a mindful movement - a way to refresh, refocus, and bring me back to my center. 

Running is a natural fit with mindfulness. In fact, I believe many runners fall into a natural state of mindfulness without even realizing it. Mindfulness can be simply defined as a focused attention on the present with acceptance. By focusing exclusively on the activity you are engaged in, you experience all the impressions, sensations, thoughts, and feelings about that activity very directly and without interference from thoughts and worries about some problem you had earlier in the day or some concern about tomorrow. You try and engage just with the present. The acceptance part of mindfulness involves those thoughts and concerns that occur to you about the past or future while you are attempting to stay focused on the present. You want to acknowledge such thoughts but not become attached to them. You accept the thought, but then you move on. Temporarily freed from worries about the past and future, you get off the emotional rollercoaster of careening from one problem to the next that often characterizes our thinking, and instead,  you experience the present moment with an attention and a depth that is quite uncommon. The result is a reduction in stress, a greater appreciation of whatever you happen to be doing, and an increased sense of satisfaction and well-being.

As an Ultra runner I spend a lot of time out on the trails training, I incorporate several different techniques such as focusing in on my breath, the Candance of my feet hitting the dirt, the sounds of the forest, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. Through running I have learned that I am stronger than I ever realized, I have learned how to manage pain, overcome obstacles and patience! 

"That's the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is" Kara Goucher (two-time Olympian in long distance events)

Running Is a completely awesome and invigorating activity. It's wonderfully rewarding, builds your self-esteem, keeps you healthy, and helps you understand just who you are and where you're going in life. These rewards, though don't just fall in your lap. Running can be difficult especially if you're pushing yourself and reaching for challenging goals.

When the going gets tough, you quickly realize that your mental attitude and your mental resources are going to be the keys to your success as a runner, and that the personal growth you experience through running happens within within your mind. In fact, the mental side of running is fascinating in and of itself and leads you to know thyself and what you're capable of. Two critical mental resources that you will need to cultivate are patience and determination. These two qualities allow you to keep your thinking positive and to push through challenges that seem insurmountable. Practicing mindfulness as you run helps you better sink down into your running experience and appreciate it more.

Mindful movement is essential to building a healthy lifestyle. Running is just one example, that is the beauty of movement. It can be dance, lifting, rowing, surfing, you name it! It is as individual as we all are! 

So what's your mindful movement? What will you discover within? What will you learn about yourself? 

Much love, 

Katie