I Met A Monk: Running as Meditation

It was whilst in transit at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam international airport, Mauritius, that my wife Ex-wife (5 months after writing this blog post she left me...in Nov 2016) bought me a book, thinking it was the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, in fact she had forgotten the title (not uncommon) and only remembered the "monk" part of it. She had bought I Met A Monk by Rose Elliot and was pleased as punch when she handed it to me. I was not amused. "Great another book that I wont read." and "I'm not interested in becoming a Buddhist" were two of the thoughts that ran through my mind.

But I did read it. And I even started trying the mindfulness meditation. This is specifically concentrating (counting) ones breaths in and out. No incense or statues of Buddha are required, no dogma and no religious texts, just counting the breath in and out and clearing the mind of commentary. I was impressed at the sense of peace that I found. I even started to do this on my lunch breaks at work, finding a quiet spot in nature and sitting for ten minutes doing the breathing meditation. On inclement days I would walk and do the breathing meditation at least for part of the time. And then I wondered if this could also apply to running.

So I tried it and it was strangely relaxing and oddly compulsive, addictive even. I want to try it again. Can  you believe it - Running Meditation!?

Basically just run and focus on your breathing trying counting every ten or twenty breaths, try to clear your mind, as thoughts come in focus again on the breathing and clearing the mind. Try to stop the mental commentary. It's not easy and you go through moments of mindfulness and then lapsing into mental chatter, but it is quite extraordinary the sense of peace you feel - a mixture of endorphin, dopamine and a little mental stillness.

You don't need to get all religious about it, or even spiritual, in my opinion, spiritual things are a reference to the mind - I suppose in the French sense of l'esprit rather in the English sense of ghosts or paranormal stuff. In fact the origin of the word "spirit" is from "breathe" (spirare).

 The Mind and the Body well exercised = health.