To someone who spends probably way too much time listening to dharma talks, reading Zen books, and meditating, it's always a bit jarring to see these paeans to walking and running that describe how this kind of exercise is a great way to just be ... with your thoughts!
Sometimes the experience of running is used to describe zazen. Then the focus is on the state of flow you can get into, which I think mmurph211 is describing here, where actually thoughts too fade out. Just running -- just feet touching the ground and lifting again, intense breathing, wind & rain, the sting of muscle fatigue, getting tired.
I actually think a lot of people misunderstand why they like walking and running. It's not only that you're free to daydream and let thoughts wander freely. It's also a sensuously immersive ritual that dampens the habitual buzzing-like-a-fridge chatter, focuses the mind in real-time, lets you come a bit closer to forgetting yourself.
I think this is true of most endurance sports really. In my own, I wake up well before sunrise every day, bike through the city which is completely deserted and get to watch the sun come up over the water all morning.
It's become something of an addiction as while its stressful on the body, there is nothing that parallels the serenity of being completely alone out in the middle of a perfectly flat lake or river.
Definitely agree. I can't run (bad knees), but there's nothing better than a long, solitary ride. Even in the middle of the city when riding to work, it's easy to zone out and enjoy the solitude.
Agreed. I think running is probably one of the easiest ways to get in that "thought-less" state often associated with formal meditation. Running doesn't put me "with my thoughts" at all...quite the opposite, actually!
Do you systematically reach this state ? Personally I'm having the same "thought-less" state you describe but only when I'm running close to my VO2Max or after a long slow session. But when I run in low speed endurance (70% or less of my heart-rate) thoughts fly through my head.
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To someone who spends probably way too much time listening to dharma talks, reading Zen books, and meditating, it's always a bit jarring to see these paeans to walking and running that describe how this kind of exercise is a great way to just be ... with your thoughts!
Sometimes the experience of running is used to describe zazen. Then the focus is on the state of flow you can get into, which I think mmurph211 is describing here, where actually thoughts too fade out. Just running -- just feet touching the ground and lifting again, intense breathing, wind & rain, the sting of muscle fatigue, getting tired.
I actually think a lot of people misunderstand why they like walking and running. It's not only that you're free to daydream and let thoughts wander freely. It's also a sensuously immersive ritual that dampens the habitual buzzing-like-a-fridge chatter, focuses the mind in real-time, lets you come a bit closer to forgetting yourself.
I think this is true of most endurance sports really. In my own, I wake up well before sunrise every day, bike through the city which is completely deserted and get to watch the sun come up over the water all morning.
It's become something of an addiction as while its stressful on the body, there is nothing that parallels the serenity of being completely alone out in the middle of a perfectly flat lake or river.
Definitely agree. I can't run (bad knees), but there's nothing better than a long, solitary ride. Even in the middle of the city when riding to work, it's easy to zone out and enjoy the solitude.
Agreed. I think running is probably one of the easiest ways to get in that "thought-less" state often associated with formal meditation. Running doesn't put me "with my thoughts" at all...quite the opposite, actually!
Do you systematically reach this state ? Personally I'm having the same "thought-less" state you describe but only when I'm running close to my VO2Max or after a long slow session. But when I run in low speed endurance (70% or less of my heart-rate) thoughts fly through my head.