Use these techniques to train more consciously and improve your running.
Mindful running can help you transform negative thoughts, manage pain and even help you
recover faster, all by bringing simple, non-judgemental awareness to your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. It helps you achieve that elusive ‘flow state’ – where feeling relaxed yet still being highly conscious of your body can make running seem effortless – and enables you to refine your responses to the physical and mental challenges of running. When you next go out on a run, try incorporating these techniques into your session and notice the difference it makes.
1. RUNNING ON AIR
Your breath powers your run, bringing fresh oxygen to your working muscles. Quite simply, the harder you run the harder you’ll needto breathe; the slower, the more easeful it will be on your heart and lungs. This interplay ofexertion and effort makes it interesting to work mindfully with your breath while running. Experiment with synching your stride with your breath, taking two or three strides to an in-breath andthe same for an out-breath, perhaps counting ‘in-two-three’, ‘out-two-three,’ andalways breathing through your nose. Continue running this way for several minutes, feeling the mesmerising effect ofthe pattern, then lengthen your breath to take four steps to one inhale, four to an exhale. As your breath adjusts to this new rhythm, slightly extendthe pause period between the in and out breaths, perhaps taking a stride or two with no breath. After a while, see ifyou can maintain the rhythm but let go ofcounting, feeling the soft quality of awareness you’ve created by gently working with your breath. Experience the lightness this creates in your stride, as ifyou really are running on air.
2.Feel the chi Try following the principles of Chi Running. Based on the ancient art of t’ai chi, Chi Running encourages you to run in harmony with your body’s natural energy centres, especially one known as the ‘dan tien', situated about five centimetres below your navel. The basic principles of Chi Running include good posture; enlisting the support of gravity by leaning slightly forwards; landing with a mid-foot strike; engaging your core and relaxing your limbs so your legs support your body instead of pushing or pulling it forwards; and initiating movement from your centre, or dan tien. Rather than attempt to learn all these techniques at the same time, experiment with one at a time, bringing a beginner’s curiosity to the experience and noting what you feel.
3. DON’T FIGHT DISCOMFORT
Pain is no stranger to runners. Whether it’s cramping calves, a tight chest or burning quads, instead offollowing your habitual patterns – tensing your muscles to reduce painful sensations, perhaps, calling it a day or drowning in thoughts of how hard you find it to run – bring mindful attention to the area that is causing you discomfort. There are several ways you can do this. Be curious about the sensations you’re feeling. Name them, notice ifthey have a beginning, a peak in intensity or ifthey begin to fade, maybe to be replaced with a different sensation elsewhere. You can also direct your in-breath to the area and focus on releasing any sensations oftightness as you exhale. Maybe it’s a psychological resistance that’s causing you discomfort, such as feeling fatigued, worrying how much further you have to run or even irritation due to boredom. Simply return your attention to your present moment, to the physical experience, and the repetitive sound ofyour feet on the ground.
4. SURPRISE YOURSELF
Incorporate a beginner’s attitude to your run by repeatedly changing your mind as to how you’ll run today. Ifyour usual route takes you on one side ofthe road, cross over and run on the other side. Ifyou normally run in the morning before work, try an evening run just before sunset. Observe the change in the quality of light, what different sounds you notice and how it feels to listen with your whole body. Use the sense of expanding your awareness outside ofyour body (p51) and notice what you experience. Try also making instant decisions about how you run your route. Play games with yourselfby spontaneously running in a different direction, jogging backwards for a few steps or going in a zigzag across a path, changing direction in an instant. Each time you alter something, feel exactly where you are andwhat you’re doing, continually tuning in to the new experience ofnow, and now, and now…
5.Take to the trails
Running off-road instantly requires you to be more mindful.
Uneven ground, protruding tree roots or simply feeling your way along a footpath in the height of summer when hedgerows are at their most lush are all you need you to be much more attentive to your surroundings. If you usually train on the pavement or at the gym,
explore what it feels like to run on grass, a woodland track or along the banks of a river. Start slowly, initially using your sense of sight to pick out a safe path ahead. With a soft focus, allow your eyes to take in the subtle shades of green that surround you, the different structural shapes of grass, shrubs and trees as you pass them by. Notice the speed at which objects appear to draw closer to you, seemingly speeding up as they pass directly at your side. After a few moments, take your attention to your feet and tune in to their sensitivity, feeling the micro-adjustments you need to make to maintain your balance as you tread on stones or a clump of grass. Breathe deeply, letting the fresh air permeate every cell as you feel your body expand to receive it – maintain your stride as you feel a sense of surrendering to the earth beneath you as you slowly and mindfully exhale. Savour every breath.
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