My personal history and experience with running has been one riddled with pushing yourself that little bit harder, no pain no gain and using competition to edge yourself over the finishing line. This has not served me well in running or in life. I may have had some wins but I never felt much like a winner. In contrast, when I am in a yoga pose I do not berate myself for not doing it perfectly or “winning”. Everyone's bodies are shaped differently, people hold their strength in varying ways and not everyone is at the same stage. It is about finding your breath, listening to your body, easing your way in. As one of my wiser teachers would always say, “bring acceptance into your practise”.
So this is what I do. I try to celebrate what I can do well rather than wallow in what I deemed as large failures. Running mindfully has meant I have never had to search for motivation. I also have complete mastery of my breathing. Strangely I have yet to have any sore muscles or aches. However these last two points, one could also argue this means I am not running hard enough.
I have started running 7 telephone poles further than the 3km mark and it takes me past some horses. At the time I was willing my body to keep running when clearly all it wanted to do was walk. It occurred to me, if it was the horse running with me on it's back I would have shown it more compassion than I do myself. I would have made sure that the horse would slow down if it was tired, told it look how far we have come and how close we are home and patted it's mane in encouragement.
I can not honestly say I like running yet but I can say I do not dislike it. This in itself feels like a milestone. No matter what condition I am in on the run as soon as I see the last hundred meters to our mailbox I pick up my pace, confidently and compassionately stride with effortless grace. For those last hundred yards of every run, I am the runner I will be.
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