How to practise mindfulness when running

For all the right reasons, some individuals consider running to be a type of movement meditation. During your most successful runs, you will experience a sensation of flow, which is when you naturally tune out distractions mindfulness from the outside world, reach a state of relaxed effortlessness, and, all the while, become more personally aware of yourself.

The same may be said for when you meditate.

And when you combine the two, you not only improve your physical fitness but also reap a wide variety of benefits for your mental and emotional well-being as well.

Source: how to start practising mindfulness yourgratitudejourney.com/how-to-practise-mindfulness

Continue reading to find out how you may take mindfulness with you on your next run.

What exactly is meant by “mindful running”?

The act of actively applying the techniques learned in meditation and other forms of mindfulness practice to the activity of running is referred to as “mindful running.”

Running, as every runner knows, has the potential to be a very contemplative activity on its own. The best runs make you feel effortless, integrated in body and mind, and fully aware in the present now. This sensation is brought on by the kinetic experience of limbs, muscles, joints, and breath functioning in sync with one another, as well as the mantra-like rhythm of an effective stride.

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And then there are those instances in which running is nothing more than a laborious slog: Your breathing rhythm is off, your hip (knee, ankle, fill in the blank) creaks, and your thoughts travel anywhere but where you actually are. This makes it difficult for you to establish a comfortable pace. And so on, right up until the point when you realize that you’re finally finished, at which point you discover that you hardly remember anything that occurred along the way.

Running with mindfulness means actively engaging your senses and directing your attention to fully immerse yourself in your run, noticing what is happening inside your body and outside in the environment around you, and meeting it all with curiosity and acceptance, whether it be an effortless stride, creaky knees, or passing scenery.

As a consequence, you will experience a better sensation of ease and relaxation during your run, in addition to an increased awareness of both your body and the surrounding surroundings.

Running mindfully, much like walking mindfully or engaging in any other form of mindful exercise, is an effective approach to enhance your ability to be present in the here and now. And this has significant repercussions for your mental health as well as your emotional and physical well-being.

It might even make you a better runner.

Here are some of the ways that combining a physical exercise with mindfulness, such as jogging, can benefit both your body and your mind, as supported by scientific research:

Helps to alleviate tension.
Your body goes into a heightened level of preparedness while you’re under a lot of pressure. In order to get you ready to run away or put up a fight, your muscles tense up, your heart rate quickens, your blood pressure shoots through the roof, and your body produces adrenaline. Running and meditation are both great ways to combat this effect and assist the body in returning to a less stressed state. The tension in your muscles is relieved and your extra energy is burned up when you engage in physical activity. The “runner’s high” is caused by the production of endorphins, which are triggered by aerobic exertion. Endorphins are responsible for the “runner’s high.” In addition, when you have participated in aerobic exercise, your body will more rapidly enter a parasympathetic state, which will cause you to have a greater sense of peace and relaxation. According to the findings of other studies, those who meditate regularly and engage in regular physical activity may have a stronger capacity to withstand the negative effects of stress.

Helps control depression ranging from moderate to severe.
The combination of aerobic movement, such as running, with meditation offers substantial assistance for those who are battling with depression, lowering symptoms by as much as 40 percent, according to the findings of recent research.

Increases the size of your brain.
According to research, the combination of aerobic activity and focused attention is beneficial to the generation of new brain cells and maintains the viability of existing neural cells. This supports cognitive skills such as learning and memory, as well as the mental and emotional well-being of the individual.

Improves one’s awareness of their own body.

Runners who exercise their bodies without the aid of external stimuli, such as music, report feeling more in sync with their bodies, more peaceful, and with a stronger sense of control.

Strengthens both the endurance and the skill levels.

According to the findings of one study, college athletes who participated in a mindfulness training program that lasted for five weeks exhibited gains in both their performance endurance and their executive functioning. The authors of the study came to the conclusion that through cultivating mindfulness, athletes would be better able to disregard both external distractions and negative thoughts, as well as maintain a mental connection with one another and concentrate more intently on the task at hand.

Enhances one’s perspective.

People reap a wide variety of health benefits, both physical and mental, when they engage in physical activity outside in natural settings. Forest bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku in Japan, has been demonstrated to improve mental health by lowering worry, tension, and exhaustion levels. It also has the potential to strengthen the immune system.