With another birthday rearing it’s ugly head, reminding me that time does not slow down or even wait for you if you are not even conscious of it’s passing, I am very focussed on working on one of my New Year’s resolutions … mindfulness.
It’s so easy, when exercising, to let one’s thoughts wander … to plan your day, to solve the problems of the world … it’s great therapy … but often I arrive at my destination suddenly conscious of the fact that I can’t remember how I got there … that I missed the moment, so to speak. So this morning I made a conscious effort to be ‘present’ in my run, to really savour the moment/s and I found the perfect way to do it. I asked myself, ‘what can you hear’? Listening intently to the world really does bring you back to the moment. Time slows down when you strain to hear a bird (a crow?), crickets, marsh frogs, the pounding of your feet on the road, your heavy breath, a lawnmower, a crying baby, someone’s morning radio, the rustle of the tape along the electric fence bordering a paddock.
I am going to try to ask myself that question every day, whether I am running or not. I think it’s a great way to become ‘present’, in whatever you’re doing, and to appreciate the small moments in your busy day.
Happy Saturday!
A-M xx
So, so true! Sometimes if my thoughts wander when running, I run faster so that all that I can think about is my next step.
But I think this is a perfect way to stop the chatter….
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Sometimes I do tune out so that the pain, if there is any, doesn’t get to me! I make sure that if I am present, I am not concentrating on the pain… just everything else! xx
I’m the same with yoga. I can go through my day, and think about the kids I teach, and what I have to do tomorrow, and what I will serve for dinner….
BUT when I focus, and be in the moment, it is such a better practise, and I feel so much better mentally-relaxed and calmer.
I know runners, and I know yogis, and both adore their choice, but I know very few who do both…
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I do both! Works well both ways .. but I agree, I am so much more relaxed when I have been present. xx
I am huge advocate for mindfulness, I recommend learning this skill to my patients regularly. I think being able to “switch off” is even more important now with so much technology “talking” to us all the time. Great post xx
I so agree! I think people have forgotten how to be present without the distraction of having to be busy, having to be productive in every waking moment. I notice that people don’t just wait anymore, they are always focussed on a device. xx
I find myself enjoying my bike rides most of all the different types of exercise I do. The ride is enjoyable, but it’s so much more fun when you catch the sound of a kookaburra or bellbird, the flash of a brightly coloured rosella, the bobbing tail of a bunny dashing for cover or spot an almost camouflaged mob of kangaroos in the shade of a clump of trees. Todays prize moments was seeing four spoonbills fishing in the wetlands – first time I’ve ever seen them here.
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You live in the most beautiful place Kek. Your instagram photos, of our beautiful country and it’s fauna, are breathtaking. Hard not to be present in that environment. xx
I’m reading a very good book that looks into “mindfulness” at the moment and have found it very interesting
I’ve been working on this a lot currently too, hopefully it will come a bit more naturally after much practice!
alicia
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Ah A-M, that’s the perfect way to live in that moment. I used to love carrying my sketchpad with me so that when I found that perfect moment that I wanted to savour, I’d draw it. I hope your birthday was so lovely!
xx,
Andrea
Hi Anne-Maree
I have been reading your blog for a while but I’m no good at commenting.
BUT you haven’t been posting for a while, and one or two of the posts have dissapeared. So just checking in that you are OK.
Angela
Angela, I am posting most days! You must be calling up an old cached version of my site? Refresh the page each time you view and you will get my most recent posts. Xx