Butterfly Caught
Posted: May 17, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, Dr. Who, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, happiness, health, hipster, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, musings, natural, paleo, passion, running, stress, walking, weekend, whole foods, WOD, yoga 12 CommentsSometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy-
The tension sprinting up through my arms and shoulders, violently grasping my neck. I can’t think straight, my mind is abuzz with the stress that has accumulated throughout the day. The list of “things” to finish before tomorrow morning was spilling over. I knew I needed a change of mind, something, anything to carry me away from this tangled moment in time into a place love and harmony.
Not too long ago I would step aside, gather up all my running gear and head out the back door for a “run“. I thought at the time, if I just ignored the pain and stress, run a bit faster and harder, get my heart rate up a little more, develop a thick and hardy lather… I would instantly feel better by the time I finished 10+ miles.
An hour or so later, I would collapse on the porch with my head hunched forward watching the sweat roll off my nose falling diligently between my bare feet. The thoughts in my mind had slowed for the moment, until the pain and tension returned …
I would like to share with you something so profound, so ridiculous and so not cool, that you will avoid telling your friends or even blogging about it: Compassion and Mindfulness. Don’t scatter away quite yet, it gets better before it gets worse.
Using your body to invoke a better state of mind starts by paying attention to what we are feeling inside and not abusing our body through outward actions. This moment of reflection before heading out the door is the point where spirituality and personal development intersect. When we move with awareness and give attention to the stress, the aches and pains, we can change how we feel, instantly.
Notes:
A simple act of kindness towards yourself, sharing a smile and hug with another, erasing the pain before you get moving. To me? That’s pretty cool and something to share with your friends …
CultFit 
[…] 10. CultFit […]
Great point! Though if I’d have read this 26 miles ago I’d still have rode it anyway. I think doing both, I get the best results. There’s just something about conquering that “don’t want to” that makes the problems easier to bust through. Great post.
I feel the best after doing both as well. I just need to make sure my body and mind are up to the challenge before I head out and get some work in. Exercise is still hands down the best way to sooth away the worries of the day, my problem in the past is making it worse. May the wind be at your back this weekend if you are sailing down the road, spinning the big ring of course! Take care and be well!
5,000 bonus points for the Doctor Who picture in this post.
I am slowly learning this lesson in regards to food. Instead of turning to it when I feel stress, I am instead trying to figure out the cause of the stress and move on after facing it.
Full disclosure, I grew up watching Dr. Who in black in white on CBC. I believe it was the fourth Doctor … You can probably pin point my age from this information. 😉 My Wife and Son are huge Dr. Who fans and Sci-Fi aficionados! Saturday night now consists of Star Trek TNG and Dr. Who … Sports are dying a slow death around these parts and I’m loosing the battle as well.
You are right in the intersection of figuring this “stuff” out, I know its not easy and sucks at times although the personal awareness you are developing is paying off. I can tell from the tone of your blog posts. 🙂
Big episode on tonight, I hope you have the chance to sit down and enjoy it, take care!
I did sit down and watch it! I watch it every Saturday night. My husband retreats to his “mancave” because he’s not a fan but it’s basically the only show I really watch. My feelings on the show? I laughed. I cried. My heart hurt and was full all at once. Put simply, I loved it.
How did you guys feel about it?
My wife and little dude loved it! I went to bed half way through to catch up on some playoff hockey. 😉 I’ll watch the full episode sometime during the week to catch up.
so true, thanks for this message. I am finding exercise seems to be at the answer to almost everything in my life and my family’s life these days but yeah. It’s hard to believe so many have not discoverd the profound effects of it….
It’s amazing isn’t it? Even a simple walk and a touch of meditation can do the trick. 🙂 Its in the act of “doing” when we open up and truly discover our true spirit. Take care this weekend!
Ah ha! TNG. something else we have in common (i taught a course last fall about what it means to be human based on the ST:TNG series. 🙂
Okay. Speaking of listening to one’s body. I wish my body would quit having lung “seizures” (asthma) so that the rest of my body, heart and mind could be happy. I am relegated to walking inside (til the steroids kick in). Some people are better at listening than others, and some people have issues that could actually cause serious health problems (including death) if not listened to, eh?
I am listening, but i am nearing the end of my patience! Triathlon in 4 weeks! C’mon body! Heal!!!
I need a happy place. . . . .
You’ll find your happy place soon enough. 🙂
Thank you. I hope so. 🙂