One Too Many Mornings
Posted: March 4, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Ahimsa, blogging, Buddhism, compassion, cycling, Equanimity, exercise, fitness, freshly pressed, happiness, health, hipster, kindness, life, love, marathon, meditation, Mindfulness, motivation, musings, nebraska, Omaha, passion, running, yoga, Zen 6 CommentsPerform all thy actions with mind concentrated on the Divine, renouncing attachment and looking upon success and failure with an equal eye. Spirituality implies equanimity-
Three laps into a grueling mid summer Twilight Criterium. Sweat, pouring from your brow, the last of your patience – exhausted – three laps ago. All the training, the race prep, the money and time spent for this brilliant moment … And who the hell does this Mustached Cinelli Straddling Punk think he is?!? This Phil Wood spinning bastard better get his ass to the back of the line!!!
Your sympathetic nervous system rages, the surge of adrenaline as you grit your teeth, our fight or flight response shifts instantly into high gear. Equanimity, our parasympathetic nervous system, is waiting back at the car, or is it? There is a way to gently pull the brakes on your fight or flight response.
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My “trick” to finding equanimity during such stressful and annoying moments, is to simply keep the concept of equanimity at the front of my mind (not in the boot of the car). We all know the feeling of anger taking over our bodies, causing our minds to wander and to spin out of control. Our breathing becomes more shallow, our hearts begins to race, we feel the pressure building behind our eyes, goosebumps, a nervous twitch, the veins in our temples – pulse rapidly.
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Whenever and wherever I feel my fight or flight alarm begging to sound? I stop to take a deep breath and place a mental bookmark, a bookmark that reminds me that now is the time I need to bring equanimity back to the forefront of my true-self.
Daily Meditation:
Here’s the no BS deal folks: Training and running a marathon is easy, an ultra distance gravel bike ride is a mere jot around the park in comparison to consciously keeping equanimity at the forefront of our minds. Practicing and learning how to bring evenness to your mind and spirit – Equanimity – Takes a lot of work! Although, at the end of the day … Its pretty damn cool to sit back, chill, watching the world unfold before our eyes. Without lamenting about some cyclist, during some silly ride.
CultFit 
I really relate to these posts on calmness and equanimity. I have been struggling with “Keeping Calm and Carrying On” myself, when perhaps I’d rather “blow up and go”… Always a struggle, a journey, a discipline to find that balance. In addition to going within to change how you react to stressors- races, work conflicts, traffic, ect… I also find that in addition to turning within mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually, I have needed to step back in a physical way. Stay away from the crazy driver, let them move ahead, sit outside, even if it’s cold to avoid the person in the break room who you tend to react to. Walk outside, again in the cold-bundle up- as it is quiet and peaceful this time of year. So for every opportunity for reaction, anger, and frustration that you meet up with, you can perhaps recharge a little mentally, spiritually and yes, physically…maybe I’m avoiding things? Yes, I would agree. However given the choice to watch a perfect winter morning or be annoyed in a break room? I’m still very much a work in progress. Thanks, your blog is always interesting and inspiring!
Cheryl.
Safe travels my friend! We can catch up on this “stuff” when you get back … Take care and please be well!
Great post…but I’m mostly commenting to comment on the calvin and hobbes comic! I grew up with calvin and hobbes! I have almost all of the books!
Between the two of us – The picture is way cooler!!! 😉
“Evenness to your mind and spirit”. That’s something worth striving for.
Each and every day 🙂