Its Your VooDoo Working
Posted: May 30, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Being Present, Good Life Gravel Fondo, Gravel Grinding, nebraska, Omaha, Reflection, yoga 13 CommentsThe course of true love never did run smooth–
Letting go of “something” is perhaps the most promising mechanism to discovering your true self, and for me personally, this meant giving up running, being attached to “gadgets” and endlessly abusing my body competing.
Giving up fighting for something that should be naturally easy, can be enormously relieving. I went from wanting to run marathons and ultra events to needing them … Comforting the tenderest of heartache after a sour performance, surgeries, ice packs, and a lingering limp is all the self-knowledge and reflection that I need. Despite my losses – I now know that I have to put my health first. This knowledge has been immediately reparative and began a cascade of positive changes and feelings of well-being that I feel deeply in this very moment: The first sip cup of coffee in the morning after riding to work.
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As I slowly went through the process, grieving the loss of who I thought I wanted to be, and others thought they wanted to be through me by proxy … I also experienced the soreness and pain this “something” brought into my life. Not wanting to experience this pain again, I began to reflect on who I was, and what I truly need for ultimate fulfillment: Family and Friends, a good book, thousands of miles of gravel roads, and a quiet spot to practice yoga – no mat needed!
Daily Meditation:
This kind of reflection, when done gently and over a period of time – Is pretty damn cool! Have a beautiful weekend and please take care!
CultFit 
So nice to hear of your turning point in learning to listen to and care for your body.
It took a fair amount of time to finally listen and care for myself, and I’m glad I did. 🙂 I hope you have a beautiful weekend – please take care.
Self abuse takes so many forms. It takes patience and effort to really pay attention how our bodies really want to be treated. I’m still learning.
It certainly is not easy as you know, and I’m still far from perfect. There are moments where I’ll get tangled up, sometimes quite literally – around a tree mountain biking or falling on railroad tracks commuting to work. These events happens in you, no matter what we do to mitigate them. What I have found, and please take what I share as not self serving advice from me personally. But rather observations from some dude who has pushed the line way too far … Its how we respond after the falls, taking the time to pay attention, to listen, deeply and mindfully.
Do take care this weekend and be well my friend!
This year I also had to accept that long distance running is no longer on the cards for me. Luckily there’s still long distance cycling! As you say, there are so many other things out there that create flow and help keep our bodies for the long run.
Exactly! May your heart be filled with warmth and happiness this weekend – Take care. 🙂
Absolutely wonderful post. Time is a precious gift, particularly the time we give ourselves to ponder our own self. Thank goodness for summer break. Been doing a lot of that pondering. And it is good.
So glad you found a good place . . . and a less painful place!
… Spent a lot of time pondering last weekend strolling along the MoPac trail heading to Lincoln. We live in a truly beautiful part of the country don’t we? 🙂
The “good place” is knowing when to take it easy after an event. Sharing a bottle of wine and enjoying good company, instead of focusing on the next race – Which I used to spend so much time and energy doing. I find it rather soothing sharing recent, dense, fun filled memories. Rather than “something” that hasn’t happened yet. And for some reason right now at 0730 in the morning … My mind drifts to sharing a lovely lunch with a good friend – Looks as though we are having breakfast burritos! I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend – Take care!
Glad you were able to let go of something that had become destructive to you!
I finished that book, “My Antonia”, a book I never would have found if not for the neighborhood bookcase “lending library” on my path during a walk. Lovely story and powerful description of settling Nebraska.
I’m off to the local book store right now to inquire if they have this wonderful book – let’s hope they do! Speaking of wonderful, please be well and I hope you have a beautiful and wonderful weekend as well. 🙂
Thanks, you as well. I’m sure you could get the book through your local library.
Oh, how I love this post! I can totally relate, on so many levels!
My apologies for the late reply, I hope my reply finds you in good health and enjoying a wonderful day. 🙂