Focus On The Trees

Today I wrote while I ran. This post has nothing to do with food, but everything to do with discipline. Everyone has to go through hardships, some emotional, some physical. Meditation has helped me through many tough endeavors, including drug free child birth, while exercise helps me cope with stress, and both require commitment.

This article from the Mayo Clinic refers to exercise as meditation in motion, and briefly discusses the benefits of both.

Below is my running meditation.

The sun's up. Shoes on. Ipod shuffled. Muscles warm. Run. Inhale. Exhale. Keep running. Focus on the trees ahead. The air is stagnant. Their leaves drooping. Breathe. Inhale deep. Exhale. Run. One foot. Then the other. Meditate on the trees. Your breath blows through the branches dusting off their leaves. Think past your throbbing joints. Push through the fatigue. Quiet your screaming thoughts. Keep running. One foot. Then the other. Inhale. Exhale. Focus on the trees ahead. Their leaves need dusting.....

What's your coping mechanism? Is it working for you? Does it benefit you in the long run? If you can't answer these questions with confidence, it may be time to change things up.