Running is more than a sport, running can help you reach a state of flow. Running is a road to awareness that helps to identify and break physical and mental barriers. Research suggests that outdoor activity, such as running, which is conducted in a natural or green environment causes greater feelings of revitalisation and positive engagement. Also, running is fun 😄.
Conscious & effortless running is composed of 4 principles or 4 A’s:
🏃🏽♀️ Action
Act with intention. Master running form and technique. Practice. Be consistent. Be authentic. Pace yourself. Rest and recover. Sleep well. Eat healthy. Breathe with ease. Plan and be flexible. Use equipment (shoes, clothing, gear) that helps you and doesn't hurt you. Be true to yourself. Learn from others. Learn from your own experience. Examine the scientific evidence. Don’t take these words for granted, try it for yourself.
👁 Awareness
Open Awareness. Non-distraction. Spaciousness. Being mindful. Non-grasping. Awareness of your outer and inner environment is key: from the local weather, your surroundings, how well you sleep, what food you eat, the clothes you wear, the pace you run at, your heartbeat, your body sensations, your mind, the thoughts, feelings and emotions, that accompany you. With awareness comes insight and wisdom.
😄 Amusement
Play. Fun and joy. Embrace the immediacy and spontaneity of the moment. Run in the wilderness. Run with others. Run free, with ease, light and effortless.
💚 Apapacho
Apapacho (Mexican Spanish) means many things: an affectionate embrace, tenderness, affection, bond, cuddle. In this context apapacho represents loving-kindness and compassion for oneself and all living beings. Community, collaboration and family. Acceptance. Non-harming. Gratitude. Balance with Earth, nature, and the environment.
The right way to run is to dance, to dance across the countryside
– Alan Watts, The Self, Pursuit of Pleasure
🗞 Posts
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😩 From Struggle to Effortlessness
It is Monday at 6:30 am. The rain lasted all night and outside looks wet, cold and windy. The night before you decided to go out for a run, you…
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🏃🏽♀️Effortless running form
Conscious & effortless running is composed of 4 principles or 4 A’s: Action, Awareness, Amusement and Apapacho. Today I will write about Action, specifically the importance of running form. Imagine…
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❄️ Mindful winter running
If you like to run outside, like me, winter can have its own specific challenges in certain locations. If you are running regularly at 0°Celsius (32 Fahrenheit) or less, it…
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Warming up and Cooling Down exercises
Warm up and cool down, every time, and no matter your level of experience. Below is a simple sequence to get you started. You can always mix up these exercise…