when i need a place that will be quiet, involve minimal human interaction, and be intensely focusing i head to the trail to run. trail running is one of the most physically focusing activities i have ever done. you are always on. you can't stop paying attention to the trail ahead of you, under your feet, your surroundings (who knows what animals are out there), and the quietness of the trail. it is this quietness that leads to an even deeper level of focus. the sounds of your breathing and exertion are magnified and the necessary decisions of stride length, pace, intensity level exerted on uphills, downhills, and flats become critical, footfall placement and quick recovery from misplacement of steps are crucial. all of this happens in split second decisions that if ignored can result in painful falls.
there is a depth of truth to running on trails that puts on display your fitness level, your strengths and weakness, the rightness or wrongness of the decisions you make. once you are out on the trail whatever happens is coming back in with you whether it is a looped path or an out and back. and this i know: there is no other place, despite all that goes into each and every step taken, in which i can focus on everything else going on in my life and find answers, peace, calm, and a sense of being centered.
i hope you know of where that place is for you. where do you go to be centered when you need it?
1 comment:
my first thought is that I go to a good book, but that doesn't allow me to focus on anything in my life other than the story. So I think maybe I need to find a place...
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