Step Into Spring With Resources for Mindful Running
Take your正念practice outdoors and tune into your body—no need for pump-up jams and gym memberships.
- By Alan Green
- May 4, 2017
- Physical Health
Jacek Chabraszewski/Adobe Stock
There are some particularly valuable resources that will help you understand both the premises and practice of running mindfully, beginning with websites devoted to techniques for learning to run more naturally and efficiently.
1) ChiRunning
ChiRunning, which is based on the movement principles of T’ai Chi, connects the mind to the body in a way that helps runners stay relaxed. The website’s blog is updated weekly with useful tips, and the site also links to lists of ChiRunning workshops and instructors around the world. While the books and instructional CDs can help you understand the basics, the workshops are the best way to learn ChiRunning, particularly those workshops whose instructors use videotape to analyze their students’ posture, gait, and so on.
2) The Natural Running Center
The Natural Running Center also provides particularly useful information about running efficiently, with regular posts written by experts in exercise and anatomy. Most notable, perhaps, is the mesmerizing, 8-minute video of running naturally that features the site’s co-creator, Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, a family physician and elite marathoner.
3) MindfulRunning.Org
Michael Sandler’s website, MindfulRunning.Org, offers useful blog posts and videos that address everything from正念breathing and running posture to barefoot running and training pitfalls. In addition, Sandler hosts a related podcast, “Inspire Nation,” which addresses fitness, spirituality, and meditation.
4) Elinor Fish’s Healthy Running Blog
Elinor Fish, whose business leads正念running retreats around the globe, writes the most thoughtful and informative blog posts about running mindfully, including everything from the practical (“Set Yourself Up for Running Success in 2017”), to the unpredictable (“Is正念a Runner’s Secret Weapon?”), to the inspirational (“Why is Running Constantly So Difficult?”).
5) Running with the Mind of Meditation
Running with the Mind of Meditation，由Sakyong Mipham (Harmony Books, 2012)撰写，无缝地将作者关于正念的见解与他的跑步经验和启示结合在一起。此外，他的后续网站提供了引导式冥想和有用的视频。
6) What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running，由著名小说家和资深马拉松运动员村上春树（Haruki Murakami）（Alfred A. Knopf, 2008）撰写，虽然这本书不完全是关于正念跑步，但书中有力而优雅地论述了跑步所能提供的心理益处。