Never tried proper meditation but mindfulness is one of the reasons I love road cycling so much. When I'm in the throes of a hard effort, my mind goes almost totally clear. It's pretty wild.
Ultrarunning was my gateway drug to understanding the power of pure exhaustion to slow my mind, be completely present and experience what the Celts describe as a thin place. Moving meditation as you practice while rucking has always been more effective for me. In Celtic tradition a thin space is a moment or a place when/where the distance between heaven and earth appears to collapse.
Never tried proper meditation but mindfulness is one of the reasons I love road cycling so much. When I'm in the throes of a hard effort, my mind goes almost totally clear. It's pretty wild.
Exactly. The ability to focus so deeply on one task that every thing else fades away is a gift.
Ultrarunning was my gateway drug to understanding the power of pure exhaustion to slow my mind, be completely present and experience what the Celts describe as a thin place. Moving meditation as you practice while rucking has always been more effective for me. In Celtic tradition a thin space is a moment or a place when/where the distance between heaven and earth appears to collapse.
That is precisely it, Fred. I think a lot of us found it unknowingly in the military. That is probably why we transitioned to ultras.
Box breathing has been such a game changer for me, too.
I’m glad to hear that. It is a powerful tool.