Have you ever thought about why you run?

Pause for a moment and reflect.

Maybe you were looking to become a healthier person, or perhaps you’re training for a race. It could even be that you run to help calm your negative emotions. Or you just like how it feels.

In meditation we observe craving (wanting something) and aversion (not wanting something) and learn how those are causes of insatisfaction or suffering (dukkha). Meditation training helps us to identify these movements of the mind and body, the movements of liking something and not liking something. It’s also a way to ease the constant pursuit of the next pleasure.

So, how can we apply these principles to running?

If you’ve ever been caught out by bad weather, you’ll know how to spot craving and attachment. Do you remember how you got ready for a run and then a storm suddenly hit, even before you’d started? So, you either get wet or you don’t run. Your plans change at the last minute. If we get too attached to our plans or ideas, we might end up suffering. “Oh no, now I have to run tomorrow to complete my marathon training, but tomorrow I’m going to a party…” and so on.

We can also see aversion with the bad weather example. Sometimes it rains in the middle of your run outside. You think “How is this happening? The weather forecast was wrong. I don’t like this. I’ll run back home.” You might experience anger or anxiety.

Notice the thoughts and stories that appear in both scenarios. Notice the feelings that arise when those thoughts arise.

Now, ask yourself the question again, why do you run?

Take a moment to reflect. Remember dukkha.

Are you running towards something? Are you running away from something?