Zen Running: A Meditation Alternative for Beginners

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I’m a big believer that anything can be a meditation if you approach it with the right mindset. I view meditation as a practice of developing attention and awareness in the present moment.

Growing up as an athlete and someone who struggled to sit still for even a minute, I’ve witnessed how progress is possible in something that at one point felt like a major challenge and scared me. As I’ve practiced over the years, I’ve become more comfortable with meditation. 

With any practice or habit that is part of my life, I often reflect on its benefit. Why do I do it in the first place? How is it helping me?

I want my life to flow with more ease and less stress. I want to regulate my emotions in a healthy way. I want to deepen my intuition and my focus. Meditation has helped improve all these areas of my life. 

So, then I ask, how do I find a meditative state of awareness throughout my day, as much as possible? 

Anything, like writing this, can be a practice of meditation if we approach it with the mindset of deep awareness. 

If you are struggling to find consistency with meditation, I’d like to share my current practice that I call zen running. 

How I do zen running:

  • I go on a slow jog at a pace that I can maintain a calm breath rate (about 3 sec inhale & exhale)

  • I breathe through my nostrils with my mouth closed

  • I focus my awareness on the sights, sounds, and sensations I’m experiencing

  • I don’t worry about distance, speed, or getting anywhere

  • I run for an amount of time that feels good whether it’s 5 or 30 minutes

While most of my running and physical training history has focused on performance, this is quite the opposite. Like any practice, start with an amount of time that you are confident and excited to commit to. Then build up if you like.

The benefits I experience:

  • Focusing on the breath allows me to be present

  • Breathing slow improves the efficiency of my cardiovascular system

  • Increasing awareness allows me to enjoy the sights and sounds in more detail

  • Getting outdoors, especially in nature, boosts the immune system

  • I’m able to mentally relax more since I’m not focused on making a certain time or distance 

  • Great for an active recovery day since it’s less taxing on the body than a higher intensity workout

Give it a try. Let me know what you think!