Meditation

A lot has changed in a few weeks.  We all have unanswerable questions.  What will happen?  When will the lock down end?  Will we have jobs and be able to support our families in a few months?  We don’t know.

What we do know is that the world will go on.  The sand in the hourglass of our lives is still pouring. While much of the “news” about the current situation is negative – there is much to be thankful for.  Even amid this crisis, we are living in one of the best times to be alive ever.

Lots of people talk about living with grace and gratitude.  For me it is kind of like meditation – I see the value, but I have a hard time putting it into practice.  My body and mind wander. This whole situation have helped me with the gratitude thing.

Our shelter-in-place order allows for outdoor exercise.  On Saturday I went for a long run the length of the Barton Creek Greenbelt.  For those unfamiliar, the Greenbelt is a relatively rough trail that follows the canyon created by Barton Creek from the Barton Springs pool in Zilker Park to the Hill of Life.  While there is an “official” trail, there are plenty of side trails that allow one to get lost.  It is a treasure because you can almost feel like you are in the wilderness while in the middle of a big city. 

On Saturday morning it was pouring rain, the trail was muddy, and it was fabulous.  There were very few people out, but those that were had a smile (from at least 6 feet away, of course).  While rolling down the trail in a rhythm jumping over rocks and logs, my mind focused on gratitude. Things that I am thankful for: my health, that I can move, that I get to run in nature in a downpour, that my lungs work and the feeling of redlining up a long hill, the dead tired feeling when I am done but have three miles to go, and, most importantly, that I get to come home to a wonderful family. 

Long runs by myself are about as close I get to meditation.