Today I had a strange experience. It’s the first day in over 2 weeks I’ve felt like going out for an easy walk. You see I’m recovering from pneumonia and I had no idea how it leaves your energy through the floor.
It started when I went on one of my 10-day meditation courses set in the cold mountains outside of Madrid in December. This had to be the most difficult course I’ve sat as I experienced unpleasant sensations in my chest and back, hot and cold fevers and sleepless nights filled with coughing, gasping for air and a concern for disturbing my 5 other room mates. I thought it was a chest infection and I’d stick the course out to the end. Benefiting from this I discovered that meditation during the last few days of the course helped me to observe the reality of what was happening in my body, and to observe the sensations without finally reacting to them (by remaining equanimous) resulting in the sensations diminishing slightly.
When I got home and visited my doctor I certainly didn’t expect to be whisked to the hospital in an ambulance with pneumonia in both lungs. Fortunately a few days later the hospital decided I was better off recovering at home with an estimation of 1 to 2 months to recover my energy!
So this brings me to today’s experience. I felt like I was up for an easy walk for the first time in over 2 weeks. What surprised me is how I had to consciously think about picking up my foot which felt like lead weight and place it on the floor! Everything was so slow and labourious. I observed my breathing, drawing in big breaths to coordinate with each slow step!
I soon realised that with walking, and the same with running, I found myself applying the principles of meditation. So thank you pneumonia for reminding me and keeping me in the present moment!
Running and any exercise which involves movement is a training of our physical body, and meditation is a training of the mind. When we relate to our mind and body we are more in harmony with ourselves which produces a sense of well-being (‘Alive & Kicking’).
We all know exercise is good for the body and now neuroscientific research has proven the benefits of meditation, revealing how it produces changes in our brain waves, reducing stress, worry, anxiety, depression and fear – increasing our feelings of calm and happiness. So isn’t it worth applying to any activity we do, whether it be running, walking the dog, swimming, sunbathing…?
In my next post I’ll be sharing with you some simple mindful tips on meditation in a way that hopefully even the busiest of you can incorporate into your daily life. Just think of all those benefits as a gift to yourself for the New Year!
Wishing you all a happy and peaceful 2018. Much metta to you all.