The Zen of Running, and 10 Ways to Make It Work for You

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

Running is my zazen. It’s my meditation, my peaceful routine, my inner sanctum.

In Zen Buddhism, zazen (which literally means “seated meditation”) is the central focus of the practice. Depending on the school of Zen, zazen is used to concentrate on koans or to just sit and be present, experiencing things in the moment.

Of course, I’m not a Zen Buddhist, and I don’t do much actual sitting meditation (sometimes, but not often), but I do use running as my form of meditation, of trying to be present.

I actually use running for two purposes:

Concentration. During this time, I try to focus on my breathing, on my feet as they strike the ground, on how my body feels, on the sights and sounds and smells of nature around me, and on my thoughts as they occur. I try not to think about the past and the future, but try to remain in the moment. This is difficult, and requires a lot of concentration and energy.
Contemplation. This is actually much easier — I just use running as a quiet time, to think about my life, about my writing (including this very post, which was composed in my head while I was running), about what is important to me.

Both forms of meditation are actually very relaxing, very meaningful to me, and they are the main reasons I love to go running. It’s a way for me to stay centered, to lose the stress of the world around me, and to just be present.

I recommend it to everyone, especially if you’re looking for a way to find peace and focus in your life. Now, you don’t actually have to run — you could walk, or cycle, or swim, or row, or whatever — the key is to find solitude and a time every day to practice your own personal zazen.

How to Make the Zen of Running Work for You
If you’re interested in finding the Zen of Running (or any other form of exercise), here are some tips:

Concentration. In the beginning, it’s important that you practice concentration. It’s not something that comes naturally to most of us. Try to do it for as long as you can, bringing yourself back to the moment every time you find yourself pulling away. Monitor your thoughts, and when you find a thought that is not of this moment (thinking about something you have to do later, for example), don’t try to stop the thought. Just be aware of it, acknowledge it, and allow it to leave gently. Then return to the moment.
Breathing. A good place to start, when you’re practicing concentration, is breathing. This is true of traditional zazen, of course, but it’s also very true of running or other exercise, because breathing is an important part of exercise. By concentrating on your breathing, you can monitor how hard you’re exercising, and adjust your running up or down accordingly. I like to ensure that I’m not breathing too hard.
Bursts. Again, concentration is difficult in the beginning. It can be hard to concentrate for very long. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Try practicing concentration in small bursts at first, of just 10 seconds at a time. Let yourself rest in between, and then concentrate some more for another 10 seconds, and repeat. Later, you can stretch this to 20 or 30 seconds, or even a minute or two with practice.
Time every day. This isn’t mandatory, but I suggest finding some time every day to practice this form of meditation. Does that mean you should run every day? Not necessarily — you could run and bike and walk on alternate days, for example. Or you could do what I’ve done, and slowly build yourself up to where you can run just about every day, alternating hard days with really easy days (of only a slow mile or so). Making it a can’t-miss appointment at the same time every day is a good idea.
Contemplation. When you tire of trying to concentrate, allow yourself to contemplate. Think about your day, about your life in general, about what’s important to you, about your goals, about the people in your life. This kind of contemplation should be a part of every person’s life.
Intervals. I like to alternate between concentration and contemplation. One workout I did just yesterday was hill intervals. I run a very hilly route, and while I usually take it easy going up the hills, yesterday I decided to run it hard up the hills and take it easy on the way down. And I decided to concentrate on the moment as I ran up the hills, and then allow myself to contemplate as I took it easy down the hills. It was a great workout! Bonus: as I ran down the hills, I had a great view of the ocean and the sunset in the bay below the hills where I live. It was awesome!
Stress. If you find yourself stressed during the day (and who among us doesn’t?), it can be very therapeutic to run at the end of the day, in the early evening before it gets dark. Again, focus on concentration and contemplation, alternating the two, and you will notice the stress melting away. Exercise is naturally a wonderful stress reliever (it’s the main reason I took up running), but combined with these two methods, it is one of the best I’ve ever used.
Ideas. Contemplation time is also a terrific time to come up with ideas. I use it to come up with ideas for posts on this blog, or ideas for fiction I want to write, or projects I want to do, or things I want to do with Eva and the kids. The key is writing the ideas down when I get home, as I am reluctant to carry my Moleskine notebook with me on my runs.
Journal. On that note, I think it’s also useful to keep a journal and record some of the thoughts you have during contemplation, and some notes about your concentration times. During contemplation, if you review your day and think about what’s important in life, you’ll often have thoughts that you want to remember later. A journal is a great way to get those thoughts on record and make the most of your contemplation.
Be in the moment. Once you get good at concentration (and I can’t claim to be that good yet), you can focus on more than just your breathing. While breathing is a good way to start, there are other things going on in the moment that you can concentrate on. A useful method is to open your mind up to your environment, both outside of yourself and within yourself. Be aware of what’s around you, of the sights and sounds, and be aware of your breathing, the aches and pains of your muscles and joints, your muscles as they work during your run, your feet as they hit the ground, the wind as it hits your skin, your hair rustling in that wind, your thoughts as you run. Being in the moment is a very powerful thing to learn, and while it’s not easy to learn it all at once, with practice you will get better and better at it.

Also see:

The Zen of Running, and 10 Ways to Make It Work for You

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

Running is my zazen. It’s my meditation, my peaceful routine, my inner sanctum.

Of course, I’m not a Zen Buddhist, and I don’t do much actual sitting meditation (sometimes, but not often), but I do use running as my form of meditation, of trying to be present.

I actually use running for two purposes:

Concentration. During this time, I try to focus on my breathing, on my feet as they strike the ground, on how my body feels, on the sights and sounds and smells of nature around me, and on my thoughts as they occur. I try not to think about the past and the future, but try to remain in the moment. This is difficult, and requires a lot of concentration and energy.
Contemplation. This is actually much easier — I just use running as a quiet time, to think about my life, about my writing (including this very post, which was composed in my head while I was running), about what is important to me.

How to Make the Zen of Running Work for You
If you’re interested in finding the Zen of Running (or any other form of exercise), here are some tips:

Concentration. In the beginning, it’s important that you practice concentration. It’s not something that comes naturally to most of us. Try to do it for as long as you can, bringing yourself back to the moment every time you find yourself pulling away. Monitor your thoughts, and when you find a thought that is not of this moment (thinking about something you have to do later, for example), don’t try to stop the thought. Just be aware of it, acknowledge it, and allow it to leave gently. Then return to the moment.
Breathing. A good place to start, when you’re practicing concentration, is breathing. This is true of traditional zazen, of course, but it’s also very true of running or other exercise, because breathing is an important part of exercise. By concentrating on your breathing, you can monitor how hard you’re exercising, and adjust your running up or down accordingly. I like to ensure that I’m not breathing too hard.
Bursts. Again, concentration is difficult in the beginning. It can be hard to concentrate for very long. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Try practicing concentration in small bursts at first, of just 10 seconds at a time. Let yourself rest in between, and then concentrate some more for another 10 seconds, and repeat. Later, you can stretch this to 20 or 30 seconds, or even a minute or two with practice.
Time every day. This isn’t mandatory, but I suggest finding some time every day to practice this form of meditation. Does that mean you should run every day? Not necessarily — you could run and bike and walk on alternate days, for example. Or you could do what I’ve done, and slowly build yourself up to where you can run just about every day, alternating hard days with really easy days (of only a slow mile or so). Making it a can’t-miss appointment at the same time every day is a good idea.
Contemplation. When you tire of trying to concentrate, allow yourself to contemplate. Think about your day, about your life in general, about what’s important to you, about your goals, about the people in your life. This kind of contemplation should be a part of every person’s life.
Intervals. I like to alternate between concentration and contemplation. One workout I did just yesterday was hill intervals. I run a very hilly route, and while I usually take it easy going up the hills, yesterday I decided to run it hard up the hills and take it easy on the way down. And I decided to concentrate on the moment as I ran up the hills, and then allow myself to contemplate as I took it easy down the hills. It was a great workout! Bonus: as I ran down the hills, I had a great view of the ocean and the sunset in the bay below the hills where I live. It was awesome!
Stress. If you find yourself stressed during the day (and who among us doesn’t?), it can be very therapeutic to run at the end of the day, in the early evening before it gets dark. Again, focus on concentration and contemplation, alternating the two, and you will notice the stress melting away. Exercise is naturally a wonderful stress reliever (it’s the main reason I took up running), but combined with these two methods, it is one of the best I’ve ever used.
Ideas. Contemplation time is also a terrific time to come up with ideas. I use it to come up with ideas for posts on this blog, or ideas for fiction I want to write, or projects I want to do, or things I want to do with Eva and the kids. The key is writing the ideas down when I get home, as I am reluctant to carry my Moleskine notebook with me on my runs.
Journal. On that note, I think it’s also useful to keep a journal and record some of the thoughts you have during contemplation, and some notes about your concentration times. During contemplation, if you review your day and think about what’s important in life, you’ll often have thoughts that you want to remember later. A journal is a great way to get those thoughts on record and make the most of your contemplation.
Be in the moment. Once you get good at concentration (and I can’t claim to be that good yet), you can focus on more than just your breathing. While breathing is a good way to start, there are other things going on in the moment that you can concentrate on. A useful method is to open your mind up to your environment, both outside of yourself and within yourself. Be aware of what’s around you, of the sights and sounds, and be aware of your breathing, the aches and pains of your muscles and joints, your muscles as they work during your run, your feet as they hit the ground, the wind as it hits your skin, your hair rustling in that wind, your thoughts as you run. Being in the moment is a very powerful thing to learn, and while it’s not easy to learn it all at once, with practice you will get better and better at it.

Also see:

Posted on 3 August 2007 in Fitness, Health Tip Day, Simplicity |
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Comments (21)

Sveninarxao Says:

August 3rd, 2007, 11:32 am

It seems that I have always been practicing this meditation unconsciously, and this is why I love running for long periods of time, hiking, and rowing. During this physical activity, I hit a point where I can ignore the pain and solely think of the actions.

During rowing, we do something called a swing row where we kind of swing in our rowing seats, rowing like that for about 45 minutes. It is the same physical exertion as hard jogging, and after awhile, my mind just begins to work. I assess what I have done the day, how well I am doing currently, and what I will do later. It is excellent.

I just wouldn’t recommend it while you’re trying to do an exercise for intensity like sprinting or rowing. I find that once your mind is away from your body, you lose some control which can be both positive or negative, but bad for those situations.

chica with issues Says:

August 3rd, 2007, 12:46 pm

I agree, running is a great time to kind of be aware of what is going on inside your head. I even do this when I am at the gym. The only difference is that I have some classical music on my mp3 player so that I can keep any distractions to a minimum. Depending on where you are running, you may need to do the same thing outside as well.

Alan Says:

August 3rd, 2007, 14:22 pm

Liar! I think you really are a Zen Buddhist! But then again, all this is an illusion anyway…I guess you’re not then because you wouldn’t run if you were?

Oh, the whole point to my post is about RHYTHM. I usually concentrate on the rhythm of my feet and my breathing, trying to find a common beat. You kindof alluded to it but didn’t say it explicitly.

Mr. Negative Says:

August 3rd, 2007, 14:35 pm

For me it is cycling. I find I can process a lot of stored up “stuff” on a good ride. I think a lot of this is because I *don’t* listen to music when I ride. When I run or swim I find that the music I am listening to tends to let my brain process less effectively.

As an aside, you should check out “Chi Running”. http://www.chirunning.com It is a great methodology for mindful running! Not to mention that it helps me run more efficiently and with less physical stress on my joints.

PS - I’m not affiliated with Chi Running in any way… other than having bought the book and DVD. :-)

Alex Ion Says:

August 3rd, 2007, 20:59 pm

I would like to add that you can lose weight really easy by running.

Those are some great points up there.

Wisdom Says:

August 4th, 2007, 2:33 am

Contemplating while running can sometime cause some injury, as you are not paying attention. I think practicing concentration is great while running and it teaches present moment awareness.

Abhijit Says:

August 4th, 2007, 2:40 am

Hey Leo,

The forums seem to be down…I’m getting a 404 page when I click the breadcrumb for Forums atop of the page.

-Abhijit

Tom O'Leary Says:

August 4th, 2007, 7:59 am

I find running is like having my own little universe to play in. I can think or dream or analyze or just empty my mind. It is the perfect way to take control of your life, as is cycling, swimming….

Thanks
Tom

Dave Says:

August 4th, 2007, 8:57 am

Uhmm. Where are the forums?!?!

Dave Says:

August 4th, 2007, 8:59 am

While the forums are down…
Good!
For Aug 4 I got up early (6:00) I felt like swimming but lost my pool-key.

Bloggrrl Says:

August 5th, 2007, 0:46 am

I concentrate all right, on how miserable I am! I dream about running, but that is the only place where it feels good. I guess I’ll stick to walking and my bike and just envy you runners!

Betsbillabong Says:

August 5th, 2007, 19:46 pm

Great post! I have two things to add:

(1) In his great book, THE ATHLETE’S WAY, Chris Bergland discusses finding the place where you are neither bored nor overly challenged on your run, as the place where you are best able to concentrate. I found this really helpful. If I’m zoning out, I’m generally not working hard enough.

(2) Listening to the sounds around you is a really wonderful practice (and not only while you’re running). Again, it keeps you connected to the outside world, and it’s also really easy to come back to if you get distracted thinking about stuff.

Rod Sherwin Says:

August 6th, 2007, 1:49 am

I have found that to make it sustainable, I run every second day. I fI try to run every day it becomes yet another chore to get done. But every second day it is something to look foward to.

Jen Burmeister Says:

August 6th, 2007, 7:31 am

I am right there with you. For years, I have enjoyed running in peace. I’ve tried running with music, but it usually ends up being more annoying than anything, and I turn it off before I get home … sometimes that peace & quiet is the solution for relaxation, meditation and problem-solving! It seems I get my best ideas & solutions for everyday issues when I’m taking a jog … and my dogs love it too. Everybody benefits.

Thanks for the post.

Atomic Bombshell Says:

August 6th, 2007, 11:27 am

For me it’s cycling, also. However, due to the limitations of my work schedule, only when the days are long from May-August. Realizing that my time is almost up, I think perhaps running would be a good replacement during the off-season. (Largely due to the things you’ve written.) I’d love to hear more about the gear needed to make running pleasurable in all kinds of weather.

Mai Says:

August 7th, 2007, 11:08 am

I do like running because it’s a great way to relieve stress and live in the moment. But what about your knees? Have you considered this Leo? I’ve read in some sports related magazines that runners end up hurting their knees and are forced to take up either cycling or rowing, but I haven’t done much research on the subject.

Leo Says:

August 7th, 2007, 23:47 pm

@Mai: Yes, running can be hard on your joints, if you’re not careful. There are some guidelines I’d recommend to keep from stressing your joints too much, and to help prevent injury. If overdone, running can cause a lot of damage to your body. However, know that there are runners who run races into their 70s (I know some personally) and have done it for 50 years. They’re not as fast as they once were, but their knees are fine.

I’ll post more about this in the future. Thanks for the question!

Stacey Allison Says:

August 21st, 2007, 16:39 pm

I love your post on Zen Running. I think it’s really important that people understand that meditating doesn’t have to be “seated”. Finding an activity we love that lets us get into our own place and lets us just be in the moment is a form of meditation and helps us to find more balance in our lives. Thanks for the article.

GlennDavid Says:

October 18th, 2007, 0:50 am

it is also proven that going for a walk or a run before going to bed is very good for your sleep…

Mike Says:

November 7th, 2007, 19:42 pm

@Mai - this is the number one excuse I hear people talk about in regards to running. A while ago Runners World did a great article on this. The main point that stuck with me from the article is one simple fact: We are biological not mechanical.

What does this mean? Well simple it just illustrates that we are not like a car. The more you drive a car, the more it “wears out”, the tires go bald, the shocks go out, etc. However, biological beings or humans are not this way, in fact we are in most cases exactly the opposite. Look at body builders, they get bigger and stronger from tearing down and pushing their bodies to the limit. This is the same for running! As you push yourself your body adapts and becomes stronger and can take more and more abuse.

Sure injuries happen and people do in fact have knee problems, however it is key to realize that knees do not have some pre-determined mile rating like a new set of tires.