Saturday, May 28, 2011

Mindful Walking and Living

I have been running a little bit lately. Three times in the last week. It has felt good. I can't run very far. I'm out of shape. But I have been trying to do it. Trying to eat better and such.

I run for a little while and then I walk for a little while.

I am trying to listen to some advice of a book that I have been reading called Think Smart. The author suggests a combination of physical and mental activity. In essence, he encourages you to be mindful while you walk or run. Look at things, pay attention to things, be aware of your surroundings.

I was walking through my neighborhood and I suddenly saw this huge fenced in opening full of a crumbling foundation, full of trees and plants. There was a notice about the way the land was going to be used.

It is easy to be mindless. To just run. To just talk.

To not just do my dishes but to let my mind wander.

I'm trying to think about what mindfulness is. What it takes to be in the moment. I think that running and walking are good things for me to do. I think that eating well is important for me to do. I'm feeling very open to these possible changes in my habits. I hope I can continue to reflect on them. I hope I can continue to clean my apartment and take care of my body.

I suspect it will really benefit my thinking. Which, frankly, is what I care the most about. But I am starting to accept that a healthy mind needs a healthy body.

Duh. It has just been harder to act on.

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About Me

I spend most of my time working as a mental health professional. I have been preoccupied with philosophy, politics, healing, and many other questions for the last 15 years or so. I am currently working on putting together my study of Plato and Aristotle with contemporary work in philosophy, psychology, psychotherapy, and trauma research. I use this place primarily as a workshop for ideas. I welcome conversation with anyone working on similar problems. The major contours of my basic project have been outlined here

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