The Miracle of Mindfulness

I just got back from a run. 7.5 miles, my first run since the olympic distance triatholon at Treasure Island (1.5 km swim, 40km mile bike, 10 km run. I can see the T-Shirt I'm wearing in the reflection of the computer screen, it's the one I got for finishing the treasure island tri.

Today I feel good. I feel empowered, love and hope. I feel like anything is possible. I feel like my dreams keep coming true.

I've been told that there is a chance that the magazine "Runners World" wants to interview me. I feel excited. I feel like I should be studying. I feel lucky, blessed and priveledged to be able to do what I love - Nursing. My life is exactly how I imagined it to be given my circumstances. I've added the story of my car accident and some photos to my blog per a recommendation from a friend. Crazy to think that was me. I feel healed.

Today was the first time since my accident that I felt strong running. That's 7 years and 3 months of feeling suffocated when I work out. Like the amount of air I get in, I can't get out. I felt free, and for the first time, I got tired before I got out of breath. It must be all the training. Training may be the answers to my all my prayers. I feel liberated from the suffering I've endured. I feel new. I feel like me again. I feel mindful.

There are two ways to run... the first is in order to finish the run. The second is to run the distance in order to run the distance. If while running the distance we think only of getting the run finished, thus hurrying to get the run out of the way as if it was a nuisance, then we are not alive at the time of the run. In fact, we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life within ourselves while running. If we run and focus on our breath, our legs and the components of our body while we run, emmersed in the present moment, it is here that we realize the miracle of life and the miracle of mindfulness. It is through the miracle of mindfulness that we have access to the present moment, where we can be free from the pain of the past (physical and mental) and focus on the joy the present moment offers.