June 25, 2013 by Toku on Skillset

Minimalist Mindful Fitness – 5 Key Practices

Minimalist Mindful Fitness – 5 Key Practices

(Avg. Reading time 4.5 Mins)

What the Hell is Mindful Fitness Anyway?
Recently I received this question from one of my readers:
“What activities and/or cues have you found to be most helpful in incorporating mindfulness into your clients’ activities? Walking, breathing, something more meaningful to each person? Do you have an activity that you tend to start with to introduce that concept?”

First off, I want to say this is a great question. Many people struggle with how to start practicing mindfulness and/or fitness with so many fitness options the possibilities can be a bit overwhelming.

So here is my
Minimalist Mindful Fitness Guide –
5 Key Practices to Get Your Started.

1. Intention –
The first practice I start with most of my clients is identifying their list of internal and external goals. We look at how many pounds they want to lose or how many miles the want to run, but we don’t stop there.

We also look at how they want to feel and what they think losing weight or getting in shape will do for them. By looking at their intentions first, they connect with deep motivations and a sense of purpose.

2. Journaling –
The second practice I recommend for all my clients is journaling. Many people trying to make a life change struggle with judgments, self doubt, and internal criticism. The purpose of journaling is to increase awareness without judgment.

I have my clients record a very basic journal of what they eat, what activity they do, and their state of mind. I also ask them to notice any connection between these three. Lastly, I encourage them to write down one thing everyday they are grateful for.

I do this before we start with any exercise or nutrition plan. Because I want them to just notice what’s going on.

Often without any prompting, they will identify ways they are sabotaging themselves or areas where they need to do some investigation.

Because this wisdom comes from within these revelations are much more powerful than anything, they’ve read in a book or heard from a trainer.

3. Habit Formation
Many trainers have a particular exercise regime or nutrition plan they employ with clients. But I believe the best nutrition and exercise plan is the one you will actually do.

The main problem with most diet and exercise plans is they demand too radical change too quickly. The main goal of the MindFitMove method is not to help you lose weight or gain muscle.

Let me repeat that again because I know it sounds crazy. The main goal of MindFitMove method is not to help you lose weight or gain muscle.

The main goal of this mindfulness based fitness approach is to help you create more awareness and then use that awareness to make different choices.

The first two practices help establish a baseline awareness. In habit formation we take that awareness and start making change a reality.

First, I find what that person likes to do and get them to do more of that. I believe that if it doesn’t fit smoothly in your life you won’t do it.

For example, I had one client who liked riding his bike so I got him to ride his bike up a steep hill 3 times a week. I had another client who lived next to a lovely park so I got them to walk and eventually jog in that park.

The hardest part of regular exercise is the regular part. By finding, a physical activity you enjoy or at least don’t despise. You vastly increase your chance for success.

4. Set the Stage
Once we’ve established baseline awareness and started creating new habits then we work with specific mindful fitness techniques.

The fundamental mindful fitness technique is creating an environment for mindfulness.

I encourage my clients to exercise outside, to exercise without the use of music, and to exercise with the intention to focus on their bodies.

These 3 techniques all help create an environment of mindfulness. And though they don’t require a ton of concentration. They do lay the groundwork for intense focus and spacious awareness.

5. Active Mindfulness – 4 Mindful Fitness Techniques
Once we’ve established an environment of mindfulness, then we use advanced mindfulness based fitness techniques to increase awareness and focus during exercise.

I’ve used these 4 mindful fitness techniques in my own practice as well as with my clients.

1. Noticing before and after –
At the end of your work out take a minute close your eyes and focus on how you feel now vs. how you felt before you exercised. This practice helps connect us with the ease that exercise can bring. It also tunes us in to any aches that may indicate any problem areas we need to work on.

2. Cadence –
Cadence is the rate at which your feet hit the ground when running, or the speed that your pedals turnover in cycling. When practicing with cadence we simply notice how it changes as we exercise.

Cadence helps us in two ways:
One. It helps us tune into our bodies natural rhythms
Two. Working to maintain a fast even cadence will decrease injuries and increase speed and efficiency.

3. Pay attention to sound –
The world is filled with sounds we never notice. But when we open our sense, we often find joy in the sound of chirping birds and the even pad of our feet on the trail.

In addition to enjoying our natural environment, sound can also reveal imbalances in our exercise form.

For example, I’ve noticed, as I get tired my footsteps get louder. Louder footsteps means higher impact and lowered efficiency. So, by working to run quietly I increase my speed and decrease the stress on my body.

4. Breath-
Breath practice often gives us cues about how we are approaching exercise and our life in general. No matter what the activity, noticing our breath can help us perform with greater skill and confidence.

In yoga, the breath helps us move the body in an even rhythm. In endurance events like running and cycling, our breath tells us when we are pushing too hard or moving out of sync. And in weight lifting, our breath not only helps us connect to movement, but also works to stabilize and strengthen our bodies.

Simply Amazing
There are 1000’s of books on fitness and eating, but most of them overcomplicate everything with complex theories and complicated techniques. What’s so amazing about these practices is how simple they are.

Using just these 5 practices people can make amazing progress towards establishing a mindfulness based fitness practice.

Mindful fitness isn’t about taking one model and applying it to everyone. It’s about establishing principles and then investigating how those principles apply to your life.

Because of that, no two people will ever approach mindfulness based fitness the same way. But it also means that this practice can adapt and change as you change. It can become an organic part of your own growth and that’s why it’s such an amazing tool for lasting transformation.

Thanks
Thanks very much to Kelsey for sending in this question. Kelsey has been one of my best and most loyal readers from the beginning of my blog. She is an awesome physical therapist and super cool lady.

If there is a question, you have please feel free to leave it below or email me and I’ll do my best to address it in one of my future posts.

Photo Credits

June 20, 2013 by Toku on Meditations

100th POST! Mindful Eating at Food Carts – A Guest Post On FoodCartsPortland.com

I am excited to announce my 100th Blog Post.
And I am honored that this post was guest post I wrote for the awesome Blog FoodCartsPortland.

FoodCartsPortland.com is an awesome blog that tells the stories of the amazing food cart scene in Portland OR. I highly encourage you to Follow them on Twitter , Share the hell out of this Post, and if you live in or plan to visit Portland Download Their Ap For Itunes Or Andriod

It’s written by Brett Burmeister aka dieselboi who is an excellent blogger, community leader, and a all around inspiring guy to hang out with.

We went out a few weeks ago to answer the question:
Can you eat mindfully at a food cart?
And here is what we found out:

Dope Da Nang Pork Sandwich from Graffiti Food Cart on Woodstock and 48th

Mindful Eating at Food Carts
June 20, 2013 On FoodCartsPortland.com

[I had the pleasure of enjoying lunch with our guest author and we discussed mindful eating. A guest post from Sam ‘Gentoku’ McCree, Founder of the Mind Fit Move]

When most of us think about mindful eating, we think of a quiet room, with a lit candle, and a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries. Not midday on a street corner with cars rushing by and strangers yammering on their cell phones. But when you’re a food cart connoisseur, that’s exactly the environment you eat in.

I recently had the chance to check out some local carts with Brett of FoodCartsPortland.com and together we tried to answer this question: Can you eat mindfully at a food cart?

The first cart we went to was Graffiti at the corner of 48th and Woodstock. They serve a variety of delicious sandwiches inspired by both street food sensibility and big city savvy. We ordered the Da Nang Pork sandwich, a tasty looking creation with…

Click Here To Read More

June 4, 2013 by Toku on Skillset

Make Decisions Easier and Better – 5 Steps to Minimalist Thinking

Make Decisions Easier and Better –

5 Steps to Minimalistic Thinking

When I was in college, I studied philosophy. A subject matter designed to tie your mind into knots. Very well organized notated knots, but knots nonetheless. So, let me give you the history of western philosophy in 5 steps

1. We have no idea what’s going on.
2. I propose an idea of what is going on.
3. I create a big complex set of texts about why I’m right.
4. Some hotshot comes along and tears my idea to shreds.
5. Repeat

Though philosophy is fascinating to study and can teach you a lot about the way we see the universe, it’s a very specialized technique. Very often when we contemplate our lives we use these complicated techniques to analyze situations that really aren’t all that complicated.

So, since I’m often guilty of this kind of over analysis here are some techniques I’ve discovered to simplify thinking and make better desicions.

5 Steps To Minimalist Thinking Or How To Make Better Faster Choices

1. Preferences –
The first step to thinking more simply is to understand that most decisions are decisions of preference.

There are some choices in life that will really make or break us, but many of them will not. The kind of toothpaste you choose will not dictate your life span, earning potential, or attractiveness. Even most choices at work are not the kind that will make or destroy your career.

The trick is to figure out if the decision is about preference and if it is make a choice and move on. Neither you nor history will remember what choice you made and your brain power would be better used elsewhere.

2. Deliberation –
Ok so once you determined the choice is not one of preference. It’s time to make a deliberation strategy. The key here is to set a time limit. If there is no deadline, your mind will go back and forth forever.

Do this in 3 phases.
1. Set a time limit for each phase –
These can be as long or short as you like, but shorter is better. Most people allocate too long to make a choice and this actually makes it harder to decide.

2. Information gathering –
In this period, gather as much information on each side as is reasonable. Try to spend an equal amount of time getting information unless you already know a lot about one of the choices.

3. Consutation –
Identify two people whose perspectives would be valuable. Call and talk to them about your decision.The best people are the ones that will ask you good questions about your choice. Pay close attention to what you say because it may reveal your own wisdom or a hidden perspective.

3. The List – Now that you have gathered information and sought counsel, you are ready to decide. Make a list of pros and cons for each option. Only include realistic options for each choice.

Take some time to review the lists carefully. Eliminate unrealistic fears (The zombie apocalypse might happen, but then you’ll have other worries.) and add others things that arise.

Usually one choice has a slight lead now and it’s time to dive in.

4. Taking the Leap
Making a choice is hard and often we end up fighting our fears that we are making a huge mistake. We fear future regret, humilliation, and ridicule. I find that asking myself these three questions helps me take the leap.

What is the best thing that could happen?
What is the worst thing that could happen?
What is the most likely thing that will happen?

This helps reveal my fears and gain some perspective.

5. Tracking and Adjustment
Ok so you’ve made a choice. Now pay attention to what happens. Don’t fret about the choice but observe the results.

Chances are doom will not ensue. And if the choice wasn’t perfect, that’s just more information for next time. After a period of time ask the following questions:

What do I wish I could have known before I decided?
What factors did I not consider during my analysis?
What factors did I consider that didn’t play into the results?

Deciding is hard, but if we stay focused and acknowledge our anxiety, we can learn to be more decisive confident, and minimal in our thinking.

May 28, 2013 by Toku on Meditations

The 5 Best Minimalist Mindfulness and Fitness Apps

What is mindfulness ? For the iPhone
Owning an iPhone won’t make you mindful and healthy. But a smart phone is a powerful tool. And part of blending mindfulness into your life is about learning to use tools to increase your awareness and bring balance to our lives.

Though I have many kinds of apps on my iPhone, these 5 aps stand for 3 reasons.

1. They have simple minimal designs.
2. They provide practical tools to increase mindfulness and fitness.
3. They are useful for people with a variety different mindfulness and fitness goals.

So with further ado I give you:

The 5 Best Minimalist iPhone Apps For Mindfulness and Fitness

1. Mind – Meditation Timer – Free
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mind/id419702358

If you want to start meditating, you need a timer. And staring at a clock is challenging even for the strongest sitters. So, I recommend getting an app to time your sessions.

Of course, there are tons of meditation timers out there. But I love Mind because of its super minimal design.

You move the rainbow colored counter to whatever time you want. Then you tap the button. You hear a little gear cranking sound and small text appears that tells you to relax and focus on your breath.

The lines slowly move to the right giving you a sense of time passing without the mind numbing quality of digital numbers counting down. When the time has expired, a nice soft chime rings 3 times.

2. Evernote – A Minimal Journaling and Note Taking App – Free
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote/id281796108

If you want to become more aware of your life, you have to start keeping track. And evernote is one of the best minimal apps out there to record and track your mind, mood, and food.

I use evernote for everything from writing my daily vows, to taking notes, to keeping journals of my food and exercise. It’s simple input makes keeping track of various notes very simple.

Best of all you can have it on your computer, iPhone, iPad, and even access it on the web. Notes from each device all sync to the cloud. This means you can take notes on your phone and edit them on your computer or vice versa.

3. Hundred PushUps – A Mininal Strength Trainig Ap – $1.99
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hundred-pushups/id301174591

This is a simple and awesome app for anyone wanting to build functional strength. You follow the programs, take the tests, and work your way to 100 pushups. Pushups are a great full body exercise and this app makes the path to 100 pushups nice and simple.

It’s a great way to establish a regular strength training practice and though it’s not a comprehensive workout. It will give you confidence try other strength training regimes once you get done.

I’ve used this program with many of my clients and have seen great results in strength and confidence.

This is the only app on the list that you have to pay for, but if money is an issue you can skip the payment and just follow the program by going to http://www.hundredpushups.com/

4. C25KFree – Free
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/c25k-5k-trainer-free/id485971733

There are a lot of couch to 5k apps out there, but I like the simple design of this one and the fact that it’s free doesn’t hurt.

The app takes you through a simple 8-week running and walking program to get you up to running a 5k. Almost anyone can complete this very simple program.

Most people go out too fast when starting an exercise program and the slow pace of this app will help you get moving while keeping you injury free.

I’ve used this with clients and it not only gets you running but is a very gentle way to start yourself on a path of doing regular exercise.

5. Lotus Bud Mindfulness Bell – Free

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lotus-bud-mindfulness-bell/id502329366

A mindfulness bell is a bell that rings periodically to remind you to be present. I have used them off an on for years. They serve as a great cue to stop and take a breath.

I’ve tried out a few apps with lots of complicated steps, but this app is super simple. You turn it on and set when you want the bells to stop. Then through out your day a bell will ring to remind you to stop and take a few breaths.

The only downside is you have to remember to start it every morning, but that itself can become a good mindfulness practice. Though I’m not in love with this app, I haven’t found anything better. And remembering to practice is one of the biggest challenges there are.

BONUS APPS
These apps are great apps for anyone who wants to make big changes in their lives, but neither of them qualified as minimal so I didn’t include them on the original list.

My Fitness Pal – Free
Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/calorie-counter-diet-tracker/id341232718

This is a great tool for anyone who wants to keep track of his or her food towards the goal of losing weight. Though a million fad diets have come and gone the calorie in calorie out method of weight loss has stood the test of time

With thousands of preprogrammed foods, MyFitnessPal makes calorie counting much easier. It will provide you with weekly calorie goals to help you lose weight.

My tips for using MyFitnessPal

1. Ignore daily totals use the weekly goals as your main focus. This means you can cheat some days and still be under for the week.

2. Set your weekly weight loss goals reasonably. Slow weight loss is sustainable and will give you time to develop healthy habits. If you set your weight loss goals too high you’ll either bail or rebound.

3.Watch your anxiety level when using this app. If it becomes an obsession, try something else. It is a great tool, but don’t let it control your life.

Cyclemeter – $4.99
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyclemeter-gps-track-cycling/id330595774

This app may cost 5 bucks but it’s worth 10 times that. I started using this app when I began training for my first century ride and now I use it for everything.

My favorite features
Programmable intervals – This app allows you to create your own interval workouts based on distance or time. Which means you can use it for speed workouts or HIIT without much trouble.

Doesn’t drain your battery – I tried other GPS tracking apps, mapmyrun, strava, and they all killed my battery. I don’t know how this one does it, but it outlasts all the others.

Facebook Wall Reading –
This app will post your progress to Facebook and actually read you the comments that people post in reply. Nothing is cooler than to be out on a run and have this app tell me that my friend Ali said to have a nice run.

This is a totally extravagant feature for an app but it’s still cool.

Finally, I’d like to say that though I use my phone to track my runs I try not to always use it to listen to music and ignore my body. While a smart phone is an excellent tool that can support your intentions to be mindful, it can also support your intentions to be mindless.

Final Thoughts on the Best Minimalist Mindfulness and Fitness Apps

While your iPhone can be an amazing tool, it can also become an amazing problem. We must learn to master the skill of picking up and putting down. This means we know when to use this tool to help us be aware and when we are using it to avoid our feelings or mind.

While all these apps can be helpful, nothing will improve your awareness more than leaving your phone at home and going for a walk or run unplugged.

Our natural environment can teach us more about life and our own mind than any app we can ever buy.

May 22, 2013 by Toku on Skillset

Interview with Tour-De-Fit – On Mindfulness Based Personal Training

I got featured on the Tour De Fit Website yesterday.
Check it out.

“Gentoku’s refreshing approach is based on the belief that awareness creates change. All diets, exercise plans, and self help systems work because they make you pay attention, but they all fail to some extent because they focus on lots of rules. Rules don’t change your life, paying attention does.

We sat down with Gentoku to discuss his philosophy …”

May 19, 2013 by Toku on Skillset

Eating with Gratitude: A Mindful Eating Thought Experiment (Audio)

Paleo diets are all the rage so lets do a Paleo thought experiment.

Imagine you were a Paleolithic man or woman. It’s been a hard winter and your food supplies have been dwindled. Your young children are hungry, but spring has come late this year. Nothing is sprouting and the game hasn’t returned as it normally does.

The Search
You have been searching for food, but other than a few meager herbs, nothing can be found. You know that if you return home with nothing it will mean another day without eating.

Your youngest has been growing weaker. She’s been coughing and unable to rise from her mat. You know that if you don’t find more food soon she won’t make it.

p style=”text-align:Left;”>Feel the fear, the frustration, and the confusion at your situation. Feel the deep hunger in your own belly, which hasn’t been properly fed in weeks. You feel an ache not only for yourself but for your family as well.

Lost
Now imagine as you return home you become lost. You have never been in this part of the valley before at first, you are scared, but then you come across a tree.

On the tree are strange objects you haven’t seen before. You take one down and it smells sweet. You are unsure what to do, but you figure you have nothing to lose. So, you take a bite. The taste of sugary sweetness fills your mouth.

The rich grainy texture is a little sour, but you can tell this is food. You rush to gather as much of this new fruit as you can, eating as you go.

With your arms full, you head back the direction you came. And with each step, you know you carry hope for your family. Your heart is filled with deep abiding gratitude.

The Salvation of Food
For centuries, food was a blessing. People sacrificed to harvest gods and performed sacred rituals, but for most of us, access to food is an afterthought. Living in a modernized western world our idea of hunger is mostly abstract.

Even hunger that occurs on a diet is very different from the hunger brought on by starvation. Because of this, we have lost our sense of the struggle to eat that our ancestors fought with.

Wars have been fought over the same salt and sugar we buy at the grocery store everyday. But it’s hard to access that reality, because of the relative bounty that we live in.

So for this post I thought I would share a Mindful Eating exercise that helps reconnect us with our gratitude

Eating With Gratitude
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/92698148″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Interested in the Paleo vs Veggie debate read this awesome article by Matt from No Meat Athlete – http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegans-and-paleos/

May 14, 2013 by Toku on Skillset

Do Less, Change More – 5 Minimalist Life Changers

Changing your life can seem really complicated and challenging. The process of transformation is a life long journey, but it can begin with a few very simple steps.

5 Minimalist Life Changers

1. Keep a Journal
Try keeping a daily journal of your food, activity, sleep, and mood. This is a powerful tool to notice and change your habit patterns.

When I was preparing to take the Buddhist precepts, I started a daily reflection practice. Every night I spent a few minutes reflecting on the days events. I thought about how I had held the vows I was preparing to take.
I not only discovered some blind spots, but learned to appreciate my victories as well.

2. Go Small and Consistent
Changing your life is about building the confidence to change your habits. Start small and build from there.

When I quit smoking, I didn’t quit cold turkey like many people. I slowly cut back over time. Every time I wanted to smoke, I would delay as long as possible.

I called this practice quitting. When I stopped smoked completely, this practice helped me defeat the urge to cheat whenever it arose.

3. Get Support
Social accountability is a big component for people who are successful in transforming their lives. Having friends on the path makes the journey much easier.

When I was training for my first century ride (100 mile bike ride), I committed to riding with a training group every week. The weekly ritual kept me honest about my training and encouraged me to keep going.

4. Redefine Success
It’s helpful to think of success as measured by both internal and external improvement. Don’t just work to make your body look better also make sure you are nourishing your heart and mind.

It’s important to honor every part of yourself. The part of you that wants a treat isn’t bad or evil, it just wants you to pay attention to something you need.

When I quit smoking, someone told me I had to honor whatever need the smoking filled for me. If I did that, I’d make sure to stay quit.

One thing I loved about smoking was that it made me feel rebellious. So after I quit, I started reading under my sheets after lights out at the monastery. It was against the rules so I felt rebellious. But it was mostly harmless.

Eventually, I was able to put down the crutch, but it helped for a while.
If you feed that need without engaging in the same habit; you make better choices and honor yourself at the same time.

5. Believe In Yourself
Change is very possible, but it’s not a straight and easy road. You have to remind yourself often that you can do it.

Even though I have changed my life drastically over the past 2-3 years I still worry that I’ll slip up. I have to remind myself regularly that change is possible. And that I am manifesting that possibility with every small change I make.

I hope that you find these 5 tips helpful because they have helped me so much.

My number one goal is to help people change their lives. My dream for everyone that reads this blog is that you stay focused on your path and never give up on your ability to change your life.

Photo Credits

May 10, 2013 by Toku on Mindset

Jeff Bezos & A Famous Dead Italian Woman Endorse Handwriting Sales Copy?

Reblogged From CopyHour.com
I was lucky enough to get a guest post featured on the Copyhour.com blog It’s not my normal topic, but It something I thought you might enjoy checking out.

This is a fascinating guest post from CopyHour member Samuel Gentoku McCree of MindFitMove.

“Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.” – Maria Montessori

What if I told you Jeff Bezos and a dead Italian woman convinced me to sign up for CopyHour? You’d probably think I was crazy, right? Except that’s exactly what happened. Let me explain.

Small Busyness

I started my company MindFitMove, a mindfulness based fitness and self improvement business, back in September. As I got things going I had the same problem . . .

May 7, 2013 by Toku on Skillset

How I Became a Superior Human (by Running 13 Miles)

Every time I race, I learn something new about myself. In all the races I’ve run, I’ve found that my ability to be aware is the key to success.

The success I’m talking about doesn’t come from fast times or longer distances. It’s the success that comes from having fun and learning about what makes you tick. What’s amazing about this kind of success is that it makes every race training for how to be a better human.

Five Tips for Being a Better Human
(That I learned by running 13.1 miles)

1. Start with Strategy – There are a million strategies out there for racing, but here’s the crazy thing, it doesn’t really matter which one you use.

I’ve tried even splits, negative splits, and drafting. No matter what strategy you choose having one is the most important thing.

During my recent half I focused on running the race I wanted to run. I saved my energy early on. I ran up the hills slowly and down the hills fast.

There were times I was tempted to try to keep up with others. Or slow down when it got hard. But I stuck with my plan and managed to run 8:20’s, 10secs faster than my goalpace.

Racing mindfully, is like living mindfully. We have to follow our own compass and not get caught up in what others are doing.

2. Remember to Smile –
Even if I don’t enjoy every second of a race, I still love running. But often when I’m enjoying myself I often forget to smile. When I do I find it makes me feel even better. When I’m struggling, I find putting on a smile often helps snap me out of my funk.

Smiling is just as important off the course as it is on. Smiling has all sorts of chemical effects on your brain that I won’t go into. In addition smiling encourages others. And we often get back what we put out into the world.

(Plus you might end up as the guy at the top of the post)

3. Notice Your Emotions
The range of emotions that I feel when I’m running amazes me.

There are whole sections where I feel elated. And there are other sections where I feel like total crap. Perhaps the most dramatic shift in emotions happens right after the race.

10 – 15 mins after I finish I feel like I want to hurl and collapse all at the same time. I stand there wondering why I just did all that hard work.

Then something happens. I start to feel better and I can’t wait to race again. The pain subsides and I can feel the ease and quiet space that comes after working hard.

Watching your emotions while you race is a great way to see emotional states arise, exist, and disappear. Then when emotions arise in any area of your life, you can learn to practice with them in the same way.

4. Learn to Practice With Others
Even though I didn’t run with my friends the whole time, there is a strong camaraderie in racing with loved ones. It enhances the sense of a shared experience and the joy of accomplishment.

When you race, you raise your dopamine levels, which strengthens the bonds of friendships and partnerships. In addition, you learn valuable lessons about being happy for people who do better than you. And those that work just as hard, but finish later.

5. It isn’t all about you.
In many ways, endurance racing is an individual activity. Because of this, it’s easy to be caught up in our ego story. But making it all about us makes the whole thing harder.

Racing isn’t just about when you finish. It’s about who you are when you run.

I remember one relay race where I was running on a trail. And I noticed lots of discarded cans and bottles. Some from the race and some that had been there a while.

I felt responsible to help out. So, I stopped to pick up as many of them as I could reasonably carry. It was odd to run with trash, but it felt good to think about more than just myself.

One way I practice this is I always make it a point to thank all of the volunteers and encourage other racers. Even saying ‘looking good’ or ‘good job’ can mean a lot to someone who is really struggling.

This practice applies to everyday life as well. Encouraging others and saying thank you are two of the most important things we can do. It’s so easy to criticize, but appreciation and gratitude take real courage and compassion.

Final Thoughts
Whether you change your life to race or race to change your life, there are so many valuable lessons to be gained. Wisdom is under every step we take, if we can only slow down enough to see it. When we do, we enrich our lives no matter how fast we end up running.

What lessons have you learned from racing?

May 3, 2013 by Toku on Mindset

Life’s a Be Eye Tee Cee . . . – The 5 Phases of the Suffering Mind

So, I’m moving out of my house. It’s all for the best. And I’m actually happy I don’t have to stick around for an awkward month of 30 day noticing. Nothing is worse than having or being a lame duck roommate.

Still I feel defeated, rejected, and sad. It’s funny, because I know I did as best as could be expected. I communicated clearly and calmly 90% of the time. I was diligent in meeting others’ requests. I tried to get along and connect.

Negative GhostRider
But it didn’t work out. And even though part of me knows, that it isn’t my fault. Another part of me feels like King Poo of Poo Mountain

Situations like this are hard because the mind is a blame-placing machine. And in absence of resentment, our minds tend towards depression and subtle senses of self-loathing. It’s hard to see a way forward.

The key is to observe what your mind is doing without judgment. Just this observation alone can reveal what you need. Often the observation itself is a great source of healing.

I engaged in this practice of observation over the past few days. And here are 5 phases I notices my own mind go through during this time.

Phase 1: Total Recall
In this phase, you replay all the key interactions with the person or group of people you’re in conflict with. In each replay, you recast yourself as the diplomat or the sassy bitch.

Though each replay is compelling, nothing changes except your mood and your ability to let the interaction go. You can’t change the past.

Phase 2: Indecision
The mind seeks for a solution to the conflict. It charts how various approaches might play out. You contemplate deep heart felt confessions, strong confrontations, or manipulative subterfuge.

Then you find yourself standing at the top of stairs listening to see if your roommates are in the kitchen. Or maybe staring at a phone trying to decide whether or not to hit send.

No matter what choice you make you will never know whether it’s the right one.
It’s terrifying and you start to realize there might not be a perfect solution after all.

Phase 3: Distraction, Reaction, and Compaction
In this phase, you avoid your feelings by any means possible. This phase is ripe with the seeking of pleasure or sloth.

It involves excessive TV watching, the seeking of sexual satisfaction, engagement in meaningless and repetitive activity, and a dispersed sense of generalized dissatisfaction.

This usually arises because you are unwilling to feel the depth of whatever emotion is arising. On some level, you know you have to deal with what you’re feeling. But on another level, you’re not yet ready.

Phase 4: Sadness, Loneliness, and Dramatic Disenchantment with All Human Existence.
The words that run through your mind are confusing and unconnected. In this stage, you feel a dull ache in your stomach and a hole in the center of your heart. This is a deep and transcendent feeling.

You feel the tension between your deep faith in humanity and the current state of affairs.
You fear you will feel like this forever.

Phase 5: Remission
During this phase, the strength of your feelings and emotions mostly vanish. It may result from absorption in a compelling activity, the presence of someone you feel safe around, or the opening of a new possibility.

The challenge of this state is the mind wants to believe there is nothing left to process and deal with. But often the heart has more to feel even when the mind has moved on.

So, while this phase may be pleasant, it’s important to not try to hold onto it.

The Salvation of Observation
Now here’s the hard part. Other than noticing these states there is nothing else you need to do. As these states shift and change the main practice is to notice and accept.

We watch each state to arise, exist for some time, and then allow it to disappear. Just the act and willingness to observe has amazing healing powers.

Conclusion
Even though I am still caught in this cycle myself, I know my ability to observe my own heart/mind has helped me work through these feelings.

I don’t think it’s going to repair my relationships or be the solution to all my problems. But it will teach me more about myself and what it means to be human.

My hope is that I can use this knowledge to connect, heal, and support others. I believe that even suffering endured with proper attention and intention; can serve my heart and the hearts of others.

How do you deal with setbacks in your life?
Let me know by commenting below.

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