Curing a broken heart with running?

….and My Story Runs On….

This past weekend, I received an email from someone interested in ChiRunning.  I always ask people if they have any current injuries so I have an idea of how I can help them run without pain.  I’ve been teaching for 3 years now and this is the first time someone responded to me with “nothing other than a broken heart.”

This got me thinking….when was the last time I had a broken heart?  My last 10-year relationship ended 2 years ago and my heart was broken.   Although I was running then, I started meditating as a way to heal.  As I focused on this daily practice, I realized how much meditation was in sync with my ChiRunning practice.  One of the many unique aspects of ChiRunning is the mind/body connection that you develop through your running practice.  I believe both of these cured my broken heart.

What was my biggest learning lessons that I applied to life AND running as soon as I learned them?

Present moment awareness.  What does this mean exactly?  Don’t live in the past and don’t stress about the future (especially if you have no control over the situation).  Once the past is over, there is nothing you can do to change it, so focus on detaching from the situation and letting go.  This is the same for a run!  If you have a “bad” run, just let it go and try to learn from the experience instead of stressing or beating yourself up about it.  LET IT GO!  We can rarely control our future so do the best you can but don’t stress about circumstances you can’t control.  Next time you go on a run, try not having any expectations about that run and see what happens.

Being in the present moment can be so relaxing.  So next time you go out on a run, focus on the present moment:  scenery, your breathing, what your body is doing and leave your mind (ego) at home…no judgement, no beating yourself up….

I found this response from Deepak Chopra (my primary source of meditations) on why it’s important to live in the present:

“Being fully present in the moment is valuable, not because you will remember it as a significant event, but because the present is the only place where you really live life. If you are imagining your future, then you aren’t here now, living life, making choices. Your attention is in the future where no choices can be made. If you are afraid or angry, then you are in the past, remembering old hurts and injustices. But to heal the past you need to bring your attention to the present, otherwise you are just reinforcing the old pain. There is nothing special to do or acknowledge in order to be present. It a matter of simply Being.”

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

How have you cured a broken heart?

Broken Heart

PS. Deepak and Oprah just started a free 21-Day meditation challenge that started yesterday.  This was how I originally started meditating a few years ago…I love these!

0 thoughts on “Curing a broken heart with running?

  1. This is so sad. You meditate to relax, to reflect, or to consider “what could I have done better”. A broken heart is never forgotten. When I lose a loved one, I try to focus on the good memories and how that person touched my life. How totally introspective to ignore the potential of the future because you cannot change it. You can change anything by learning from the past and using that knowledge to grow in the future.

    • I think we are kind of saying the same thing…we always should learn from our past mistakes…I’m saying people should not OBSESS about the future and they should focus on the present moment as that is the only moment in life that is guaranteed…not sure I understand what you are saying but appreciate your perspective.

  2. Lisa,
    Congrats on making the leap and getting your blog going; it’s great! You are inspiring me in so many ways, as that’s the next goal — first being completion of my first full marathon on 3/1/14 — on my list. Been wanting to start a blog forever (no excuse other than lazy…and because reading other’s that seem much more interesting than whatever I could come up with) and realized topic for it would be a natural — my experiences while I train for my first marathon.

    Your topic today — running to heal a broken heart — is one that is also close to my heart and which I have personal experience with. That’s exactly, subconsciously more than consciously, what motivated me to get started running regularly again after more than 30 years. And while I’m not sure it’s completely healed (an 11 year LTR takes a long time to really get over), it’s definitely beating again after 18 months. Running has evolved into a whole new lifestyle for me, and has provided me with a whole new circle of amazing friends who have served as a unique support group. It’s brought some very extra special people into my life (like you!) when I’ve needed them the most as I continue on my journey.

    Running has become what I know will be a life-long love affair even after I complete the marathon. More importantly, I know I will love again because I’ve learned the importance of loving myself first. 🙂

    Thanks for all you do for so many!

    • Thanks so much for your wonderful comments! Couldn’t agree more with everything you are saying..I have found that running is just a way of life now and it’s brought amazing people in my life too (including you!). So proud of you for doing your first marathon and happy that I can be on this awesome journey with you! Ironic that I just got done meditating, after our lovely run this morning, and the focus is about loving yourself…that’s what it boils down to and everything else will fall into place Glad you learned the importance of it and you are doing it! <3

  3. My mom once told my sister that she was going to offer up all her hard work she had planned for that day doing landscaping as a moving prayer towards helping her, my sister, to find her next awesome job. Any effort we make toward anything can be used, almost like a prayer, to heal our lives or manifest our dreams. Love what you had to say about this. By the way, my sister succeeded in landing the job she wanted. Who knows if what my mom did made a difference or not but I believe effort with intention and presence to the moment is profoundly powerful mojo! thanks Lisa for sharing this.

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