Still Running
The Art of Meditation in Motion
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Learn how to bring the power of stillness into your running practice with meditations, guidance, and inspiration from a long-time runner and Zen practitioner.
Running is more than just exercise. Running is a practice, a moving meditation, that brings the power of stillness to all the activities in our lives. Vanessa Zuisei Goddard combines her experience leading running retreats with her two-decade practice of Zen to offer insight, humor, and practical guidance for grounding our running, or any physical practice, in meditation.
When we see running solely as exercise and focus on improving our times, covering a certain number of miles, or losing weight, we miss the deeper implications of this art. Whether you are a new or experienced runner, you will learn how to be more embodied through thirteen running practices to help improve your focus and running form. Using mantras and visualizations, as well as a range of other exercises, Goddard offers ways to practice running as a moving meditation with an eye toward bringing the power of stillness to all the activities in your life. Ultimately, Still Running is a book about freedom, ease, and the joy of movement; it's about the power of stillness and learning how to use that power to live wholeheartedly.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Zen teacher Goddard combines Buddhist teachings with the sport of running in her brisk, appealing debut. A runner of 35 years and a Zen practitioner for over 20, Goddard uses meditation to remain present and "awake" throughout the day, whether at rest or on the move. She explores the relationship between Zen practice and running using the Buddhist Eightfold Path, focusing on right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration: "focus and consistency make it possible to push against the edges of what we think we know." Goddard asks readers to investigate their intent, commitment, and discipline in regard to running, and how those same principles relate to other aspects of their lives. At the end of each chapter, she provides meditation instructions for formal zazen sitting meditation as well as physical practices including running form, abdominal breathing, blind running, and visualization exercises. Though running is Goddard's jumping-off point, her main focus is on teaching basic tenets of Buddhist ideas and applying them to the body and mind in motion. Buddhist runners will enjoy this accessible, conversational companion.
