Mipham isn’t just a runner. He’s the head of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage and its worldwide network of meditation centers. The Tibetan lama outlines the connection between pavement pounding and spiritual seeking in his new book, Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind, which hit shelves earlier this month. How Exercise Is Like Xanax “Movement is good for the body and stillness is good for the mind,” Mipham explains. And a mind that’s trained in stillness can come in handy when movement gets difficult. [sidebar] Take, for example, the inevitable “wall” that all runners hit, dread hitting, and talk about hitting. In that moment, says Mipham, the runner suddenly comes in contact with his or her own mind in an immediate way. When you’re faced with doubt or pain, “this is where meditation can benefit the runner,” says Mipham. What you say to yourself can be what stops you or keeps you going. “We don’t panic: we regard the question, ‘Can I do this?’ as healthy,” which allows you to answer the question in a more honest way. So what does your meditation training plan look like? Find out with Well+GoodNYC’s Meditation: The Missing Piece Of Your Marathon Training Plan?
