Running Happy

This guided meditation is meant to accompany you on a run. It explores physical sensation and emotional awareness with an emphasis on self-compassion. Follow along to foster a vibrant sense of aliveness and increase your capacity for joy.

Transcript

I'm Cori Halaby,

And I'm happy to come along with you on your run.

This is Running Happy,

Some suggestions for cultivating joy while you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

You can set yourself in motion as soon as you're ready.

For the purposes of this guided running session,

Your pacing and distance are up to you.

I'll be talking about mindfulness tools rather than coaching you on running strategies or techniques because the way you pay attention can have a big impact on your experience,

Whether you're an expert level runner or an occasional jogger.

This recording might be shorter than the run you have planned.

That's fine.

The ideas I'll be discussing can stay with you as you continue this and future runs.

Let's dive in.

In order to run happy,

First it's important to get real.

We need to check in with how you're actually feeling right now.

You may be happy already.

Perhaps you're starting this run with an exuberant sense of freedom and an inner celebration of valuable me-time.

On the other hand,

You may be feeling some other ways.

Let's check in with those feelings,

Both physical and emotional.

Acknowledge what's true for you in this moment and tend to anything in you that hurts or feels tender with some kindness.

This is an important first step.

Generally speaking,

If we force a smile or rush to slap a coat of happiness over things too quickly,

Some deeper part of us is likely to feel overlooked or abandoned.

The truth is,

There's room for a wide range of emotions and physical feelings in a full and joyful life.

So what feelings are present for you in this moment?

How are all of those body parts now that you're on the move?

Are there any aches or pains?

What's up for you emotionally?

In broad terms,

Are you mad,

Sad,

Glad,

Or scared?

Are there any specific feelings you could put a name to,

Like wistfulness or uncertainty,

Restlessness,

Frustration,

Self-doubt,

A desire to be truly seen,

Understood,

And valued by others?

That's all very human.

You don't need to analyze these feelings right now.

You can just take a quick inventory of them so that you can bring clarity to your own experience today.

The breath,

The motion,

And the rhythm of running offer a wonderful opportunity to be with your feelings as they arise,

To experience them,

And to let them flow through you and move on.

You can trust that they do move on in time.

No feeling is final.

Everything changes.

As you run,

And as you allow this very healthy emotional processing to happen,

It helps to have access to self-compassion so you don't get stuck or overwhelmed.

Of course,

You may not be used to practicing self-compassion,

So let me see if I can help.

Compassion is a simple but powerful balm,

A salve,

An invisible gentle healing agent that we have to offer ourselves and others when things are painful,

Sad,

Or worrisome.

Compassion is a willingness to be present coupled with kind understanding.

It is caring attention and a sincere vote in favor of well-being and happiness for ourselves and for all beings.

To connect to compassion for yourself,

Try this kind of acknowledgment.

Say to yourself,

Sweetheart.

I always recommend calling yourself Sweetheart or some comfortable term of endearment.

It's a very good habit for cultivating happiness.

So say to yourself,

Sweetheart,

This being human is difficult.

We all want to be happy.

We want ourselves and our loved ones to be healthy and thriving.

We want things to go well,

Yet there's only so much we can control.

Everyone has pain.

Everyone has fear.

We do the best we can.

And look,

We're even out on a run.

Good for us.

On this run,

We're going to actively cultivate happiness because we can and because that is what we want for ourselves.

Some good news.

We've already done step one for running happy.

We've taken a clear-eyed assessment of how we're really doing in this moment and applied a base coat of self-compassion.

Good job.

Step two is something I call noticing what feeling good feels like.

Given how deeply we all want to feel good,

You'd think we'd be experts in knowing what feeling good feels like.

But in most cases,

We're not.

Our brains are wired by evolution and our socialization to have a negativity bias and sometimes even a distrust for feeling good.

We scan for problems,

Potential dangers,

And complaints and give them quite a bit of our attention.

That's just how we're built.

We can have compassion for that,

Too.

There's something we can do about it.

We can make a point of noticing what feeling good feels like,

Then stay with it and savor the goodness.

So while acknowledging that emotional and physical discomfort may still be present,

I'll help you shift focus by scanning your inner and outer world for beauty and delight and then dwelling in,

Soaking up,

And luxuriating in those happy feelings,

Even as your feet keep on moving.

We'll start with the breath.

On a run,

There can be strong sensation accompanying the breath.

You can hear it and you can feel it.

Maybe you'll find you can relax and allow the breath to flow in to fill your lungs and fuel your body,

Then relax more as it flows back out.

See if there's any pleasure in the sensation of the breath coming and going.

Is there a subtle sweetness?

Is there a sense of ease that runs right through the center of your body as it covers ground and moves forward through space?

Really encourage your awareness to stay here,

To linger in experiencing the pleasure of the breath.

Got it?

Okay,

Keep going.

And honestly,

If you're laughing to yourself,

Saying,

This is ridiculous,

I am sucking wind and breathing feels horrible right now,

Well,

That is very relatable.

See if you can take pleasure in your own honesty,

Your individual personality and sense of humor.

I bet you're quite insightful and funny.

I bet you're delightful.

Let's take a moment to appreciate that.

And oh my goodness,

Look at you,

Still running,

Way to go.

Let's continue our scan for beauty and delight.

Have a look around you.

What are your eyes seeing?

Is there anything you notice that's colorful,

Elegant,

Or poignant in some way?

Is there beauty in the sky?

Are there people or animals for you to observe through kind eyes?

What is the light like?

You might be somewhere scenic and spectacular,

Or you might just catch a glimpse of a humble green plant shooting up through cracked pavement.

Scan for beauty and then notice what it feels like to perceive beauty.

Let's scan for sounds too.

What are you hearing?

The wind,

Your footfalls,

Are there birds to hear,

People around,

Kids playing outside?

Tune in to the sensation of hearing.

You might also sense the expansive silence out of which sound rises and falls.

What is it like to enjoy,

To be delighted by hearing itself,

To have the rich experience of being awake to your senses as you run?

There's plenty more to take in on our scan for beauty and delight.

Notice the rhythm of running.

Our bodies love rhythm.

Your feet have their own steady pace.

You could enjoy their rhythm like you enjoy the way the beat drops in a great song.

Your heart is beating its even intervals,

Carefully calibrated to meet the needs of the body.

Maybe you can imagine your heart beating happily.

Maybe it loves its job.

It's so good at it.

The rhythm of the breath is wonderfully flexible.

It can take care of itself or you can adjust it.

You might coordinate the breath with your steps.

It might feel natural and good to breathe in for four footfalls and breathe out for the same.

But if that does feel good,

Why not give some extra attention to that good feeling?

Stay with it for a while.

Notice what feeling good feels like.

The air on your skin might feel good.

Moving your body through space might feel good.

The springy strength of your legs might feel good.

The idea that you're doing something positive for yourself might feel good.

We're coming to the end of this recording,

But I'll leave you with an assignment.

Continue noticing,

Collecting,

And experiencing good feelings and then add an extra good feeling on top,

The feeling of appreciation or gratitude.

See if you can expand your capacity to experience joy while you expand your lung capacity and your athletic ability.

And the same formula for running happy can spill over into the rest of your day.

First,

Notice how you're feeling and meet yourself with compassion.

Second,

Scan your inner and outer world for beauty and delight and notice what feeling good feels like.

Third,

Add a bonus good feeling of appreciation or gratitude and see how much goodness you can hold in your present moment experience.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you be strong and healthy in your body.

May you be easily delighted by the beauty in this world.

Reviews

Really lovely thanks. I loved the “may you be”s at the end, and I wish all that for you too. 🙏💛✨