Ditching the Tunes for My March Streak

Since the beginning of the year I’ve been working my way through the Fit Bottomed Challenge. Some of the tasks at hand were tough, some admittedly a bit more grueling and others a complete hoot (hello Japanese poetry), but Mindful March has been cake — as in piece of cake.

Not that this mindfulness has come easy. I’ve struggled mightily with meditation and have been known to ignore my yoga mat for weeks at a time (only to return once I’ve lost every modicum of hard earned flexibility), but there is one part of the challenge that I have definitely mastered.

Before the proliferation of the cell phone, iPod or even the Sony Walkman, silent workouts were not a choice, but a reality. When I first started on my fit journey (and yes, I’m totally dating myself), the only way to have tunes accompany your run/walk was to carry a boom box on your shoulder — not super conducive to getting your sweat on. I trudged many a mile with nothing to distract but the sights and sounds of nature and the rhythmic sound of my own labored breath.

And I liked it.

Nature truly has a soothing effect on the psyche and after a long day at work, multitasking like a madwoman, it was nice to do just one thing. The quiet offered me a moment of reflection and a chance to get my equilibrium back. And as much as I loved that “Material Girl,” listening to Madonna just didn’t have the same effect.

Eventually, I did become the proud owner of all that technology had to offer. I’d bang through a set of heavy squats at the gym with “Welcome To The Jungle” blasting through my head, but not once were any of those devices used on my daily walk. That was sacred.

Now when I am flustered, or when that proverbial fork in the road has left me paralyzed with indecision, I unplug and head outside. There, with nothing but the sound of my sneakers on the pavement, peace arrives — and with it, most often, clarity.

Try making that run or walk a moving meditation. Listen to your breath; feel the muscles work as your legs move. Use more than your ears to listen. I guarantee you’ll still get a great workout. Focus on the now and live in the moment; it’s really all you’ve got.

Does the quiet soothe you or drive you crazy? I dig the quiet and seldom turn on the radio at home. —Karen