Published in the Feb. 19 – March 4, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Paul Rakitin

Paul Rakitin

Paul Rakitin

High atop Mount Hiei in Japan lives a small group of monks who for many years have practiced a very unique form of meditation. One of their methods for spiritual enlightenment is to endure a seven-year pilgrimage which consists of covering up to 52 miles a day during multiple 100-plus day periods. If at any time past the first 100 days one of these marathon monk fails the challenge, he must take his own life.

Combined with meditative prayer and very little consumption of food or water during this arduous journey, these monks have found an uncommon way of reaching a different plane of spirituality. Although to most runners a “DNF” (or did not finish) is a minor bruise to the ego, the monks of Mount Hiei take failing to a very different level of commitment.

Throughout human history, people have run for different reasons. Running was used to relay important messages over great distances. It was used in the survival of early humans to track and literally run the animal into sheer exhaustion, therefore making it easier to kill. Some tribes ran long distances for survival as a means to escape threatening groups. Over time, these long -distance treks became a tradition as the need to run became less as the desire to run. Running for sport instead of for survival was a way of life.

As our world becomes less limited by travel and more advanced, many people still run to escape –but not in the physical sense of escaping enemies. So what else drives an athlete to obtain an even greater level of running achievement? Aside from the obvious health benefits we runners gain from our sport, there is also an undeniable spiritual aspect. Running helps us get in touch with our inner selves.

Most people are aware of endorphins released by the brain which produce what is called a “runners high.” Since breathing plays such a vital role during meditation, it seems only natural for it to become our main source of focus while running, along with feeling our feet glide on the ground and the wind delicately brush our skin. I’ve heard many runners translate these moments into a time of prayer and worship.

Running is universal and has no boundaries on how far or where you should run. It can be done barefoot on a sandy beach, with friends or alone, fast or slow and any time of day. There is no membership fee. The experience is as unique as each individual who runs — and that is what makes it even more special.

The next time you’re out for a run, if you run with music, turn it off, feel each foot step and listen to your lungs consume air. Focus on your rhythm as you move forward with each stride. Clear any clutter from your mind that doesn’t have to do with the here and now. All that noise can wait. The business of life will still be there when you finish. Enjoy the moment and feel the gratitude for the experience to just run, being thankful for the ability to run as well the opportunity to move our bodies like the first humans did many years ago.

Paul Rakitin is the owner of The Running Shop, 16999 Monterey Road, Suite D.