Not long ago I came across two spiritual practices that sounded so appealing to me that I decided to try to incorporate them in my own life. The first is the Danish practice called Hygge, and is credited with assisting the Danes in remaining happy and optimistic through their long dark winters. Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) roughly means coziness, and involves such things as candles, a warm glowing fire, friends, good food, comfort foods and drinks etc. While there may be plenty of this over Christmas, I often find the beginning of January very difficult when I realize that spring is still months away, and everything just seems so dreary. This year though, I practiced Hygge and I have to say that the first two months of the year have flown by.
This weekend is the beginning of daylight savings time and I am so excited as I will soon be able to start the second spiritual practice, Friluftsliv. Friluftsliv (pronounced fr – -loofts-live) is the concept of exploring and appreciating nature. I love being outdoors when I can enjoy the sensation of the sun on my face and the wind in my hair, and this year I will really be able to indulge in this when there is once again enough daylight for Eldon and I to go back to running or biking (or both) after work.
Difficult Start
Eldon and I started running a couple of years ago. Even though neither of us had run in decades, we had no idea how difficult it would be to start again. The very first time, the two us, along with our son, simply tried running up the road . . . . and it almost killed us! I was horrified at how unfit I had become as I used to do cross-country when I was at school and I don’t actually feel any different, or so I thought! Fortunately, a friend of mine sent me a beginner’s training guide to running, which literally begins with very slow one-minute runs with two-minute walks in between. Over the next few weeks, the training schedule had us increasing the running times from 2, to 3 to 5 minutes and decreasing the walking times. At first it did not get any easier and the three-minute runs were agony with both of us counting the seconds until our next walking segment. In time though, we built up our stamina and we were soon up to the 5 and 10-minute runs.
However, I soon realized that I had another problem – that of just being bored. I could simply have quit, as I did not have the desire just to keep on running for the hell of it. But then I remembered the InnerTalk program for running and I loaded this onto my i-phone. Soon the self talk I had been experiencing, such as, “this is boring, I want to go home, I’m tired, Why am I doing this?” etc., was replaced by:
“I like running. Running feels good. Running gives me a rush. I pace myself. My stride is long. My lungs expand. My attitude is positive. I like warming up. I cool down. My lungs are strong. My arms follow my stride,” etc.
The Spiritual Component
It was not long after that, when our runs had increased to 20 minutes, that I realized I was actually enjoying the running and that it was turning this into a very spiritual experience. At that point, I changed the InnerTalk program I played while I ran to my favorite spiritual program, Opening Up to a Higher Power. Then, as I would run down the streets, my self-talk became:
“The kingdom is within me. The still small voice speaks to me from within. I trust. I listen. I turn it over. All is provided,” etc.
Now that I understand the practice of Friluftsliv and I can add this to my desire to stay young, I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about daylight savings time beginning this weekend.
Mind, Body and Spirit
Friluftsliv is a great spiritual concept and can be incorporated into any of your preferred outdoor activities. If you are like me, perhaps you need some assistance to gain the motivation to begin, but we have InnerTalk programs to cover a multitude of sports, including Tennis, Football, Basketball, Baseball , Bowling, Golf, Walking and of course Running! Friluftsliv can be practiced both while participating in a team sport or by a solo activity. I believe that by bringing in the element of the physical activity to Friluftsliv, you can maximize the benefits of both the physical (health) and spiritual. And if you are simply playing sports with your children, then you add the additional element – the positive brain chemistry changes that occur when you are helping and loving others! Find the sports or fitness program you need to get yourself started, and then choose the spirituality program that will make the experience magical. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.
Wishing you love, light and laughter, always,
Ravinder Taylor