Dirt in your skirt blog

Find Your Bliss in Running

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Melanie Blenis

I run every day.

I don’t always want to go.

melaniepic3Some days, it is nothing but discipline that kicks me out the door. I go because I must. I started running about ten years ago to find sanity and for vanity. I needed to lose a few pounds, and my life had taken a stressful turn. In the beginning, it was awful. I could hardly breathe, I had the dreaded side stitch, all my parts jiggled. It was painful. I cried. My body was weak. My mind was overwhelmed and my spirit was broken. I walked more than I ran, in those days. I have no idea why I did not give up. I wanted to. But, my motivations were strong. I needed something. Running became my refuge. I found peace on the trails, in the quiet, in the solitude, with nature as my steady companion.

As my body got stronger – and it was a slow process – my mind and spirit came along. I had no idea that running would offer me healing and continue to do so. It’s as if everything that does not matter drops away. I leave it all on the trail – the excess calories, the worries, the stress. Nature absorbs it all and recharges me. Running has taught me not to give up, not to complain, not to compare myself with another. It has taught me to keep moving forward in spite of pain and obstacles. Running has taught me not to wait on perfect conditions but instead embrace what is, whether it be cold, hot, humid or raining. Each of those conditions and each season offers something beautiful. 

I have learned that the ‘good enough’ mentality leads to plateau, otherwise known as a comfort zone. Getting out of that zone, pushing harder, is a gift to the body and mind but especially to the soul. In this, the unexpected happens; I am overcome with gratitude for all that life is. I become aligned with what matters most in this world, motivated to bring my best efforts into all that I do. Crossing that line opens a space of clarity that refreshes my very essence. 

For me, this is bliss. Find yours…

Love & Light.