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BITESIZE | How To Use Running as a Tool to Transform Your Life | Sanjay Rawal #158

Feb 19, 2021 11m 21s 21 insights
When we think about running, we often think of it as a way to lose weight or stay healthy - but running can be so much more than that. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new weekly podcast for your mind, body and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 79 of the podcast with Sanjay Rawal - a documentary maker who directed the brilliant film ‘3100: Run and Become’. Sanjay believes that if you approach running with the right mindset it can become a tool to transform your life. He describes how his experience of running with the Navajo tribe changed his perspective and made him realise that running could be transformative.  The benefits to be gained from mindful running, walking and movement are available to us all and Sanjay explains how to run more mindfully for a totally different experience. If you’ve never tried running, or you feel discouraged, Sanjay also gives some great tips on how to get started and find joy in mindful movement. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/79 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Actionable Insights

1. Running for Transformation

Shift your mindset to view running as a pathway to personal transformation and self-transcendence, rather than focusing solely on performance, miles, body shape, or calories.

2. Run with a Soft Mind

To experience running as an act of transformation, cultivate a ‘soft mind’ by connecting with your heartbeat and spiritual heart, letting these internal energies guide your run instead of external devices or distractions like music.

3. Expect Transformation in Practice

Go into a morning contemplative practice, such as running, with a loose and soft mind, believing it can be a transformative experience and open yourself to small moments of silence.

4. Running for Self-Perception Change

Understand that running has the potential to change your perception of yourself and make you a better person, not just a faster one.

5. Run as Prayer and Aspiration

Engage in running as a prayer, where your feet connect with Mother Earth and your breath with Father Sky, showing your willingness to work for blessings and aspire to something deeper.

6. Focus on Breath While Running

When running, prioritize focus on your breath over concerns about time or distance, allowing for a deeper, more present experience.

7. Find Joy in Exertion

Practice finding joy in moments of exertion, recognizing this as a profound secret in both physical and spiritual life, achievable through practice.

8. Prioritize Enjoyment Over Goals

When beginning an activity like walking or running, focus on finding enjoyment first, rather than fixating on specific distance or time goals.

9. Start Small, No Prescribed Goals

If struggling to get active, start very small without a prescribed goal, such as walking down the block or doing one lap, once or twice a day for five days.

10. Increase Based on Enjoyment

Build up your activity levels based on your enjoyment and desire for a deeper, more freeing experience, rather than solely on increasing distance or intensity.

11. Run to Lessen Problems

When facing a difficult patch, go for a long walk or run to make problems feel less intense, even if they aren’t immediately solved.

12. Greet the Rising Sun

Begin your morning runs by facing East to greet the rising sun, establishing an intentional relationship with nature from the start.

13. Celebrate Life Through Running

Reframe your perception of running as a celebration of life, which can be easier to feel in nature but is applicable anywhere.

14. Avoid Distractions in Practice

During contemplative practices, avoid letting your mind wander to mundane thoughts like breakfast, as this prevents a transformative experience.

15. Strip Away Mental Clutter

Strip away mental clutter and external distractions during running or walking to allow for a naturally beautiful and intentional experience.

16. Running for Spiritual Connection

Utilize running as a tool to get closer to your innermost self or a spiritual connection, recognizing its potential beyond physical benefits.

17. Daily Gut Health Drink

Incorporate AG1 daily to support digestion and enrich your gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria, as it contains five clinically tested strains.

18. Claim AG1 Subscription Gifts

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