Running with the Mind of Meditation

March 19, 2012
While applying Buddhist ideas to running is not new, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche (Ruling Your World) provides a fresh twist by using Shambhala principles to improve the practice of running. The author, head of the worldwide Shambhala Buddhist organization and son of the late Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, investigates the relationship between running and meditation and how mindfulness can enhance the ability to run long distances. The book is organized around the “four dignities” of the Shambhala warriorship path—tiger, lion, garuda (bird and human), and dragon, which represent different qualities applicable to both sport and mind training. Chapters address building a base, motivation, gentleness, dealing with pain, and intention. Trained since childhood in meditation, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche moved from running neophyte to seasoned marathoner using mindfulness to enhance his ability to finish long races. The writing is clear, the advice simple and direct, using examples from his own runs and competitions. Each section is followed by a contemplation practice, and meditation instruction is included. Agent: Reid Boates Literary Agency.

March 1, 2012

Running as a spiritual practice is hardly new. Since the practice became big in the 1970s, the woods have been full of runners who emerge to tell us about the runner's high and the joys of solitude. Sakyong Mipham (Turning the Mind into an Ally) approaches the subject from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, showing the reader how to integrate meditation with the physical sensations of running. Strong correlations exist between the running community and Westerners interested in Eastern spirituality, and this book speaks to those at the intersection of the Venn diagram. VERDICT A straight-ahead, sober, and thoughtful dual guide to the joys of running and Buddhist meditation; recommended for readers already practicing Buddhism and runners curious about starting.

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