Running is meditation in motion: Hanna Tempelhagen in an interview
What does the term "Mindful" mean for you?
The German term for mindfulness is mindfulness. For me it means to live in the moment and to live this moment in fullness, to accept what is there and not to value it. Every moment is so short and our mind is constantly busy being somewhere else. Mindfulness means to notice that one is digressing and the art of regaining oneself and actually being present.
You are a MBSR teacher. What is that, actually?
MBSR means Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and is a worldwide standardized program based on mindfulness for stress reduction. Traditional wisdom, modern neuroscientific insights and psychology elements form the basis of the program. An MBSR course, with its deep mindfulness practice, provides a way to get in touch with yourself. My meditation experience has been combined with the love of running and that's my program? Mindful Running? emerged.
What do you love so much about running?
Running is a feeling of freedom and connectedness for me. I love the flow moments. So the moments in which everything connects and it just works, moments of inner connection with nature and life. While walking, the legs are so loose and light, they just carry me there and I perceive nature, the people and myself in the area. A feeling of wow!
Your program is called Mindful Running? what does that mean?
Mindful Running combines the benefits of running, mindfulness and science-based mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and increase concentration. Mindfulness-based walking has a holistically positive effect on your entire life. It promotes your physical, mental and social health, your vitality, performance and joy of life.
How do running and meditation fit together?
Running is meditation in motion. In mindful running, I practice various mindfulness meditations, such as the focus on the breath or the body scan, where you feel into each part of the body. For example, I focus on my little toe, and as soon as I digress, I focus again.
Which trainings do you offer exactly and to whom are they aimed?
I have very different trainings in the program: In half and full day workshops, we bring the meditation running bit by bit and I give applications to the hand. At the moment the workshops are still for beginners and professionals, but I will subdivide this a little bit soon and adjust the training to the experience levels. My retreats are more intense and last a whole weekend. In May we go to a trail camp in Switzerland and in autumn to Portugal. The retreats are aimed primarily at people who are interested in stress reduction. My ongoing courses, which are more in-depth, take place once a week? the rest of the week the participants train for themselves. The open running meeting takes place again from summer and is really meant for everyone. I also offer special workshops for executives around lifebalance and stress reduction issues.
What do you offer at the ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Academy Balance Day?
First, I will introduce what Mindful Running actually is and what it brings to create a scientific base. Then it goes into practice: We start with a warm-up in the form of a body-perception exercise and then it goes into the run itself in the group. After the run, we perform a body scan while lying and stretches us.
Do you have a tip for lazy people?
One should always ask for his intention to move and this? Why? anchor. Then a solid routine has to be developed. This is best done on a weekly schedule, looking for a running partner and holds fixed dates. Of course this is a matter of discipline and building a routine takes three to six weeks. But if I am not really a runner, I should look for a sport that I enjoy and then establish the meditation, for example when cycling or swimming.
Thanks for the interview, Hanna Tempelhagen.
