It's Simple - Running With The Tao

A step taken and then let
go...and still the
path is
found.


We run with the faith of
effort given.

~

Every step is effort given and then a release to the faith of what will be provided. Faith and mystery are entwined in their deliverance. Our only focus is on what we have to give with each step. Mystery will provide and faith is the fuel to again take one more step. It's simple.

Peace,

Eric


Steps Let Go - The Art of Becoming

Once let go...our steps fall
holy to a stride.
Becoming greater still in their
surrender.

~

We often cling to a false identity of self that keeps us caught in in a cycle of performance anxiety. Each race or run we must prove ourselves as capable and fully able to compete with an illusion held as a belief. Yet in truth we are not mere runners - we are travelers on a greater path and running is our vehicle of expression. Each footfall becomes a call to awareness that we too are but a singular note in a songful stride of something more. Running is our letting go - what we become is something whole, mysterious and holy.

Peace,

Eric 

Every step

Our stride....infinite worlds in

every step.

And so the distance

lengthens.

We run in timeless realms of wonder.

~

Every step is a point of contact to new worlds. We become a realm of our own where sky and ground meet against the flesh and merge within our stride.

Peace,

Eric



Yogic Running

Our stride is empty of all but the

beauty of earth and the

steps we offer.

We run in the endless bounty of earth and heaven.

~

There is an accessible and inexhaustible source of energy offered to us - it is the source of life, light and love and every runner can tap into it at a moments notice. Yet first we must empty ourselves of thoughts and notions that keep us bound in traditional ideas of where our true power lays. We are creatures of the earth - drawing energy from ground and sky. We are beings of spirit - energy is our own divine existence. Run with one simple mantra humming quietly through the background of the mind - there is no separation from source to self.

Peace,

Eric

The Faith of One More Step

Our stride...a length of hope laid holy

to the ground. And every step a

seed of promise.

We run in the garden of the infinite.

~

Running in essence is about the faith of one more step. Our stride is a display of hope. Distance taps us into the deeper realms of self - our inner reality matches stride with our steps and we plumb the depth of our potential well into the infinite. Even a faltering step demonstrates the faith of spirit displayed as motion. And always...we take one more step.

Peace,

Eric

Running Free of Expectations

We run in the void of expectations...and empty of

thoughts that held us falsely to

a single moment -

Our stride is filled with promise.

~

Expectations are not a promise. They often hold little more than a hope we wish to achieve. This can be a chain that binds us to a harsh reality. To hold expectations tightly is to invite a crash. To truly run free we strive to be responsive and not reactive. An expectation or a goal that's not reached can cause us to react in manner that is harmful to our peace of mind. To a runner who is fluid not just in stride but in thought and spirit- all things are responded to as a wonder that holds great promise and revelations. Every step becomes a success because we meet the ground in acceptance and gratitude. Free of expectations we run as a celebration of what is - not just for what we wished for.

Peace,

Eric

A Few Thoughts on Verse #2

Our steps possess nothing save for
moments touched upon the
earth.
And so we hold the
world in motion.


Our stride is light and shines with meaning.

~

From Verse 2. I love the thought of running free of all internal possessions. Or as much as we may be capable of while still present on earth. That's the goal of meditation - to have a mind that doesn't cling to thought forms and emotions. This is often a point of confusion as many believe that meditation is the absent of thought and that once a certain point is reach we are free of emotion. In truth, freedom is found not in the absence of these qualities but in our refusal to cling to them as a state of permanence. We become the witness to our own internal process and are able to play lightly within the spaciousness that we discover.

Peace,

Eric

Running With Freedom

We run in the freedom of soul and

body - content with what the

path offers.

Yet eager for mysteries

unexplored.

Our steps explore shadows and sun.

~

Excerpt from The Tao of Distance Running -verse# 1

Peace,

Eric

The Tao of Distance Running - #81 (Final Verse)

The Tao nourishes by not forcing.

                                                              *

~

We run in the grace of letting go. And now

surrendered to the infinite -

Our stride goes on

forever.

We are the distance that we seek.

Run with ease. Even our hardest efforts contain the grace and joy of a pursuit without burden. We are given to motion as an expression of this gift and our stride reflects it. The mind often becomes troubled with projections outside the present moment. Thus our stride becomes burdened, heavy, graceless. This is not our natural stride - even on legs tired from the miles. To return to our natural state of grace is as simple as relinquishing force. Surrender. We need only to remember that our effort is a joy. We chose this effort - the path, hills, rocks and streams - as a purposeful revelation of spirit. There is no greater joy than this - the rediscovery of our truth in every step. Effort is the gift bestowed upon ourselves. In this perspective - there are no burdens.         

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell



The Tao of Distance Running - #80

Although they have boats and carriages,

no one uses them.

                                  *

~

Our steps are pure and simple...falling

holy on the ground in

union.

And so the miles become our answered prayers.

• Run simple. We live in a high tech world - yet all we need is an open door and the world is our path. Tools and gadgets are fun and there is no need to discount them but they are fluff to the essence of the run. Simplifying a run is a means of immersing ourselves into the experience. We could be stripped of all but trail and soul and still be joyful in our run. We are content in the way things are and happy in a state of constant change. Simply put - we are present.

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Wayne Dyer

The Tao of Distance Running- # 79



Failure is an opportunity

                                             *

~

Our steps may falter...yet our stride

remains infinite in its

potential.

The world is ours to wander.

Failure is ours to define. We run distance not to reach a certain limit but to reveal the limitless within us. To fail to reach an arbitrary distance - even in a race - is an opportunity of awareness and the potential to expose a thought process that may keep us bound to a purely physical world. Running is much more than the performance of the body. It is greater than the mind alone. Running literally delivers us into the realm of spirit. For centuries aboriginal tribes used running as a means of prayer and seeking visions. It is no less so today. Yet visions have been redefined as speed and numbers, qualifying times and others beaten. We can hold onto these visions, as they remain important to many and they provide fuel to get many more out the door. Perhaps though, we should reimagine the primordial runner within each of us, to reawaken the native of the earth and let loose the passion for motion as an expression of the soul. We need to allow our stride to speak again as sacred prayer. And with this, once again, our every step remains a victory. 

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell

The Tao of Distance Running - #78

The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the rigid.

                                                       *

~

Our steps are giving - and the ground is

pure in its reception.

There is grace in the stride of our connection.

Run gently. Allow steps to be received by the earth and feel the energy returned through our feet and up the spine. We are a single point of connection between the ground and sky. The infinite is given through our steps and the earth rejoices in our gifts. And so we run with the Buddha's smile - soft and knowing. We don't think to overcome and a hindrance to our miles is but an illusion to the senses. An illusion can certainly seem real - yet consistent steps become our reality and illusions always give way to truth. Our steps are the fluid truth of distance covered. And so we run forever. 

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell



The Tao of Distance Running - #77

The Master can keep giving
because there is no end to her wealth

                                                                  *

~

Our stride...infinite in steps given to the

earth. And no end to the love

that's offered in

return.

We run like this - forever.

 Run with spirit. When we tap into the wonderful resource of spirit we are fueled beyond the limits of strength and will. Even the strongest legs give out and a powerful will eventually falters. Not so with spirit. The source and fuel of spirit is the infinite and it's this potential of endlessness that carries our legs beyond recognized limits. The key to realizing this strength is awareness that we are the source itself and that distance only serves to thin the veil of this remembrance. With awareness comes grace, gratitude and love - three aspects that fall naturally to our stride. The three are interchangeable, yet perhaps gratitude is the easiest to work with. When we offer gratitude to the steps we take, for the ground that receives us and the air that supports us -we realize that we are cradled in a world of love, indeed, in this state love is all we have to give and it's grace that holds us in love. Truly, like this we really could run forever.    

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running -# 76

The hard and stiff will be broken.
The soft and supple will prevail.

                                                                  *

~

Not against...but with the earth in a

met caress. We run in supple

lines of pure devotion.

Our steps remain a constant reach and the ground gives rise to meet them.

Run soft. There is power in a supple step. We flow in a liquid stride that holds the ground in pure devotion. Some run with a striking step and the earth responds in hardness. We seek to know the ground - from sole to soul and offered back in all direction. Our steps are the means of giving ourselves to the present moment. Earth and body offer feedback in the response of comfort, grace and energy. Our role is to listen to both earth and body and keep the dialog open and honest and express this holy conversation in the nature of our stride.

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running - #75

Act for the people's benefit.
Trust them; leave them alone.

                                                          *

~

Our stride is large - every step connects the

world. Yet still we run in private

reaches found in mind and

soul.

The infinite begins at the end of every step.

Trust the nature of the run. Trust the wisdom of our steps. Trust in the preparations made before the run. And trust in the wisdom of others. Running is a solitary activity, its very nature leads to introspection and quiets the mind. Yet even in the farthest reaches of mountains, forest, and desert we never run alone. We are intimately connected with the earth, indeed with all that's living. As we run it's important to remember that our actions - from breath and heartbeat to words we say or keep silent - affect the world. It's subtle, yet no less true and a subtle reach still has great impact. A smile goes a long way - not just to fellow runners but to the world at large and ourselves as well. Smile in appreciation of a sunset and feel the power of the smile along with the warmth of sun that reaches back. Smile at an upcoming hill and the effort becomes a joyful expression of our commitment. When we smile at another runner we join with them in strength - we offer them the best we have in exchange only for their well being. Nothing more may need to be said - our smile, and the power of its nature - is enough.                                                          

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell

The Tao of Distance Running - #74

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to.

                                                                          *

~

Every step a brief mystery - the earth revealed to

moments in a stride. Distance stretches as a

question. And surrendering to the

absence of an answer -

Our footfalls echo in reply.

From contact and again to moments hanging in the air - each step -completion.

Run free from the confines of expectations. True confidence comes from knowing that in the face of constant change we hold to on to nothing. We accept, surrender and maneuver in the spaciousness of possibilities. In this way distance becomes less a challenge than a play of infinite lives lived within a moment. We still have goals and strong desires we wish fulfilled - yet we hold them lightly and allow the miles to spread before us in endless wonder. We run certain of change - and unafraid of what it offers.                                                               

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mithcell

The Tao of Distance Running - #73

The Tao is always at ease.

~

We are the grace of steps that bless the ground - our stride a

length of constant prayer. Distance is our sanctuary.

And unafraid to lose ourselves in

deeper worlds - we embrace the path of

natures pleasure.

In the heart of all that that matters - we find ourselves runners.

Run with nature - embrace the path we run upon and be embraced by natures wonders. A sense of strain is caused by running against the world, fighting hills and cursing distance, wishing for weather other than what is. - yet fighting is its own demise. We can surrender to each given moment and run with boundless energy. Or we could struggle against the forces of nature - and surrender anyway - exhausted from a bitter fight. Nature supports. If we find ourselves tiring in the heat and sun - nature says slow down, conserve and perhaps run some more at night. When we fight, we refuse to listen and we miss the language of the world. Nature is always whispering her secrets to us - we only need to quiet our minds, slow our bodies and not struggle so hard to impose our will against her. Listen....and run with ease and grace.

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Runnig -#72

When people lack a sense of awe,

there will be disaster.

~

Each step meets the earth unaware of past or

future moments. There is only the

awe of this connection -

The grace of giving and the pleasure of the ground

in the warmth of our reception.

We run...aware of gifts received.

Our every step is a miracle and distance is the accumulation of appreciation. We give ourselves through our stride and receive the air through breath and skin and the earth through sole and soul. Before the awareness of such gifts running can be sheer drudgery - either plodding through miles or speeding past the world without notice. Yet running is a holy art - a length of prayer both asked and received. We come to know this by giving ourselves to earth and sky, dedicating our run to all beings through motion offered. Running is greater than ourselves and yet nothing without our participation. We become a single point of pleasure between ground and all that's above - we play within the infinite-  fully aware of the miraculous.                         

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Wayne Dyer/



The Tao of Distance Running - #71



Not-knowing is true knowledge.
Presuming to know is a disease.
First realize that you are sick;
then you can move toward health

                                                                  *

~

No step is certain - and there lays the path of our

undoing. Distance take us to the edge of

all things held in the grip of

knowing.

From here - each step beyond is the

mystery of becoming.

We run embraced by the promise of uncertainty.

• Return to innocence. Run again with the mystery we once embraced as a child - when our every step held not just a promise, but a broken promise as well. We were told there were limits and yet out steps broke the promise of the known and gained a freedom found only in surrendering to uncertainty. With age our stride became imprisoned by the known. We ran only to the edge - afraid of the abyss that called to us to fly. We promised to behave, to stay safe and remain within the borders of our comfort. We promised not to fly.  It's time to break the promise made to age and concepts and the things we think we know. We know nothing. And this alone is the promise of becoming.                          

Peace,

Eric

*Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 



The Tao of Distance Running - #70

If you want to know me,
look inside your heart.

                                                    *

~

Our steps ache to know an inner world - to touch a depth

past common ground. We run to shed the layers

veiled between us. And every step

falls holy in its quest for

union.

In the farthest distance - we find only one.

• We run for many reasons - health, well being, competition - all great reasons. Yet at it's very core, distance running is about uncovering our essential selves. The truth of who we are. Through the pain of miles suffered on tired legs we reach a grand conclusion-  we are more than who we ever thought we were. And we are less. Through effort we shed the false layers of self and reach our spiritual core. As we become this truth we begin to view others through new eyes - we find a mirror - our truth reflected back to us and we know that others who have run through similar miles will find the same view within us as well. We are all reflections of this great truth of being. To know ourselves we run. To know others - we look within.  

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running - # 69

When two great forces oppose each other,
the victory will go
to the one that knows how to yield.

                                                                      *

~

We yield...our steps to ground, our hearts to

nature. The path is our surrender and

distance brings us to a new

horizon.

We let go - in thought and stride - and that is

our arrival.

There is strength in letting go. To yield on the path - not fighting hills, or tired legs but bringing a gentle awareness to our experience - that brings the strength needed to thrive on the longest runs. In denial and a rush to push through pain and fatigue or the thousand other conditions that can affect a run, we limit ourselves to thought and body. We seek will power to push through the tough moments. And yet all of these are finite sources. Awareness and acceptance brings patience and these three qualities put us in touch with the infinite - our true source of power. To yield is not to give up - it's to relinquish ego and turn to spirit. Yielding is to turn our steps into prayers and further steps become the answer. If we fight the path we fight ourselves. There is no winner. If we yield - we run forever.     

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running - #68

Not that they don't love to compete,
but they do it in the spirit of play.
In this they are like children
and in harmony with the Tao.

                                                        *

~

Our steps leave no one behind - we run embraced by the

distance that falls between us.

And so alone...our stride connects the world.

Compete - yet don't compare or contrast. Run strong and swift and wish the best for everyone regardless of their stride. Be complete in what we offer to the trail, the course, the day and moment. In our completion there is no need to finish first and yet no reason not too. We simply wish to run our best at the given moment we've called a race and our best is only served if others run theirs. In this way nothing is lost - if we are truly complete (and we are) than we share this completion with everyone - from first to the finish line to the last. We have shared time, space and stride with others. We have joined in their completion.    

Peace,

Eric

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running - # 67

Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.

                                                                      *

~

We give ourselves to the earth - each step a

brief caress continued to a stride.

And the world is given in

return.

Grace belongs to those who give.

Be kind. Running is a gift we give to ourselves and in return the world responds to this act of self-care. Being compassionate to ourselves during a long run or race takes some awareness - we are programed to push past pain and self-imposed limitations. This isn't a bad thing. Yet if we do it as a form of self-punishment we are defeating the purpose of what running has to offer. Sometimes denying ourselves a momentary pleasure is compassionate. Pushing ourselves in exploring an unknown distance or faster pace could also be a caring gift. We need to ask ourselves if we are giving or inflicting - the act of giving is of spirit and a light shines from the heart that gives. To inflict is to bring the ego to play and it's a finite game that leaves us empty and dry. Giving is our link to the infinite and the more we give the more we have to give. Allow every step to be an act of kindness - a singular moment that joins us to the world - at once both gift and giver.

Peace,

Eric

*Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running -# 66

All streams flow to the sea
because it is lower than they are.
Humility gives it its power.
                                                              *

~

Our stride meets the earth in a long caress - distance

given to our steps

desire.

We seek only to meet the path in the contours of

its giving. Surrendering ourselves in

order to receive.

We are asked to become of the earth again...our every step an answer yes.

• Don't fight the path - be it road or trail. Nature always wins and to fight is to separate ourselves from our source of inspiration and power. Accept that distance is a gift that allows us to empty ourselves - if only briefly - of thoughts of separation and to become of the earth again - free, playful and fearless in stride and spirit.

Peace,

Eric

*Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running - #65

The simplest pattern is the clearest.

                                                                     *

~

Our steps kiss the ground in pure delight - a mantra

found in a stride of devotion.

Our prayer is simplicity.

Earth, sky and the joy we offer

in between.

A single step - repeated - and so we find our way.

Avoid complications. Running is the simple act of devotion - one step - repeated. It's the mind that brings complications. Keep simplicity as the one and only goal. What's the plan? Take the single step that delivers motion. There is nothing complicated about one step. When is doubt choose the path or option that allows us to stick with our plan. The question will always be does this complicate or simplify. The answer will always be clearest in our view.

Peace,

Eric

*Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell

The Tao of Distance Running - #64

Prevent trouble before it arises.
Put things in order before they exist.
The giant pine tree
grows from a tiny sprout.
The journey of a thousand miles
starts from beneath your feet.
                                                           *

~

Even on a single trail there is no destination - all reaches of the

infinite stretch from the single point of our existence.

Every step is the completion of one journey and

the start of something new.

Within this stretch of our horizon - where our

steps meet the coming world -

We reach the moment of

creation.

Run with joy and imagination - the choice is ours alone.

Run with the knowledge that with every step we create the world that holds our stride. Use the moment of creation wisely - we create thirst by not drinking and hunger by not eating. This will prove to be unwise in distance running. Create strength and a well fueled body in the moments before they come into existence. Plant the seeds of joy in the very first steps - the world soon becomes our garden.   

Peace,

Eric

*Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell



The Tao of Distance Running - #63

Confront the difficult
while it is still easy;
accomplish the great task
by a series of small acts.
                                                     *

~

A single step - a lone caress against the earth and repeated to a

stride. And so the step carries us to greater

distance.

From here...a single step to reach the infinite.

Don't think of beginnings nor endings - think only of the one step that delivers us to the infinite. You see distance is an illusion. A step is but a commitment to awareness. When we give ourselves joyfully to every moment we find ourselves in the midst of eternity. Time and distance becomes tools to bridge points of eternity to our awareness. When we find ourselves suffering during a long run it simply means we need to focus on the single task at hand - one step, a slow drink of water, a bite of food, or even just a breath. We really can't do anymore than this - in spite of the fact that our mind will push us towards the finish. Try not to resist. That's just the nature of the mind. Smile. Run with the heart - it beats a single note, fully committed to that one note - and so that beat becomes our lives. 

Peace,

Eric

*Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell 

The Tao of Distance Running - #62

The Tao is the treasure -house,

the true nature,

the secret Source of everything.

~

Every step is our return - a coming home to the

essence of who we are.  We view distance in

its infinite potential to shed layers of the

false with all that's true spread

holy to our stride.

Every step....is our becoming.

Run with the confidence that the world supports us. It does. Yet we don't always know this - it seems to be a great secret that we are not removed from one thing in all the universe. We are connected to the sun and sky, the earth and stars. We can draw energy from our connection, we can remember our Source and accept the infinite as our nature. This means that we are unlimited, expansive, the infinite given form. Allow the changing of energy to express itself in its given moment - when we are tired don't offer resistance, which only further fuels fatigue. Simply be tired, recognize it as a sign to eat, drink, slow the pace and soak in the moment. It will pass. A dawn of energy is sure to follow. Our steps will quicken and miles will pass. Give thanks. Run. Allow the moment its perfection. The path is simple.

Peace,

Eric

*

Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Wayne Dyer