This month’s article “Soulful Strides: Running as a Spiritual Practice,” by Marlaina Donato—you can find it in the Fit Body department at www.AwakeningCharlotte.com—states, “Running can be introspective, and over time, a spiritual practice.” When I read that, it occurred to me that this is true of many activities. Better yet, the spiritual transformation can happen without you even realizing it. Just finding an activity you love, repeating it over and over, knowing it’s good for you, and learning to depend on it strikes me as a relationship-building process. Anyway, I’ve been running since I was a teenager, and while I didn’t see it as a spiritual practice until late in life, I do better understand the evolution now.

At first I ran to compete in track and cross-country, then I continued running for fitness and the occasional 5K and even a marathon. Now I run or walk to clarify my thoughts, to get perspective and to recount my blessings (just being able to run is a blessing). I think it brought me to a more spiritual place without my even realizing it. But now I can see that when I started running, the practice helped me cope during my awkward teenage years and gave me confidence in other aspects of life.

I know many people have had a similar experience with their favorite sport or physical activity. Even if you haven’t, there’s still time to discover an activity you love and connect with in a special way. And discovering it later in life, when you’re in a better place to observe your own spiritual evolution, makes it even sweeter.

Wishing you a happy month of July and Fourth of July,

Shannon