5 Things Hiking, Life Have in Common

I never cease to learn or experience something new during my hikes in the mountains, and this past weekend was no exception.

1. If you want the trails to yourself, you must make tracks: the early bird still gets the worm.
2. Not every hiker is on a mission to burn calories or achieve a cardio workout: be patient with those in the slow lane (you might end up there).
3. When you focus less on the ‘mountain,’ you appreciate your bite-size accomplishments: take it one step, one goal at a time (and hydrate often).
4. Life is about the up (hills), the down (hills) and, sometimes, the smooth sailing: don’t get too comfortable on the latter terrain because this is not where we commonly grow.
5. You will never know how strong you really are if you don’t push yourself the extra mile: choose a life filled with ‘oh wells’ rather than a life of ‘what ifs.’

What have you recently learned while enjoying a favorite pastime?

Refueling depleted reserves

 

Since I began the practice of Bikram yoga nearly three years ago, many of my posts paint a picture of the takeaways, the lessons learned… mindfulness and a focus on the breath—the present—two recurring themes to carry outside of the hot room. A few days ago, my morning began as a test, or an opportunity, to practice my yoga off the mat. To remain peaceful amidst chaos. My car did not want to start and, when it did, it argued about it until AAA came to the rescue. Eight hours of work, an empty suitcase and last-minute trip plans loomed ahead of me, my flight took off in 24 hours and my adult child still needed her mom. By the time I burst into the yoga studio, I had practiced so much mindfulness throughout the day, my reserve underwent depletion. Thankfully, it only took me an hour to pack after a rock star practice. And I slept like a baby.

How do you refuel depleted reserves?

Image courtesy of Carlos Porto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.