Samarpan Meditation and the Marathon

Live in the moment, run with the Movement.

                                                                                                                                          

‘Mumbai Marathon’ the words spell magic for me! Having participated in the world event since its first edition and having run every half Marathon since 2007, Mumbai Marathon has become sort of an inner journey for me. As a youth, I used to run 15 rounds of Shivaji Park because running has always given me pleasure as well as peace.

As I applied online for the 2014 Marathon event, I ran down memory lane - I remembered with nostalgia, my first marathon participation. The memory of that fresh morning air carrying with it the January chill still sends shivers up my spine. There I was an avid athlete, one amongst the crowd of thousands, jostling, pushing, shoving and eager to get to the starting line of my first Dream Run.

I remember I completed that run in about 36 minutes, weaving and finding my way through the crowd into empty spaces as most of the Dream Runners were there for the party and to soak in the vibrant atmosphere. The, fun, the gaiety, the exuberance, the energy of that first marathon run peps me up every time I fill up the form to participate. After about four years of the Dream Run I graduated to the half marathon, and hopefully my mind will soon convince me to run the full marathon. Time will tell, I guess!

Two years after my first breath taking (literally a Dream Run!!) Marathon experience, I experienced something even more exhilarating! In February 2009, I joined Samarpan Meditation and that too has given me a great deal of mental peace. The simmering anger within me completely died down; running too, helps in dissipating the anger, which is nothing but pent up energy exploding suddenly on the happening of an adverse event, one can say.

Running helps keep the physical body fit as it is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and as my Guru says, “one needs to have a healthy body which houses the soul for the spiritual journey to continue to reach one’s spiritual goal.” Running is something which one has to do alone as is meditation – while doing long distance running your legs are pumping and your mind is focused on the next milestone – looking at the next kilometre and tackling it one by one. I have spoken to many people who say no way can I run 21km!! Why? This is because the mind blocks the thought that you CAN do it. I have seen elderly gentlemen, 10 years my senior passing me by during the marathon – this has always been so inspiring for me; telling me YES, I can do it too! Like running, Meditation is something you have to do alone, but when you sit for meditation in a group the collective energy uplifts you, similarly in the vibrant positive energy filled atmosphere of the marathon the collective energy of the runners eggs you on – the feeling when one finishes the run is a singular sense of achievement. In meditation, the journey in complete contrast occurs in stillness as one travels inwards to one’s inner core to realise peace, silence and bliss. The breathing slows down to a level where you can hardly feel it. Deep meditation cleanses the energy centres, helping us to stay healthy and balanced – both physically and mentally. Meditation changes one’s entire persona for the better, making us  more positive as individuals and this positivity rubs on to others like golden dust through our touch, making life’s journey pleasurable. As our Life Time Trustee Shree Anuragji says, “Slow and steady wins the race, consistently meditate and obtain spiritual grace.”

The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon is an event which attracts the best talent from all over the world, the energy levels are very high – in fact you can feel the energy pulsating as you run. The entire atmosphere is positive and filled with – the joy of giving which is another aspect of the run. People run for a whole gamut of causes and raise funds for the same. This is a platform for all participating NGO’s to register with United Way of Mumbai (the official charity partner) to showcase their activities and raise funds for their cause.

Yoga Prabha Bharati (Seva Sanstha) Trust is participating in this years’ marathon and is raising funds for an Ayurvedic Medical Centre to be set up in its Ashram at Sindavadar village, near Vankaner, district Morbi (formerly Rajkot), Gujarat. This medical centre will be providing free medical treatment to more than 150000 villagers in the surrounding areas. This is the cause I am running for this year – Samarpan Meditation, a holistic way of living through meditation, yoga and traditional Ayurvedic treatment through qualified Ayurvedic doctors. The idea is to serve the people and get them to practice meditation and adapt a life style which helps spread positivity.

You need to be positive, you need to have the will power to run for long distances, you need to conserve your energy and manage it as you keep burning rubber as well as calories on the run. Meditation gives you a strong mental frame as it helps you focus and concentrate and elevate yourself to the next level. The peace and solitude one gets while running alone in the morning, concentrating on one’s breathing and chanting mentally, is something I cannot describe. It just peps up my day, raising testosterone levels and providing high levels of energy to carry me through the day. I definitely recommend a combination of running and meditation to achieve high levels of physical and mental strength accompanied by inner peace and quiet. That is what I do – an hour’s run alone early in the morning for physical and mental peace. Try it – Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon gives you the platform to give it a shot. Hope to see you all there on 19^th January 2014 so that we begin the year on a positive note with an inbuilt spirit of giving.