Meditating Across Indiana

I'm sitting on the living room couch, a little sore, a little tired, but with a feeling of accomplishment.  Yesterday, I awoke at 4am, prepared my ritual bowl of oatmeal and headed out to Terre Haute, Indiana.  My bicycle was cleaned and polished, my water bottles were full, my lunch was packed and I was well-trained and ready for my fifth consecutive Ride Across INdiana (www.RainRide.org).

Riding a bicycle long distances has been an important part of my weight loss journey (www.HowILost100Pounds.com) over the past several years.  People who know me well know that I spend many of my free hours on a bicycle, alone.  In most years I average over 2000 miles traveled by bicycle.  Sometimes I ride in organized events.  Sometimes I go on cycling tours with others.  Most of the time, however; I ride by myself--many times more than 100 miles in a day.

I'm not sure whether my obsession with solitary cycling was an early sign of my need to meditate or whether I've fallen so in love with this activity because it's a natural way to meditate.  As a Buddhist practitioner who practices primarily alone, I meditate, sitting seiza style (on a bench) due to my inordinately tight hips.  I meditate, typically once or twice a day for about twenty minutes.  I've never done walking meditation, but I've read that it's a completely legitimate way to break up long hours of seated meditation.

In the past year or two, since my meditation practice has started to more fully develop, I've realized that long distance cycling is a very powerful form of meditation.  Long hours alone, with only the sounds of my wheels turning, the wind blowing, and occasional birds chirping provides a perfect setting for prolonged meditation.  Before becoming more determined with my meditation I used my time on the bicycle to solve problems, contemplate the future, and reminisce about the past.  Yesterday, I rode 160 miles in eleven and one half hours.  During that time, I mostly focused on my breath, the feelings in my constantly pedaling legs and the 'sickish' feeling in my stomach.  (The heat and one-too-many protein shakes took their toll on my innards.)  A few times during the day I found myself thinking about work or family or other issues.  With those precious few exceptions, the entire day was spent focusing on the present--breathing in, breathing out, noticing the trees, pedaling, shifting gears.  I found a remarkable peace that seemed to be consistent whether I was climbing a hill, sweating profusely in the afternoon sun, or stopping to have my water refilled.

Although my body is sore and tired from the day-long ride, my mind was, and still mostly remains, clear and calm.  I've read about many types, styles and traditions of meditation.  I'm not sure if distance bicycling has ever been explored and cataloged by the great Zen masters but, for me at least, it's a great way to clear the mind, enjoy the out-of-doors and stay healthy.