One Mindfulness Mile by Karen

One Mindfulness Mile by Karen - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

I recently read an article about Mark Zuckerberg's global challenge to encourage people to run one mile every day. After reading this, I willfully decided to adopt, and adapt, his challenge for several reasons, despite the obvious road blocks I see in the near future. In February 2015, I ran my first (and only) half marathon - one of the most challenging and invigorating events of my life. I was inspired then to train for two more half marathons. Both of these events, however, never happened due to significant life changes – practicality and health. Moving cross-country for school and work, as well as being diagnosed with endometriosis, ceased my training on several occasions, causing me anxiety and mild depression.
Soon after I stopped my training this fall, I realized I had been using my hours of running as meditative moments in my day, where the stress of my job and school were able to be fluidly passed through to a calmer state of mind. These were miles of awareness, of closure, and of peace; I was using my running to strengthen myself physically as well as mentally. Since I stopped running, I found my meditation lacking and my anxiety returning, finding myself in panics when assignments were due or when a crisis appeared at work (which often does, as I work in a health-related non-profit). I needed to find a change in environment that I could commit.
After reading Zuckerberg’s call to action, I have adapted his challenge to become my resolution: running (or walking!) one mile a day. I understand that I will not always have the energy or motivation to want to leave the house, especially in the cold winter mornings and evenings. I understand that I may be pressed for time often, as I currently often do for even the most menial of things. But I also understand that this meditative time, even just the 10 minutes, can create an awareness and calmness in my mind and in my environment. This time can create clarity needed to tackle subjects like graduate Finance class, as well as the next fundraising campaign for work. Creating this peaceful environment, even just those 10 minutes, can create a better mindfulness for sleeping, for eating, and for living – all important factors in creating an environment to learn. My resolution is to have one “mindfulness mile” every single day in 2016.