The Spirituality Of Running

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Coco

I bristle when people refer to their gym as their “church”–what are they worshiping in the weight room? The Apostle Paul did tell the Corinthians that “the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,” so maybe they are heeding his call to “glorify God with [our] bod[ies].” Since I found Christ long before I found fitness, I don’t consider exercise as a way to worship God, but I do believe that exercising can be a spiritual experience. spirituality of running

I often listed to Krista Tippet’s show On Being as I’m getting ready for church. Last week’s episode was called Running As Spiritual Practice. It opened my eyes to the many different ways in which running can be so much more than putting one foot in front of the other, nailing a PR, or adding another piece of bling to your medal rack.  

The Spirituality Of Running

On the show, Krista talks with eleven people of various different faiths who share their view on the spirituality of running. I found my views of running and spirituality to be similar to those of Sarah Khasawinah, who blogs at Muslim Runner. She talked about reaching that point in your run when you’ve made it through all the clutter in your head, experience the peace of a clear mind, and respond with gratitude. Others talked about the meditative nature of running, running as prayer, the restorative power of running, and the camaraderie built on long runs.

Dyke Marsh SunriseRunning is a spiritual experience for me when I notice the feeling of fresh air on my skin, when I take a deep breath and am filled with gratitude, and when I am awed by the beauty around me. 

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Is running a spiritual experience for you?

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3 Responses to The Spirituality Of Running

  1. Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says:
    August 28, 2016 at 6:31 pm

    I could be the only one out there that doesn’t listen to podcasts! This is really interesting. I’ve never really thought about my running in a spiritual way but I certainly will on my next run. Fun to think about!

  2. Tricia@MissSippipiddlin says:
    August 28, 2016 at 10:16 pm

    Yes yes and yes! I never really thought about it quite like this but I often pray during my runs. I also pray God gets ME through the run but I often pray for others while I run. I don’t run with music and I’m not dictated by what goes through my mind with listening to music.
    Running is my time. Sometimes I use it to thank God for all the many blessings he has given me. Very often I thank God for allowing me to run without pain or issues.

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