Written by I use to be one of those people who HAD to have earbuds if I went for a walk/run or if I went to the gym. On walks I would listen to podcasts. For runs and workouts I had specific playlists. Having something to listen to was more of a necessity than warming up was! I had the mindset that I had to listen to something. I was intimidated by the silence, as if it made the task at hand harder. The podcast/music was suppose to be a distraction to ‘get me through’ the workout. Lately I have been taking walks without listening to anything, just the nature around me. My mind wanders, thoughts flow, and I feel more grounded. I realized the earbuds have only been a distraction, drowning out my own voice in my mind. Putting on hold all of the thoughts and feelings my mind has been trying to process. Having that time to process has helped with my focus. Instead of having all of these repressed thoughts crying for attention, I have a set time to unpack and process. I clean the slate. It’s a time for me to reflect on my progress, ponder new ideas and connect the dots. It is the time I am using to get to know myself. Dont get me wrong, I love my music and listening to podcasts. Music cleanses my soul and gives my feelings an outlet. Podcasts test my boundaries and challenges me to think in new ways. The silence is where everything comes together for me. Where I am able to connect the feelings with new mindsets, process how that integrates with my life, and understand who I am as a person because of it. Where I use to be afraid to be alone with my thoughts, I now embrace it.
What a beautiful place to walk and hike. It is refreshing and relaxing to connect with nature. Being unplugged lets you hear and enjoy all nature has to offer. On walks I often listen to the birds, look at the trees as they change seasons, smell the flowers, and talk to neighbors. Relax and enjoy life.
I hit this wall sometimes in meditation as well. There is a part of us that is uncomfortable doing “nothing” and will fight tooth and nail to get us doing “something”. There is something about being extra productive that gives us a feeling of reward. Sometimes, running or working out without an audio book or music somehow feels less productive with our time. But there is value in embracing the actively fully. I’ve trained in a lot of dojo that like to pump music throughout the whole class. I have nothing against working out to music–but karate has its own “sound”. It’s nice to take a vacation from all of that extra stimulation sometime and just enjoy the base activity for what it is.