Run For Your Life: Mindful running for a happy life is written by psychotherapist William Pullen.
The book is divided into 12 chapters offering an explanation of mindful running, introductory chapters on the process of Dynamic Running Therapy and chapters focused on specific issues such as Anxiety and Relationships.
Introduction
In the introduction, Pullen explains what Dynamic Running Therapy (DRT) is and how he came upon the process. The author shares some experiences from his own life, how running helped him, and his own training.
The following quote explains the process. ‘DRT is a powerful and engaging step-by-step therapeutic method for confronting difficult feelings and circumstances in your life through movement.’
Initially, I was unsure whether this book was for me as I am certainly not a runner. However, Pullen says the process ‘can be adapted to whatever level of fitness you have as long as you are challenging yourself physically some degree of the time’. He himself could barely run a quarter of a mile at the start of the process.
I decided that I was interested in the idea of DRT, as it seemed a different way of approaching mindfulness and one perfect for someone like me who has trouble sitting still for more than a few minutes at a time. Pullen suggests that ‘This powerful process of walking or running with, into, or through our feelings can be amazingly insightful and liberating’.
The book draws on Pullen’s expertise and also uses research and quotes from other mindful thinkers including Danny Penman, Mark Williams, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Elizabeth Gilbert, Pema Chodron and Paulo Coelho.
The Journey
This chapter explains more about the process of DRT. Pullen says ‘Dynamic Running Therapy is not complicated or particularly challenging – it’s more about learning a couple of simple but very powerful techniques and embarking on an exploration of who you are.’
Pullen explains the 3-step process of DRT
- Step 1 Grounding
This includes a four-step grounding practice to complete before your run.
- Step 2 Moving with intention
This step explains how to ‘acknowledge without judgment what come up on your journey’. It also explains how to work with the questions offered in later sections of the book.
- Step 3 Take note
This section explains the importance of note-taking or journaling after your run in order to gain further insights.
He goes into some detail about these steps and how they help. It is certainly quite a simple concept and something anyone could easily do with very little preparation or equipment required.
The Healing Environment
Pullen encourages us to do our running in nature wherever possible. He points out that nature has ‘incredible healing powers’ and is ‘busy at work on your mind and body, reducing your heart rate, stress levels, and blood pressure.’
In addition, he offers advice on choosing the right terrain depending on what you need at a particular time.
This section also offers advice on choosing whether to run with a partner or alone. There is a comprehensive section on setting up a healing partnership with someone else and the precautions to take should you choose to do so.
After these introductory chapters, there are several chapters on specific needs you might want to address as part of your DRT. The author suggests that you pick whichever section seems most relevant to you. The issues covered are:
- Depression and low mood
- Anxiety
- Relationships
- Anger
- Decision making
- Parents and kids
In each of these sections, Pullen offers information about the problem and how DRT can help with the issue. The author also references studies, which prove his points, for example, that exercise has been shown to improve mood.
There are then a series of questions to work through as part of the process. The book contains space to write answers to these questions and there is also space to make your own notes at the end of the chapter. The questions are very insightful and really encourage you to think about the problem at hand in new and deeper ways.
Mindful Running
After the chapters on specific issues there follows a chapter which offers mindful running exercises that do not address any specific issue. ‘Instead, they will help you to get the most out of your running.’ There is a section on preparing for a mindful run and 3 different mindful-running exercises.
Running Backwards
This chapter deals with the setbacks you may encounter on your mindful running journey. It covers pride, shame, fear and pain and how to overcome these roadblocks. As always in the book, Pullen is a gentle coach, encouraging us to face our fears, trust ourselves and find our own path.
The End of the Rainbow
The final chapter of the book deals with coming to the end of your DRT practice. Pullen encourages us to write a final journal entry about your journey.
I found this book to be a wonderful, thorough introduction to the process of mindfulness through running. Pullen is an encouraging coach who is both supportive but also asks the right questions to help us move forward. This is not a journey to be undertaken lightly. It seems to have the potential to create great change. However, for anyone looking for an alternative to sitting meditation, which has the added bonus of increased physical health, this is the perfect tool for the job. Pullen’s life experience and qualifications make you feel like you are in safe hands for the journey.
I would rate this book 9/10 as it seems an excellent tool for the journey of mindful running. Personally, I didn’t need the sections to write notes, which took up a lot of the book. I would prefer to write in my own journal and use all the space I need.
