The Silent Mile: An alternative to try if meditation makes you mad.

It’s okay if you hate meditation. 

Let me offer up my own confession. I used to consider myself a daily meditator.  It’s been 6 months since I consistently meditated. I stopped cold turkey after my Dad died. No comma, full stop, there was no question in my mind, meditation was not an option. 

Anytime I even somewhat considered meditating a boisterous part of piped up with a, “Oh f***that! ” I just didn’t want to do it. 

You don’t have to meditate either.

Despite my deep belief in the power of meditation, I gave myself loving permission to NOT make myself meditate, to allow myself to pause for right now. I experimented with trusting my desire to stop, at least for a season and to notice what happened.

If you are meditating now and you hate it. You have permission to stop.

Meditation was just too hard after my Dad died.  I knew I didn’t want to meditate but I did want and need some space, solitude and silence. So, one day, while out on a run, I decided to turn off the music and podcasts for the second mile of my run/walk, just to see how it would feel. 

I let myself put something on for the first mile of my run/walk. But as soon as my watch alerted me to mile 2, I turned whatever was playing in my earbuds off. The second mile was my silent mile.

It’s okay to create what you need, to make up your own mindfulness practice.

On the first day I tried The Silent Mile,  my head felt incredibly full. I walked and walked and walked with no sound. I let my brain and all the thoughts inside of it, drain out of my body. It felt amazing. The sun shone through the trees. I took videos of a creek. I photographed an empty chair. I photographed my shadow. I returned home lighter, freer and clearer.

Since then, I’ve committed the second mile of my run/walks as The Silent Mile. After completing The Silent Mile, I give myself permission to decide if I want to turn the podcast or music back on or not.  More times than not, I enjoy the silence so much that I finish off the run/walk in silence.

A lot of people get stuck with meditation or mindfulness practices:

they believe it has to look one way or the other, that it must stay the same, that it should follow very specific rules or they must be  doing it wrong. 

 There really are no rules with the Silent Mile. I made it up so I can do whatever I want with it.  If I want 90’s dance music that day after The Silent Mile, I’ll crank it up and go with it.

My silent miles haven’t led me back to a regular sitting meditation practice and that’s okay. I’m respecting the season I’m in right now. It’s what I need.  

It’s okay for you too. 

If you notice that you have a desire for more space, for quiet, for rest, for silence, you might dismiss it and do nothing because the “shoulds” that arise in your mind. I get it. I’m here to give you extra permission to NOT do those things. Find your own thing. 

I have yet to read about The Silent Mile in a list of “10 easy ways to conquer your anxiety”.  But it works for me. 

You have options. Experiment with opening up. Get creative. Try some things out. 

And if you feel bad that you hate meditation right now, remember, you aren’t alone. :)

You’ve got this.

Kate