Whoosh
That’s the sound of me zooming down a hill on my bicycle. I have always enjoyed biking, but actually getting out on my bike has been spotty. This last month or so I’ve been getting more into it, I now have a rearview mirror and took a roadside maintenance class from REI. I’m getting out several times a week.
As I was whooshing down a hill then working my way up the next I was considering how bike riding is like the spiritual path.
Earlier this summer, right before his 6th birthday, Cougar declared that his goal for the summer was to ride his bike without training wheels. Bike riding for a kid means freedom, to move about, to go fast, and to join in with others. This is similar to consciously taking a spiritual path, it is exciting, there is more freedom to move about, and new people to meet.
There came a time in my young life, when the red bike with a strawberry shortcake basket that I had when I was Cougar’s age no longer fit. I got a new bike that was shiny blue with a banana seat that had multi-colored daisies on it. Even though it was 30 years ago, I remember clearly that the sales person was incredulous that I wanted the blue bike not the pink one. This was an early lesson that my path will not always make sense to other people. When we’re on the path of our life, at some point we realize that all of us have our own trail to ride. Some of ours will be similar and cross often with friends, and others are quite different. That doesn’t mean your path is wrong, or that the pink bike would have not been perfectly functional, just that it’s not a match for me.
I have now had 3 adult sized bikes with gears, and they have propelled me through various adventures.
When I was living in Chicago, I rode regularly as part of my transportation trifecta of walking, public transit, and bicycling. Riding continued to be a core as I didn’t buy a car the first 7 months I lived in Missouri. But then, as often happens, I didn’t ride as much, and then it wasn’t as much fun because those muscles weren’t in regular use.
When I fall out of the habit of a spiritual practice, whether it’s regular meditation, spiritual study, prayer group, or attending services, the spiritual ‘muscles’ feel creaky because they have not been in use. When I consider getting back in the habit, I can come up with endless excuses, I have, after all, been doing OK without it.
But I think that’s a lie we tell ourselves, just as the excuses I used to tell myself for not going out even for a short ride.
Because, when I’m honest, even a 10 minute ride is fun. I feel accomplished for making it up a hill on pedal power. I feel euphoria whooshing back down. After a while, I find that I can go farther in the same time, I can explore my neighborhood and town, and I can get places I need to go without driving. The seat which used to feel uncomfortable isn’t bothering me much anymore. Now that I have learned more on basic maintenance, I’m ready for even more distance, knowing I’m able to take care of myself.
This building up of my biking ability is the same kind of process as when entering or re-entering spiritual practice. Sometimes we get frustrated because we’re not able to sit still and meditate for an hour like the gurus, or respond Zen-like to things that irritate us, or get that bliss feeling from a moment of prayer.
If sitting for an hour in meditation is a goal, do you think you’re going to get there by not practicing? Take a 5 minute ride. For me, it is not only a challenge of slowing the mind; it is also training the body to sit comfortably and still. And so I have slowly worked up my time from 5 to 20-30 minutes in a sitting.
Anything that is done well by a master, was at one time done unskillfully by them as an apprentice. What differentiates them is practice and consistency.
Just as a kid with their first bike, our spiritual practice can take us far; there is freedom, movement, and community just around the corner.
But only if you remember to take it out of the garage.
Happy riding
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