Running to exercise the spirit

Professor views contemplative run as a "mini-pilgrimage."

By Jeff Strickler, Star Tribune

Last update: December 7, 2007 - 5:49 PM

Warren Kay has taken the notion of exercising faithfully to a whole new -- literal -- level. He teaches a class called "The Spirituality of Running."

He's well-versed on both subjects. He's the chair of the Department of Religious and Theological Studies at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., where he's also an assistant coach of the cross-country and track teams. And now he's sharing his theories about sweating your way to enlightenment with a book, "Running -- The Sacred Art" ($16.99, Skylight Paths Publishing).

"Running is the new yoga," he said by phone from his office. "Yoga was introduced to this country as a spiritual discipline, a system of body and mind control, but it has become more of a health activity. Now a lot of people who started running to lose weight are starting to discover the spiritual aspect of running."

He's not talking about the so-called "runner's high." A lot of runners don't believe that exists, and even among those who do, the feeling is sporadic and unpredictable. He's talking about something that can be achieved by everyone every time they run.

"I advocate the use of running as a method, a physical discipline to be used by anyone who wishes to explore the realm of spirituality," he said.

There's one stipulation: You'll be more successful if you're a serious runner. Note that he's not saying an "elite" runner, those who can string together sub-5-minute miles for hours on end. Your pace doesn't matter; all that's important is that you run regularly. The more often you run, the less you need to focus on the mechanics of running and the more you can focus on other things.

"This is possible at any stage of running," he said. "It's just more conducive if you're not a beginner."

In that vein, it's also advisable to pick your spots. Kay's wife grew up in Minneapolis, so he's familiar with the popularity of running around our lakes. And he realizes that they are great places to contemplate life as you run, but if you're running down city streets to reach a lake, your top priority should be watching the traffic.

Running works well for meditation because it requires people to physically remove themselves from the situations, people and things that cause stress. It's a chance to shut out daily distractions to ponder some of the bigger questions. In this way, he said, it's a mini-pilgrimage.

"When you go for a run -- and I mean a good run of a half-hour or more -- you block out a chunk of time when you have the opportunity to meditate on the reality of God," he writes.

Just as the method works for all sorts of runners, it works for a wide range of seekers. By his definition, spirituality isn't limited to our relationship with God. It also includes our relationships with ourselves, other people and the world around us.

"To me, spirituality also means enjoying the beauty of nature or enjoying a friendship. So, after just about every run I can say, 'Yes, I did have a spiritual experience.'"

Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392