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I've jogged since I was ten (though I didn't much like it at the time), and over the years it's grown into something meditative for me.

There are scientific reasons-jogging circulates the blood, gets your brain more oxygen, and activates endorphins in the pleasure center of the brain. At extreme distances, this is called a "runner's high," and it's one of the best feelings you can get naturally.

But to really understand the mental stability jogging and running brings, you've got to understand that it becomes a way of life. Whether you're running in heavily wooded areas, on a track, or in a glade, you begin to become more at peace with your environment and less at odds with yourself. Your goals become as simple as making the next marker without stopping, your worries drain down to how far you'll make it tonight, and your thoughts become as simple as putting one foot in front of the other.

I should mention that I've also meditated regularly, and the feeling is the same; it's an abandonment of worry, over-thought, and just becoming in tune with your environment. Freeing your mind from the stress of thought for 20 minutes or more a day is just like resting any other part of your body; it's necessary, and it helps your mind to grow.

Both physically and mentally, running and jogging can help a person become more peaceful and more active, and you'll find yourself getting more done with less stress if you strap on some shoes and take a couple of minutes today to help yourself exist peacefully through jogging.

Learn more about this author, Phil Dotree.
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