How To Feel More Flow In Your Life: What Getting Back On The Bike Taught Me
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been on my bike, but my intention lately has been to invite more of what brings me joy into my life, so I cleaned my chain, pumped up my tires, and got back on the road. However, this ride provided a whole new experience than it used to.
Biking used to be an enjoyable experience for me, but it came with a lot of self-inflicted pressure. “What’s my average speed? How far have I gone? How many calories have I gone? Let me check again. That’s not enough.” Riding my bike took the place of years of running when I had chronic back pain. Running had become more difficult for me as my back would flare up as I relentlessly pushed my body to meet the demands I was putting on it. Yet, it came to a point where it had become increasingly more difficult, so when I got my first road bike, it opened up a whole new world.
I could still do the miles, but without as much strain. While I would glance up and enjoy my surroundings, the main focus was the numbers. I approached riding with a masculine energy of doing and productivity. The external reward of the numbers served as a temporary bandage on my search in feeling of being enough. There came a sense of accomplishment when I met the standard I set for myself. Meeting goals, achieving, and pushing yourself are all great qualities, but when the intention behind it is to feel like you are enough, inevitably you will feel hollow.
Being back on my bike after quite some time and after a lot of rewiring my mind, releasing subconscious beliefs, and regulating my nervous system, the experience took on a whole new life. I set the intention on receiving what ride wanted to give me. I approached it with a feminine energy of allowing the experience to flow and be present in the moment. I was able to notice the butterfly who flew next to me for some of the ride, the deer who examined me with curiosity, the sound of peacocks in a yard, a baby groundhog who skittishly ran, and the scent of wild roses. I tuned into the sensations of my body and approached the hills with a newfound sense of inner strength and conviction.
This may not seem like a big deal, but if you are anything like me for much of my life, you may find it very easy to work, stay busy, and feel the pressure allow the external world to define you. What is extremely difficult is to truly relax, be present, and allow your inner truths to define you without the accompaniment of guilt in the process.
This is not to say I don’t go back to some of my old patterns and get pulled into the demands of myself and the world, but when you are more intentional with your energy, your life begins to open up.
Where in your life can you invite more flow and joy in. How can you invite more feminine energy into your life? Is it in letting your kids play in a mud puddle while you savor their joy? Is it in watching the wind gently sway the trees as the sun peeks through. Is it stepping away from the screen for a moment to tune into your breath
Releasing the need to check something off the list or becoming fixated on the end-result for a moment gives you freedom. So much of our lives can feel like we are swimming against the current, with everything feeling like a resistive energy drain. However, when you allow yourself to approach more of life with joy and openness, that is when you flow with the beauty of life itself.