Mindfulness Made on Pedals

I learnt how to cycle in my childhood, but it was not until seven (7) years ago when on a short term work assignment in Ghana that I casually thought that it was time to invest in a bike and try out cycling as a lifestyle. Well, weekends in Accra were also quite lonely in the first few months before my family joined me. So, I bought my first bike, an MTB and my weekends got sorted as I found time to pedal around the streets near where I lived. My family later joined me – we couldn’t resist the temptation to buy other bikes – shortly, we had four bikes (one for each) parked in our verandah ready for weekend easy rides for fun. We would pick safe streets in Accra on Saturday mornings to pedal away.

Two years later, when relocating back home, we included the bikes in the shipment – we thought they had some ‘sentimental’ value but beyond that, I felt that cycling was already getting to be a lifestyle for me and I didn’t want to lose the momentum. I have never regretted – to me, it is no doubt the best way to achieve balance in the chaos of the modern world we live in. The undisputable benefits cut across - physical, emotional, social and mental well-being.

Across the years, recreational cycling has become part of my intentions for achieving wholesome living whilst being aware of the present – the present is only in the moment. When I am pedaling away, I become intensely aware of everything around me – I become one with the surrounding and not closed away. As the year and the 2022 cycling routines come to a close, I took time to reflect on how the moments I have had in the year have brought higher level acknowledgement of sensations from the mind, body and soul. In short, mindfulness – just being able to scan the mind and let all negative vibe go away by being grateful for small things in life – including the strength and time to pedal. I have come to appreciate that pedaling nurtures mindfulness.

Cycling is about being fully present and engaged with what one is doing (the pedaling) without being distracted, being judgmental or being overly absorbed in it – isn’t this a beautiful feeling? When cycling away, there is beauty in soaking in all the sensations – the cold wind on a chilly morning, the healing feeling of the early sun rays striking the skin, greeting smiles from strangers, acknowledgement waves from fellow cyclists and yes, just the serenity of everything around – be it along the road or in the pines during a forest ride. One of the best feeling is gliding downhill at top speed with a ‘whoo hoo’ chant to reward self after a torturous climb. The unmatched and genuine conversations on pedals with my cycling buddies (when they do show up) and the mutual ‘thank you’ notes afterwards is a powerful act of gratitude – that cycling together offers.

Along the years, cycling has taught me to be less judgmental. There is a way cycling past other road users moderates our temptation to see the bad and not the good in others. Yes, the world has cruel people, but it also has wonderful human beings – the kind motorists that give way to cyclists, shield cyclists down a narrow road (the narrow arboretum drive comes to mind here), the warm strangers that wave with smiles and the hilarious casual workers fascinated by morning cycling. The rude and rough road users also exist to remind us to understand rather than judge. Often, when a perplexed motorist hoots, I establish eye contact and calmly smile.

Climbing hills and the ‘suffering’ that comes with it has great teachings on patience – accepting the situation without being overly anxious. In fact, I have observed what one of my cycling buddies does when tackling a tough climb – focusing on the immediate front of the bike and not the entire elevation of the hill as a way of reassurance in patience. It works!

Mindfulness also asks us to take every situation or opportunity as a first-time experience – having a beginner’s mind. In cycling, every opportunity to cycle deserves to be approached with an open mind. I have learnt to embrace every opportunity to ride with this mind set – from quick morning rides before logging into work, the long weekend rides or to just the simple sunset 10kms rides on Monday evenings. Each of these sessions offers chance to learn something new. In one of my longest single rides (102kms), I had to persevere heavy rain for 30kms – though it was first time for me, I learnt a lot about how to cycle in severe weather – I am now very stoic about cycling in rainy weather.

When preparing for a ride – whether planned or spontaneous, we often have to check the bike’s ABC (Air, Brakes and Chain) but still, it tests our human trust – being reliable with self and with others. This is an act of mindfulness that is so vividly tested in cycling life.

In our usual lives, we are encouraged to strive – the endless list of strive for perfection, strive for success, strive for excellence and so and so forth – in the contrary, cycling teaches us that not striving is also fine and trying less is fine as long as the ‘less’ is in synch with the present. At times, the less is actually more. At the start of 2022, I set a target – to strive to hit 5000Kms by end of November. My cycling routine got disrupted significantly but the beauty of not striving is that when I returned to cycling, I have managed to hit +3600kms – and gratefully so. Moments just came by – I did not get overly reactive or overwhelmed by not striving towards 5000kms. Going easy on self is an equally fulfilling endeavor – there is no beauty in judging self harshly or entertaining negative judgements against self. The examples I hear include ‘I cannot cycle, I will fall’, ‘I am not that strong to do the long rides’. I have learnt that there is no perfect cycling or cyclist. There is just the moment of cycling, your bike and you – supported by discipline and consistency.

Then, there is accepting what is achieved as adequate to generate our own happiness under whatever circumstances is so core to mindfulness. Beyond this acceptance, there is also letting go. In pedaling moments, thoughts from the past years, months, weeks and days flash by – bad and good ones. The choice to acknowledge them as they are is a fulfilling, mindfulness act.

Finally and probably the most beautiful part of cycling is that it allows connection with the breathing pattern – when on those pedals and across varying terrain, breathing gets regulated accordingly – and yes, there are times, I have felt like giving up and pushing the bike up the hill – this is normal! But keeping on and managing the breathing is a powerful meditation technique – only that this time, on pedals!

Mindfulness has endless benefits – but mindfulness made on pedals is awesome! – it delivers more than the known benefits of; less negative thoughts, reduced stress, well managed weight, confidence from good body poise, better sleep, sharper working memory, more creativity, clearer focus, happier relationships/friendships, improved quality of life, enhanced immunity.

As the year ends, I am grateful for all the cycling moments (joint and solo ones), I am grateful to my cycling buddies – and above all, to God for the gift of life and the ability to jump onto the bike and pedal away in full mindfulness.

I am looking forward to another year with mindfulness made on pedals, 2023!