Hot Walking

I was in Palm Springs last week visiting my friend Kim. Both of us are committed to our health and fitness and we set a goal to do something physical every day while I was there. The weather had turned pretty hot while I was visiting, so we had to do our activities in the morning to avoid being out in 104 degree heat!

I rode a bicycle for the first time in almost 20 years! It was really fun and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. We rode around paved trails near golf courses, and in so doing avoided traffic, which is one of my big objections to bike riding. The terrain was also pretty flat, which made for easy riding. I was thrilled to have that experience!

Mostly we took walks. Both of us like to walk, and it allows for endless talking! We girls do love to chat! OK...those of you who know me can stop snickering now!

One morning, our talking and coffee drinking delayed our walk until the temperature had climbed pretty high. We took our same long walk that we had on other mornings, but the heat was really intense. Both of us were struggling some with how hot it was, and how warm our drinking water had become along the way.

We were both sweating a lot and feeling very uncomfortable. We then decided to visualize this 'hot walk' as a process of purification and release. We started to visualize that the sweat pouring out of our bodies was carrying with it any and all toxins - physical, mental and emotional. The sweat was simply lifting it up and out of us. We were gracefully releasing all that needed to go! We still felt hot. We were still uncomfortable. We still longed to be home, drink cool water and take a cool shower... but now there was a powerful, positive purpose to our physical discomfort.

I do believe that we can positively engage in any process, no matter how unpleasant, by setting an intention to have it provide a benefit to us and even heal us! In my 'hot walk' I told myself that this process was releasing toxins faster and more effectively than other processes I could undertake. The discomfort of the experience would yield big dividends and spare me other types of releasing work in the future. It made the discomfort more tolerable!

Next time you are faced with something difficult or uncomfortable, see what you can come up with as far as an intention for the purpose it could be serving. Is it teaching you patience? Is it helping you release toxins or pent up emotions? Be creative and open your mind and heart to what might be 'trying' to happen to you in the experience!