Bike Therapy

One of the things I love most about biking, and bike commuting in particular, is how it makes me feel. The fact that this has been a hectic week for me has only driven this point home further. The holidays are fast-approaching, with all their associated to-dos and preparations. At work, new projects have been cropping up that I want to finish before the end of the year. The end result is having to stay in "go mode" far more than normal. It's invigorating, but also tiring.

That's where biking comes in. For me, biking home after a busy day at work is a treat. It forces my mind to focus only on one thing: the road, and everything else fades away as I pedal home. In Buddhism, focusing on a single, seemingly mundane task can be a meditative act, and that's what biking is for me. It forces all other thoughts and cares to subside while I focus on the simple, wonderful task at hand. Maybe it's the need to focus, maybe it's the endorphins released by physical activity, maybe it's just the feel of the road beneath me, but no matter what, cycling home is the best way I know to decompress at the end of a busy day. And it's cheaper than therapy.

Peace.