Contemplating Long Rides

I love long rides because all the day-to-day noise in my head falls away. The further I get from an urban environment the more expansive I feel - as if there is less to reinforce a distinction between the atoms that make up my body and the atoms in the earth, water, and air.

Earlier this week a non-rider remarked about a story she had heard about a fellow who, grieving deeply for someone close who had died, went on a ride that lasted several weeks. During that time, he worked through his grief and decided that life still had meaning for him. The non-rider commented that she was so pleased to discover that motorcycle riding could be meditative. Being the geek that I am, instead of saying, "yes, that's one of wonderful aspects of riding", my brain locked up in a cognitive thrash, and the best I could manage was a nod. The nod was a purely social response so as not to offend.  I didn't want to split hairs with her and take away this newly discovered positive feeling about motorcycles and riders.

Still, the use of the word "meditate" in this context bothered me. I'm certainly no expert on the subject, and what I'm about to say may show my complete ignorance, but readers of this blog know that has never stopped me from talking about my experience. For me, meditation is an open mind, with 360 degree awareness but no specific focus. For me, riding long distances enables an open mind, requires full awareness, and requires focus on the environment and the input the bike is giving you. Not paying attention to the environment and the bike can have grave consequences. For me, riding the motorcycle allows me the opportunity to "contemplate" stuff that I've not had the luxury of time to ruminate about.

You may be thinking, "you know, Cecilie, you really need to get on the bike and go because if you've got nothing better to do than get your knickers in a twist making these fine distinctions, you need to get a life."  You have a point. Still, as she described the story, it seemed to me that the rider used the prolonged time alone to grieve and contemplate life and death, but for all I know, based on this article on the distinction between concentration, contemplation and meditation maybe he was meditating, too. A quick search using the keywords "meditation" and "motorcycle" will bring up hundreds of links to people describing their rides as "meditations" so perhaps the distinction is pointless. And, maybe I'm just not a good enough rider to meditate while riding - I need to focus!

I've built my career on my brain's natural tendency to analyze. That's why I ride, to shift the analytical engine in my head into neutral. Physical training gives the brain beta-endorphins, contemplation and meditation bring a sense of inner peace...whatever it takes to quiet the fluctuations of the mind.