Running the Spiritual Path is Roger D. Joslin's compelling and inspiring guide to making running a spiritual sport. Imagine achieving physical fitness and spiritual growth simultaneously. Roger Joslin's step by step program is an engaging exploration of his conviction that spiritual well being is as likely to happen while running along the trails of a favorite park as it is within the more traditional settings of neighborhood churches, synagogues, or mosques. Through awareness, chants and visualization, and through attention to the most evident aspects of the present moment--the weather, pain, or breathing--the simple run can become the basis for a profound spiritual practice. In Running the Spiritual Path Roger D. Joslin combines the insights gathered from thirty years of running, with a personal spiritual journey that is guiding him to the priesthood. While drawing from and exhibiting an abiding respect for the traditions and sacred practices of the world's great religions, the author describes a heretofore-unexplored method of sacred running, of bringing meditation and a prayerful communion to the running trail. “A splendid, new, outside-the-box contribution...at the deepest level, what Joslin has offered us is far more that just an excellent handbook. It is a record of a soul in progress--progress toward integration and harmony.” ― The Episcopal New Yorker “Joslin recounts his profound experiences on reverent runs and offers readers suggestions on how to infuse spiritual growth into their jogs through running mantras, stretches as prayer posters and more. Incorporate some of his suggestions on your next outing and you'll say I've come this far by faith.” ― Heart and Soul Magazine “Joslin inspires us to bring intention and purpose to any activity we do regularly, seeking communion with God whether we are cooking, cleaning the house, or commuting. In other words, you don't have to be a runner to get guidance from this practical book.” ― Spirituality and Health "If you're great at lacing up your running shoes, but you can't fold yourself into lotus position, here's the guide to finding a spiritual connection to your favorite physical activity." - Times-Picayune, New Orleans "While drawing from and exhibiting an abiding respect for the traditions of the world's great religions, the author describes a heretofore unexplored method of sacred running, of bringing meditation and a prayerful communion to the running trail." - The New Times "In this refreshingly cogent and practical work, Joslin reveals the many ways in which a regular run can be turned into a lively and enriching encounter with the Divine." - Spirituality & Health "A splendid, new, outside-the-box contribution. . . . At the deepest level, what Joslin has offered us is far more that just an excellent handbook. It is a record of a soul in progress---progress toward integration and harmony." - The Episcopal New Yorker "Joslin recounts his profound experiences on reverent runs and offers readers suggestions on how to infuse spiritual growth into their jogs through running mantras, stretches as prayer posters, and more. Incorporate some of his suggestions on your next outing and you'll say I've come this far by faith." - Heart and Soul magazine "Joslin inspires us to bring intention and purpose to any activity we do regularly, seeking communion with God whether we are cooking, cleaning the house, or commuting. In other words, you don't have to be a runner to get guidance from this practical book." - Spirituality and Health Roger D. Joslin is a native Texan. He graduated from the University of Texas in 1973 and obtained an MA in Government from the University of Texas in 1976 and later studied international relations at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. Joslin also studied at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, and is now an Episcopal priest. An avid runner most of his adult life, Joslin has devoted much of the last decade exploring and writing about the link between the spiritual quest and the world of running. He is the author of Running the Spiritual Path . Running the Spiritual Path A Runner's Guide to Breathing, Meditating, and Exploring the Prayerful Dimension of the Sport By Roger D. Joslin St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2003 Roger D. Joslin All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-312-30886-5 Contents Title Page, Copyright Notice, Dedication, Acknowledgments, Epigraph, Preface, Introduction, 1. Intentions and Preparations, 2. Emptying the Mind, 3. Running Revelations, 4. Running with Awareness, 5. Breath and Chant: Aids to Mindfulness, 6. Running with the Imagination, 7. A Sense of Place, 8. Phases and Stages, 9. The Joy of the Ill-Fitting Shoe, 10. Running in a Pure Land, 11. Ritual, Sacraments, Ordinary and Extraordinary, 12. Godspeed, 13. Physical, Spiritual, Mind and Body, 14. Running as a Pilgrimage, Bibliography, Copyright, CHAPTER 1 i