Let me just start by saying I have never liked hills. I always dreaded the pain in my body, the struggle to reach the top, the exhaustion that soon followed. I never understood why people would choose to put their body through such pain… for what? To ‘conquer’ a hill? To feel like they had achieved something? To feel they could make their body do ‘incredible feats’? It all seemed such a push and drive, with a lot of pain, without much to truly gain at the end of it, except perhaps the initial high of achievement and an inflated sense of self to make up for a deep-seated lack of self-worth that is not being addressed. Climbing hills seemed to me to be clearly about ‘proving’ something.
Come many years later and I have moved to a road that has an incredibly steep, long hill. I do have the option to walk a flat road one way if I so choose.
I had been pre-warned by a neighbour to take it slow and start by only doing half to begin with. So one day I stood at the top of the hill with a view that takes your breath away, and taking the advice from my neighbour, I started my half way descent.
I knew from past hill experience that if I went into drive I would be exhausted and out of breath, so I made a conscious effort to stay with my body and feel each step. I took in the view with every breath and with every breath felt the expansion within as I opened up to feeling my connection with my environment, the world around and within me – the undeniable Oneness with God felt in every cell of my body.
In connection, one cannot help but feel every breath and part of the body as it moves.
I came to a halfway point I had noted at the beginning and turned around. Now this part would usually be my most dreaded part, but not today in this solid connection I had built with my every step on my descent. I started on my way back up, still very connected and expanded, feeling my every move. I noticed that if I stepped away from this connection and my mind would wander to some mental issue, the walk felt hard on my legs, I would lose the consistency of my step and it would become unpleasant. Bringing back the connection, my breath became steady, my body expanded, I felt the immensity that I am – not just the physical body that is walking – and I kept moving with ease.
I have now managed to walk the full length of this hill many times and every time my enjoyment increases.
I began to see how life is the same process as this hill. When we are connected within to the light of our Soul/God/the Universe, we are expanded. We feel the delicateness of our bodies; we take note of our movement. In fact, we love our movement for we are moving in tune with a far greater rhythm and not against it.
I often appreciate how this is what making love truly is. It is in our every move in synergy with the whole that we are a part of. When we are present with this movement nothing is hard, a push, or done in drive. Life becomes about movement, joy and making love. We don’t get tired, for it’s impossible to get tired from love; it’s the ultimate health pill that supports every inch of our being.
This hill has given me an incredible marker for how I can live my everyday if I make my everyday about consistency, connection and God, and wow – what an incredible life is on offer if one chooses to love hills!
By Kim Weston, NSW, a forever student of The Livingness
Further Reading:
Exercise – it doesn’t need to be hard work
Enjoying my Gentle Exercise Programme
Self-worth and self-development – does it work?
624 Comments
When life is easy (like walking down the hill) it is important to keep connecting with ourselves and working on ourselves, for if we only do this when life gets tough (walking up the hill) we are always lagging behind. So the questions more becomes are we willing to have a life that flows like that?
Walking on hills, like life, is all about how you approach it. You can feel it as a challenge to conquer, a struggle or chore or enjoy your breath and connection to yourself and all around you.
Brilliant Kim – and I know the hill you are talking about – it is a divine one to walk and feel the Godliness within and all around. And it’s as steep as it is delicious! You have to stay connected or you start running out of breath – my experience many a times 🙂
I too grew up hating hills, but I now can appreciate the consistency of staying present with my body when exercising and feeling what is needed at each step.
Trees and hills have a physical response on my body when I am out walking, I feel so uplifted by walking amongst them. It’s a pure joy.
This article has not only made me revise how I walk up hills, but stairs as well.
Good point Kev.
There is a beautiful feeling of openess and grandness being at the top of a hill which is energising and brings so much vitality to the whole body.
It sounds a bit mad but my relationship with walking up hills has changed completely… I used to feel exhausted just looking at them and that was an attitude I had towards life. I now love the insight walking up a hill gives me: how my body is feeling, what the quality of my breath is and whether I have an added spring or a bit of resignation. Whatever I do become aware of holds a great opportunity to learn.
Although the body can get tired from working, long hours and so forth, it’s so true that we can never get exhausted from purpose or love, and our relationships/way of living can be constantly revitalising.
Life becomes so much simpler when we feel the rhythmical way our breath and body are “moving in tune with a far greater rhythm and not against it.”
When we are present and moving in and with the universal rhythm we have endless energy as we are moved by something greater than us. So simple, but we expend so much energy fighting against what is naturally supporting us and then wonder why we are so tired.
Consistency, Connection and God, beautifully simple and true. Choosing that as a foundation for everyday life and movement brings an ease and enjoyment, and the struggle disappears.
Isn’t it awesome when we get ourselves out of the way, stop complaining and take on a fresh approach to something we’ve historically had a so called ‘issue’ with for, what ends up being for no good reason. i’ve found this keeps happening for me, and it’s so cool.
The great personal trainer Beverly Carter taught me a lot about hills, and ultimately being present when I walk. Through the awareness of my breath I am present with each step, never putting my body second to my thoughts, but instead honouring the presence within.
Staying with ourselves as we move sounds incredibly simple… And really it is and yet the effects are profound and far-reaching… In fact, life changing.
I know that my body feels very different when I move in connection with it.
LOVE A NEW ASPECT OF VIEWING THE HILLS. It is beautiful feeling that we can look in a different way to so called ‘normal’ ‘accepted’ things.. That is very freeing. For often we have limited what certain things in life mean or symbolize. To see the depth of symbolism in for example a feather on the street, more than just seeing a feather – we can feel into what this is messaging us.. What is nature telling us with that feather? Now, that is a whole different view on things in life – a deeper one, one that allows blessings to be appreciated for what they are – as they are constantly in and around us..
When we let love to be our guide in life for sure we will be blessed by it divineness and will never be able to abuse in any way shape or form. The abuse we might experience in life is just the result from us not choosing for love in our lives but instead to live life from the drive to accomplish something from the mind.
“When we are present with this movement nothing is hard, a push, or done in drive.” What a wonderful life expanding way to live, every step up or down or along the path at work, home or play.
I can so relate to what you share here Kim except it was with stairs. I have 4 long flights of stairs to get to my workplace, and I would walk up them at the beginning of my shift (and get the lift down at the end!) Initially I would go very slowly and be out of breath by the top, however as you share, the more I was with my body and breathing in my own gentle rhythm, the easier the stairs became and I’m now no longer out of breath. Other staff are still gasping by the time they arrive at work. I used to harden and tense my body to ‘make it’ to the top too – a mind driven exercise rather than working from my body and how it feels to walk the stairs each day.
I do like these simple examples in which so clearly is shown that letting love in your life does has its effect, not only in how we are with our body and climb the stairs, but also how this is reflected in the open and deeply connected relationships we build with all the people we meet.
“I often appreciate how this is what making love truly is. It is in our every move in synergy with the whole that we are a part of. When we are present with this movement nothing is hard, a push, or done in drive. Life becomes about movement, joy and making love. We don’t get tired, for it’s impossible to get tired from love; it’s the ultimate health pill that supports every inch of our being.” Wow Kim how beautiful and what lovely appreciation very inspiring and so true, a great sharing.
We either align to the ‘breath of God’ and all that is true within us, or we align to all that is not of this truth. Does this not then give an indication as to why we as a humanity are so ‘out of breath’, i.e. exhausted? We are taking in a breath that is not truly ours to breathe and in this state what we breathe is pure poison to our body and to the environment it is breathed back into by virtue of our expiration. If we are truly concerned and willing to arrest ‘global warming’, then it starts with taking a very honest look at the breath we choose to breathe.
It is so humbling to feel the simplicity of this responsibility that we all have, equally.
Well said, breathing our own breath inspired from our inner connection, for as you say if we are not we are breathing in everything other, and that can leave us breathless and uninspired. The relationship with our breath informs us every moment.
I have felt this on a hill as well – how much it is a reflection for how I approach things in life, tricky things, things I would like to avoid. When I don’t dramatise the situation there is an ease within the body, I find I stay present, in connection to my cells and, now you mention it, at one with a far grander existence than the confines of my body. On the other hand, when I dramatise, such as lie down on the hill and wonder how my body will make it to the top (see how descriptive I can be there?!) then it takes me twice as long and is incredibly draining.
We do not need hills to hold our connection to ourselves but it is a great reminder to stay with the rhythm of the body. I find the same too when swimming breathing through the nose, there is no way we can push ourselves, we have to stay with the flow of the body then too.
When we are able to feel the true power of our movements, and how each one determines the next, exercise takes on a whole new meaning. No longer will we focus on pushing on for the prize, getting muscle bound or ‘fit’, but on moving knowing that we are already ‘it’. When the results of our choices are clear – the learnings before us are easy to heed. But when we distract, cover up and numb what we feel we get trapped in these patterns. But all along the true measure of our fitness for life is the quality in which we live. Thank you Kim for sharing this beautiful learning.
Gorgeous Kim, I will approach my next hilly walk in a whole new light thank you.
Hills are a great way to connect us back to our bodies and to feel the struggle of life, if it is indeed there to be felt. I have lived in a few hilly places and would hate having to walk back up the hill – often it felt like a struggle, but looking back some days seemed easier than others but it never occurred to me that there was more to learn from the experience.
In connection there are no hills or dales.
I think I should move to hilly country. The best thing we can do in Holland is using the treadmill in the gym:-)
What a gorgeous reflection you are offering the world with your inspiring and deeply beautiful blog. I always appreciate simplicity and with your blog you have expressed so much very concisely and deeply. It will be a joy to read your blog again Kim – and to see your lovely smiling face at the end.
Being present in all that we do means all that we do is felt differently.
There is always something for us to learn about ourselves from something that challenges us.
” it’s impossible to get tired from love; it’s the ultimate health pill that supports every inch of our being.” And it is limitless and without end.
The beauty and simplicity of walking hills and how we can move with the flow of life and everything is very special to feel here Kim and such a beautiful sharing of our movements our mind and how we can make such different changes all the time to our lives with the quality and presence we choose. Very inspiring .
Thanks Kim… And it is being aware when the push comes in, just continually clocking this, and eventually, what was such an ingrained habit starts to drop away
When we are connected to ourselves, life becomes a seamless flow and everything is possible.
Hills in nature mean many different things to me when I think of all the hills I’ve stood on over the world – deserts, woods, ravines, all offering a beauty and a perspective of a greater world.
This feels true Carmen, after listening to the science of symbolism by Serge Benhayon yesterday what you have shared makes a lot of sense. They seem to offer another level of viewing the world, standing above a situation and observing what is happening.
Beautiful Carmel and I would add, a beauty and a perspective of a greater world within also.
When we do things truly in connection with ourselves and bodies it makes such a difference and feels so different .. very cool.
Absolutely gorgeous to read Kim thank you for sharing , I am inspired to make love while I am walking hills and also on the flat.
I think I should move to hilly country. The best thing we can do in Holland is using the tred mill in the gym.