I was riding on my afternoon commute on Wednesday when I decided to focus less on the biofeedback from my legs and more on the pristine nature along the trails, boulevards and streets.
It helped. I focused in on the sounds of more birds chirping e.g. I recognized cardinals and doves et al. I also zoomed in on the scenic views of downtown along the bay as well as the sunrising on the bay (see above photo).
Distraction analgesia allows me to focus on my sensory perceptions and think about what I am sensing to redirect my thoughts away from sore areas and as a result relieve pain and survive.
Cognition or thinking leads to what you feel (sense) and visa versa. Change your thinking and change your feeling and visa versa.
Riding in nature offers so many opportunities to view the grace and beauty of nature. Right now the sun is rising during my morning commutes.
It’s a special time of year when I give me more time to shoot photos of twilight and sunrise. And I was pleased to see two other pedestrians taking photos when I stopped to take photos this morning.
As many know, most car trips take place within 2-3 miles of home. By swapping in a bicycle, other EV or walking, we save tremendously on deadly emissions and gridlock congestion of cars while improving our own health and wellness.
With this in mind, I rode my bicycle with pannier to the local grocer for a few items and felt concomitantly pleased about it.