An inward journey: Via the bicycle
It’s late summer, and in the Midwest, that means a soundtrack of buzzing cicadas and the chime of a familiar tune from the ice cream truck down the street that seems to play in slow motion. The heat index and humidity leave your skin with a glistening glow anytime you step outside, but still, we reach for our bikes because we know that shorter days are fast approaching. What we gain from rides at this time of year is more than just a physical trip from A to B, but a journey to better connect to ourselves.
Bikes are meditative; you repeat a motion over and over, which can get you further connected to your breath, your thoughts, emotions and what’s around you. The movement and flow of the pedals turning and our endorphins running helps the emotions migrate through our bodies instead of letting them sit, stuck inside us.
The bicycle is not a means of escape but rather a means of connection. Riding your bike doesn’t mean you detach from the world and the news we are inundated with daily. On the contrary, the bicycle helps us move through our anxieties, take a needed break and come out on the other side ready to tackle what life throws your way.
