Correr durante el duelo: cómo lograr la atención plena a través del movimiento

NYRR's Kristina Lopez leading guided meditation at the NYRR Mindful 5K Zen Zone.  

Kristina Lopez is a marketing strategist at New York Road Runners and a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher.

My connection to running has always been tied to the mental fortitude and sense of community the sport provides. I signed up for my first marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon in 2015, when a family member was going through chemotherapy for a rare cancer. After that race, I vowed to never run again! Little did I know that almost a decade later, running and meditation would become pivotal parts of my daily life, helping me deal with life’s toughest moments and finding community along the way.

From Caregiver to Marathoner

As a caregiver to my grandmother during the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw the importance that movement has on longevity and began going on walks for my health. When I started working at New York Road Runners, I figured I might as well add running into the mix. Two years later, I’ve now completed six more marathons: the BMW Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Life Time Miami Marathon, the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, and the Marabana Cuba Marathon, an event I’ve run yearly since 2023 while also bringing running-related donations to share with a local club, the Cuban Runners.

Running has been one of the most disciplined aspects of my life, so much so, that when my grandmother passed away in May 2024, I knew I would be okay simply because I knew one day when I was feeling better, I’d go out on a run again. Her death also sparked a newfound sense of resilience in me, as her passing simultaneously thrust me into housing court, where I now advocate to protect the rent-stabilized home our family has lived in for generations.

The discipline running provides has not been the only source of stability pushing me along during one of the most trying times in my life, but my community too. I am a co-captain of Harlem Run where I pace our 12-minute per mile group weekly. In moments when I didn’t want to show up for myself, I was still committed to showing up for my community, and they helped nurture those parts of me I thought would fade away with my grandmother.


Kristina at the 2024 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile.
 

The Marathon Continues

After every big race, I would bring home my medals, and my grandmother would make it seem like I won something big. Following a strong year of racing and training, I had plans to finally make my ultra marathon dreams come true. But of course, life had other plans, the ultra I signed up for months in advance would now end up being the day before my grandmother’s funeral.

Races are always emotional for me. My history reminds me how so many people run in honor of others and also in honor of our own personal battles. The day of my ultra, I decided it would not just be a race, but an extreme practice of mindfulness. Could I allow the day to unfold without pre-conceived notions of what should happen? Even harder than that, could I keep my focus on being present with the beauty of Palisades Park’s trails and not taking selfies to try capturing the moment?

It became my first DNF (did not finish) event, yet I know that whatever was meant to happen in the woods that day, happened, including a moment of peaceful quietude shared with a deer when I took a wrong turn. That pause reminded me of the beauty of being alive and of all the privileges I carry even while navigating through a moment of adversity and uncertainty.

A few months later, I had my next big race, the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Somehow, even while preparing for upcoming litigation and court dates, I committed to my training. As I crossed the finish line, I cried. Despite my deepest moment of adversity, I did it! As rapper Nipsey Hussle once proclaimed, the marathon continues. We must remain determined to overcome the roadblocks that are an inevitable part of life.

Creating Space for Healing

Grief changes you. For me, running became the thread that reminded me to give myself grace during a time of loss. Sometimes, it felt like tears would only flow when I went out on a run. Each mile offered a new way to process, to grieve, to move through feelings. When life felt uncertain, I knew I could still go out for a run.

For me, running has always been about cultivating mental strength too. Physical training prepares the body for endurance, but my meditation practice fuels my mind. I began meditating on a whim. When I first began my practice, I’d spend five minutes meditating, right when I woke up, still in bed! Six years later, I often sit up to one hour at home, or even longer when I go on meditation retreats.

Over the past year since my grandmother’s death and while navigating housing litigation, my meditation practice became a source of refuge. Even when I couldn’t animate myself to keep up with the training schedule for my next marathon, I dedicated daily time to meditate and return to the basics of breathwork. I have noticed how this increased focus on breathing has in turn showed up not only when I run, but in all areas of my life. When distracting thoughts arise, I simply take a moment to pause and return to my breath.

Kristina with her grandmother at Little Island in 2023.

Finding Stillness Through Movement

Like running, meditation requires discipline and effort. Each time we return to the focus of our practice we cultivate a greater sense of mindfulness and awareness. A meditation practice can vary from person to person. It may involve either stillness or incorporating movement, using calming music, or even adding scents like incense to help create an environment that welcomes focus.

Meditation does not always lead to relaxation, that is simply one of its many byproducts. What it does do is increase our sense of awareness, which then creates more space between our thoughts and reactions to the world around us. Over time, this awareness builds our capacity to be present, moving through life with more clarity and compassion for ourselves and others.

Both running and meditation continue to teach me that healing isn’t linear. Sometimes strength means slowing down, listening, or simply showing up even if there are some hurdles to leap over first. I’ve come to understand that both movement and stillness can be acts of resistance, ways to remain present even when challenges arise. These practices have become vital tools for approaching my mental well-being. Whether it’s one mile or one minute of focused breathing, I am reminded that even during life’s most uncertain moments, I am grounded.

Check out my guided meditations for runners below.

 
Race-Day Intentions



Motivation and Inspiration