The world just observed Mental Health Day yesterday, 10.10.2022. As motorcyclists let’s ponder the thought of what is the status of a biker’s Mental Health.
Any motorcyclist out there would love to be on the saddle, gunning through the twisties & grinning ear to ear under the helmet, rather than sitting in front of the P.C & excelling the sheets. What makes us choose the former over the latter & is it a boost to one’s inner peace? What happens when a motorcyclist goes out riding, what emotions come out, & how to contain those emotions post the ride so that the hurdles that were left behind are not so challenging when back?
You’d have come across the quotes, “Therapy is expensive, hence I Ride” or Riding is my therapy and so on…, But does that really make sense? Is that motivating, or is it merely a meme?
Let’s find out.
The first 100 kms or so, is where the other noises try to keep up with you even if you’d left them back home, office, or anywhere else for that matter. No, don’t just drop that gear and disappear yet, take a breath, slowly settle down & push that desire to take the first break. Once these desires are saturated and you keep gushing against the wind, all the noises start disappearing, once there’s no other noise heard but that of your roaring exhaust & that roar turns into a symphony.
This sweet symphony then soothes the mind and the soul, it gets better if you’ve been doing this for a while you get that synchronization where the bike, the gushing wind, and you, all become one. And just like that, what was supposed to be the first stop post 100, 150, or whatever distance you’re not comfortable enough to continue to ride anymore, since the ride started, gets stopped around with an effectively increased number.
Hence- Meditation doesn’t mean you’ve to SIT STILL!
Now that you’ve finally come to a halt after a good ride, the body and maybe the bike too demands a few things. A small stretch, a nature’s call, a sip of that hot cuppa, maybe to light that cigarette and mostly fuel for the bike or all of these in no particular order. The train of thoughts left behind does catch up now but the noises are mellowed down, there’s a sense of clarity now. That exactly is when the adrenaline hits you, and you had endured it all. Now, this continues a coupla more times depending on how far you still got to ride!
Once the ride is done & you’re back to the grind, irrespective of the distance & time you took. You’re charged with a new flow of energy, there’s no noise to distract you and the hustle is back on track.
Now let’s look at some facts.
Riding a motorcycle increases alertness, similar to the positive effects of caffeine on brain activity
Motorcycle riding enhances a rider’s senses more than driving a car
A 20-minute motorcycle ride increases the heart rate up to 11 percent and boosts adrenaline up to 27 percent, which is comparable to light exercise
Riding a motorcycle decreases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol up to 28 percent
Motorcycle riders experience increases in their ability to readily recover from distractions while riding compared to driving a car.
A few weeks ago, when a friend & I were catching up over a cup of coffee… the topic of B’lore rains came up, he said just the previous day he’d to cross a small patch of road where there was no road left & a lil’ puddle of slush and he had to maneuver to get ahead, which he did taking a small amount of risk of not stalling in between or keeping the feet down. What happened later was he felt a bit of that ‘feel good factor’ which he called doing a lil’ off-road. Then he said, now I get why you keep going into those nowhere lands, into trails & off-roads and those long rides.
So, my dear fellow brethren with so much of mental & physical benefits a biker is a really healthy individual. Inside Out. No pun intended ;)
Also, in all seriousness! This article speaks about a small amount of stress, and tension & not about depression or other serious conditions where medical help would be advised. A good ride would get you out of a really bad mood, but if you or your close ones are dealing with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or any other serious symptoms, kindly take help, consult a doctor, and Remember there’s a cure for the same!
A’ight, signing off & on the Saddle!
Comments