{"id":40787,"date":"2022-05-05T00:28:53","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T06:28:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/running-medicine-provides-healing-journey-in-albuquerque\/"},"modified":"2022-05-05T06:28:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T06:28:53","slug":"running-medicine-provides-healing-journey-in-albuquerque","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/running-medicine-provides-healing-journey-in-albuquerque\/","title":{"rendered":"Running Medicine provides \u2018healing journey\u2019 in Albuquerque"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"The
The Running Medicine program includes a session of Ojibwe stickball in July 2021, with participants raising their sticks high to begin. The program, founded by Anthony and Shannon Fleg in Albuquerque, helps Indigenous and non-Native communities benefit from healthy activities. (Courtesy of Rosalita Whitehair via Indian Country Today)<\/span>Courtesy of Rosalita Whitehair via Indian Country Today<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

ALBUQUERQUE \u2013 The infamous running boom started almost 50 years ago in the 1970s. Another running boom may be underway with its roots in Albuquerque as more and more people turn to running during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s called Running Medicine, a nonprofit program operated by family medicine doctor Anthony Fleg and his wife, Shannon, in coordination with the Native Health Initiative that they founded in Albuquerque shortly after they married in 2005.<\/p>\n

It brings together families from throughout the Albuquerque area several times a week in six urban and rural communities, with eight- to 10-week sessions. The program was honored in December with a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports award, which recognizes those who display a collaborative effort at making their communities healthier.<\/p>\n

\u201cRunning Medicine has found a unique blend of intergenerational play, partnerships and culturally grounded wellness creating an inclusive space for movement,\u201d Anthony Fleg wrote in a 2019 article he co-authored in the Annals of Family Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Anthony
Anthony and Shannon Fleg founded the Native Health Initiative and the Running Medicine program in Albuquerque to help Indigenous community members \u2013 and non-Natives \u2013 to enjoy the benefits of healthy activities. Anthony Fleg is a family physician and professor. Shannon Fleg, Din\u00e9, is co-director of the programs. (Courtesy of Anthony Fleg, via Indian Country Today)<\/span>Courtesy of Anthony Fleg, via Indian Country Today<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Fleg, who is non-Native, is a family medicine doctor in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico Family Health Clinic and Outpatient Pharmacy Clinic. Shannon Fleg, Din\u00e9, from Moenave, Arizona, near Tuba City, is co-director of the Native Health Initiative and the Running Medicine program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe running movement and the unique things we do with running has always been medicine for me,\u201d Anthony Fleg said. \u201cWorking with Native peoples has led to what we now call Running Medicine. It is a very intergenerational approach to mind, body and spirit with wellness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shannon Fleg says the program is teaching people how to move at their own pace.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that individuals are interested in health and social determinants of health,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is a part of the culture of understanding of improving health and wellness. (Running Medicine) is excited to be a part of NHI and being a participant to share with other families the RM model.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pandemic may have given it a boost, with new research showing that COVID-19 has caused a renewed interested in running. A recent study reported on runrepeat.com shows that nearly 29% of current runners started running during the pandemic. They are less likely to participate in in-person races than pre-pandemic runners, however, and instead favor virtual races.<\/p>\n

Nearly three-fourths of those who are new to running are doing it for their physical health and the benefits of exercise, according to the survey.<\/p>\n

Circle of healing<\/div>\n

The Running Medicine \u201ccelebrations\u201d start with a circle, sometimes with as many as 80 to 100 people. Youths are in the center, with adults around the rim.<\/p>\n

They begin with meditation and inspiration, followed by warm-up stretches. The group then breaks for 30 to 40 minutes of walking and running.<\/p>\n

It concludes with stretching, strengthening and a traditional Native \u201chandshake line,\u201d to allow each person to thank the others for their medicine.<\/p>\n

The activities take place on soft surfaces, such as trails or grass, and the program reports a very low rate of injury. Healthy foods and water are included in each session to encourage participates to learn about health eating.<\/p>\n

Each person works at his or her own level of speed, ability and competitiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we see in front of us are families that come to move together, and they might walk, they might run, they may have kids that run and walk at different speeds, or try something like yoga that we expose them to,\u201d Anthony Fleg said. \u201cThey are moving together and sometimes through difficult things such as death in the family or family discord, and we try a positive way through their movement to heal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to see an Indigenous wellness boom that brings our relatives to great mind, body and spirit wellness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

One recent group included several students who will be attending Haskell Indian Nations University this fall, in addition to less-competitive participants, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt matters that everyone belongs and it doesn\u2019t matter who is fastest,\u201d he said. \u201cThis morning we started with cornmeal. We started with putting our intention of who we are running for, and who\u2019s ailing in our individual families and communities. I feel like that\u2019s a beautiful way to do competitive running rather than what our stopwatches tell us today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The college students may gain a different perspective, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look at that work as leadership development and teaching all the principles of what it\u2019s going to take to be successful,\u201d Fleg said. \u201cThey\u2019re doing it through track workouts and running at a high, competitive level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yoga has also become a popular part of the program.<\/p>\n

Rosalita Marie Whitehair, Din\u00e9, is a certified yoga instructor through the Native Strength Revolution, a Native woman-run nonprofit dedicated to healing Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n

She now provides yoga stretches and core-strengthening poses for the Running Medicine participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery event is family-oriented, playful and supportive,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have fun doing the yoga \u2018animal\u2019 poses, like cat-cow, butterfly, up and downward dog, tree pose for the kids and gentle poses for those with limited physical abilities. My fave is getting 100 participants rolling on their back on the grass looking up to the sky in Happy Baby pose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whitehair was a runner throughout her life but also served as emergency management director of the Navajo Nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cA key part of running for a lot of us is to clear the mind, running long distances, getting outside and just going wherever the \u2018rez\u2019 dirt roads take you,\u201d she said. \u201cRunning is our medicine, it helps the spirit, strengthens our bodies, our hearts and our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bringing people together<\/div>\n

The Flegs bring the components of Running Medicine together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a healer,\u201d Anthony Fleg wrote in describing himself on The Medical Care Blog. \u201cI am a father, a husband, a brother, and a son. I am a writer. I am a runner. I am a love activist. I am grateful for each new day, and do my best to show this in my life, my actions and my writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He received his medical degree and a master\u2019s in public health from the University of North Carolina. In addition to his medical practice, he now also teaches at the University of New Mexico\u2019s Department of Family and Community Medicine as an associate professor.<\/p>\n

In 2016, he received the U.S. President\u2019s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition\u2019s Community Leadership Award, which is given to people or organizations that enhance opportunities for communities to participate in sports, physical activity or nutrition programs.<\/p>\n

He was cited for helping promote healthy lifestyles among Native families and youths, according to a statement from UNC at the time.<\/p>\n

In December 2020, he was cited by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with an award that \u201crecognizes and honors those in sport who display an innovative and collaborative approach to making their communities a healthier place to live,\u201d according to a statement from the University of New Mexico. The award carried a $25,000 prize.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m inspired by this year\u2019s winners who show us the power of sports to connect us and make us healthier, no matter our race, gender, abilities or economic background,\u201d Julie Morita, the foundation\u2019s executive vice president, said at the time. \u201cPlaying sports unites people, and that\u2019s a wonderful vision for a healthier, more just, more equitable world for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Running has also long been a part of Shannon Fleg\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasketball was my sport in high school, but I also did cross-country, too,\u201d she said. \u201cRunning has always been a part of my life, emphasizing on the health benefits rather than its competitiveness. I met my husband, and running became part of my life more. Now since we have children, running and being physically active is a crucial part to our life. It\u2019s not just about running but that is a part of our daily activities, and it is modeling wellness for others, encouraging others, and running and walking for those who can\u2019t run and walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has been in Albuquerque for 13 years and has participated in \u2013 as well as directed \u2013 the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been a part of the leadership but also a participant of NHI,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have six programs that look at and focus on Indigenous perspective and teaching Native and non-Native people \u2026 We are identifying projected activities, programs and projects in the community with service and looking at cultural exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n

Community impact<\/div>\n

During a recent summer session, Indigenous games were welcomed as a part of the Running Medicine celebrations. The concept of northern woodlands stickball, for example, coincides well with the RM program.<\/p>\n

The medicine in the game is how the game is played; when participants play hard, and play well together, they enjoy the game. That is good medicine.<\/p>\n

Participants at an end-of-summer swimming event said the program has changed their lives.<\/p>\n

Monica Waikaniwa, Laguna\/Acoma Pueblo, has been an RM leader going on three years. She became familiar with RM through Anthony Fleg when her older daughter ran cross-country. She said it helped her and her girls to be stronger within themselves and as a family.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy older daughter, Destiny, became a youth leader,\u201d she said. \u201cRM helped me as a woman to help them become strong ladies. My youngest is becoming more empowered and more in tune with herself as far as going through different phases of running. She\u2019s a strong leader in her classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cRM has helped the three of us as a family this year with losing my brother. It has helped relieve the stress and the grieving we\u2019re going through,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Waikaniwa not only runs but also walks. She has learned to take off the headphones and listen to nature, a move that provides healing no matter what level of movement she is doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cRM has been a strength for a lot of individuals,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not only about running but it\u2019s about moving and healing yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her daughter, Destiny, 20, also Laguna\/Acoma Pueblo, said the program has helped her realize her potential. She is attending Central New Mexico Community College and plans to transfer to a four-year college to continue studying business.<\/p>\n

\u201cRM has empowered me to be a leader and to help the youth be open more and be less shy,\u201d she said. \u201cI helped a girl with cerebral palsy and helped her run at least a half a mile. In the beginning she couldn\u2019t run 100 meters without stopping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kristi Chapman, Laguna Pueblo, is one of Running Medicine\u2019s Circle of Healers. She has been part of the program since 2015, and on the board since 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cRM and NHI programs have been very instrumental in our Native communities and in our urban Albuquerque area in terms of being for Native and non-Native individuals,\u201d she said. \u201cThey have brought people together in communities and with that value of love and respect in grooming young people to value that nurturing community for love and service.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cRM brings families together and that is important in Indigenous societies. The urban community may not be connected to immediate family back home and RM provides that home away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danielle Kie Hopkins, Pueblo of Laguna\/Acoma and Din\u00e9, who helped write the article in the Annals of Family Medicine<\/em>, started in the program as a participant before moving into a leadership capacity. She is now logistics director.<\/p>\n

She was introduced to Running Medicine through coach Mike Daney, former national college champion running coach at Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nervous when I first started since I thought I was going to be with fast runners training for a marathon,\u201d she said. \u201cI was really a slow runner but came there and it was more a family environment \u2026 being introduced to running and to run for fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started our healing journey bringing back to our traditional ways and tying mind, body and spirit together and that\u2019s what our family has truly enjoyed,\u201d she said. \u201cRM helps us heal our family trauma and it\u2019s nice to have a home away from home and this is the community you can come to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chavez Holiday, Din\u00e9, ran for Daney at Southwest Indian Polytechnic and was on one of the national champion cross-country teams. He said his 6-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter were in the 2021 spring and summer Running Medicine programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey loved it,\u201d Holiday said. \u201cThey love to run. They love being outside, and seeing nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rod Lansing, Din\u00e9, the program\u2019s associate director, said he was motivated by listening to members\u2019 stories and seeing the impact on the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great to see youth moving along with their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was something new to the common practice of dropping off a youth and parents waiting in the car or leaving and coming back after movement \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes the best conversations come while exercising and being outdoors away from the internet, mobile devices and other distractions,\u201d Lansing said. \u201cWe all have our struggles and when someone shares their wellness journey, it can put your struggles into perspective and help realize that we can share the same wellness road. Movement is great for mind, body and spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rod Lansing\u2019s wife, Janice Yazzie, Din\u00e9, has been involved as a participant in Running Medicine since the program started.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I like about RM is they include everybody no matter how slow, how fast, how tall or short you are, and a lot of kids are included,\u201d she said. \u201cI like them being inclusive for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lansing said everyone has a chance to benefit.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is welcome to our circle,\u201d he said. \u201cThere will be a space for you, and there is no back row.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan Ninham, Oneida, is a freelance writer based in Red Lake, Minnesota. You may contact him at coach.danninham@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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