“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”
- Siddhartha Gautama, aka The Buddha
- Source:http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/
Life today in the 21st century is much different than it was say…..a thousand years ago. So why would we as a society need meditation? A practice that is arguably as old as philosophy itself? We as a people live stressful lives. True, we don’t have to worry about being pillaged from the coast or eaten alive by some saber-toothed beast, but our lifestyles continue to wear us down. Its is becoming more and more apparent every day. Studies show that the average American gets less than 6 hours of sleep per night (ScienceDaily), skips meals that include breakfast (the most important meal of the day as your auntie is so kind to remind you) and almost never exercises on a regular basis. All of these factors have a severely negative factor on our well being.
But what can I do? I’m just some dude/gal!
The answer may beneath our stress-strapped noses: Meditation
photo credit: Andrew Mason
No one can pin-point an origin for it, but meditation has existed in many forms across civilization, religions, worldwide throughout history. It is best described as a deep state of concentration and inner reflection into the subconscious mind. But how can this help me? Meditation has been shown to lead to many health benefits which include but are not limited to:
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Increase blood flow
- lower heart rate
- Improved concentration
- Increase in serotonin, which influences mood and behavior. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity, insomnia and headaches
- Deeper level of relaxation
- Spiritual benefits such as self reflection, higher state of consciousness, and finding the answers to problems within ones self.
What does this mean for the martial artist? As you may well know, Martial arts is comprised of 3 parts: Mind, Body, and Spirit. If a single one of these parts is missing, one cannot be a true warrior and martial artist. Martial arts and meditation have gone hand in hand together throughout history and were actually expected to be paired together. Meditation serves as an excellent outlet for mental and spiritual exercise for today’s (and yesterday’s for that matter) martial artist.
Meditation is needed now more than ever in today’s rat-race of a world. So when life is hitting you hard, tough day at the office or school, or personal problems are plaguing your day, try this for a change: Take at least 10-15 minutes out of your day to meditate. Filter out the sounds of cars down the street, your dogs barking, and your neighbor’s stereo. For that brief moment of time, you have no reports due at school, that project at work doesn’t exist, and uncle Bill isn’t suing you.
Only when you can quiet your mind will you be able to hear what truly matters.
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