If you are like me, you have some good days and some bad. Many times, the bad days are out of your control. You got laid off from your job. You broke a tooth. You had a flat tire in the middle of the freeway on the way home. Even if your day was going smoothly until then, the good crumbles apart in an instant when the unexpected happens.
I would like to say that you should just overlook these mishaps and pretend they did not happen, but that would not be very responsible of me. You cannot sweep life under the rug and expect everything to work out for the best, or for it to magically disappear. If there is anything that I have learned, it is that martial arts mimic life. Through a martial art practice, you will learn a few tried and true insights about happiness, and how to achieve it, even when something bad happens.
The Physical Practice – Every time I am feeling down, whether it is a sense of loss, or I have made a mistake, the first cure I choose is to practice my martial art. When I focus on the physicality of my practice, whether I am kicking, practicing a form (pattern), or punching the bag, I can disengage from the issue or problem at hand, at least for a few moments. Unlike other forms of exercise, martial arts require that you focus on what you are learning and in those very physical moments of practice, you can clear your mind.
A kick is not just a kick. It is made up of a series of movements in motion, flexing the foot, raising the knee, extending the leg, and then pulling it all back in reverse to bring the foot back to the ground. During the repetition and the physical exertion, you bring the moment back into balance. It does not take the difficult obstacles away and you still have to face them, but you are renewed both physically and mentally, and can cope once again.
The Mental Practice – I love a good cardio martial art workout. As I mentioned above, it literally shakes me back into a more positive frame of mind. Not all martial arts are cardio, though. Learning Chinese martial arts and some of the exercises practiced in these arts has helped me to slow down my mental practice to a place where I find peace within. Even when the craziness of the day is swirling around me, or bad news is broadcast again, or I’m tired or lonely, I find relief in the purposeful breathing and alignment of the body in this art.
The very physical kicks and punches that I practice are beautifully juxtaposed to the breathing techniques and energy gathering that I experience in Tai Chi. Sometimes, finding quiet on the outside is necessary to find joy on the inside.
There are times I yearn to break apart the difficulties of the world, as if grinding them from big chunky rock pieces into fine sand. When I reach to the sky with one hand, and the earth the other, the stress flows out. Life makes sense, and I believe that I can conquer again. I can work through the issues with a stronger, more positive mindset.
A mental practice allows you to re-group and work through the emotions that hold you down, while allowing you to explore the emotions that build you up. There is happiness when you transform your troubles from rocks and boulders to fine grains of sand.
The Spiritual Practice – I truly believe that every martial art practitioner should have the mind, body, and spirit connection in their practice. To have any one without the others is difficult. When you need a bit of happiness in your life, it may require this third component of spirituality to make things whole. When you add the spiritual aspect, you have a powerful triad of a martial art practicum to pull you through.
Where do you find this spiritual aspect of martial arts? After all, they are fighting arts, and not meditation, yoga, or some kind of religion. This component is the trickiest because it is not one readily taught in martial arts. Each martial artist has his own unique spirit and application of spirituality in his life. It could be prayer, reflection, belief, or attitude.
For some, it does not happen for a long time. Then, one day, they realize that their martial art has extended itself into more than just the physical and mental. It is a way of life, a sense of wholeness, and a heightened awareness.
Your martial art spirituality combines with your other belief systems. Having that great sense of awareness of your purpose and mission erupts from the evolution of your personal, unique, spiritual journey in martial arts.
There is no guarantee of happiness. It is a choice that you have to make. Once you make the choice, you need to find a path to it. One path is the martial art path, full of opportunities for physical, mental, and spiritual growth. I have heard many say that a good martial art workout helps them with depression, weight gain, stress, and worry. It helps them improve relationships, work ethic, and motivation. You can see how improvement in these areas can better prepare you for the emotions in your life.
Happiness is not free, but it is achievable. It is about making each moment count. I know that if I am struggling with an emotion, issue, or obstacle, I can close my eyes and envision myself blasting through it like a board break, or breathing through it using Tai Chi breath.
When the unexpected happens, and your otherwise good day begins to pull you down, there is a one stop shop that can bring everything together again, and that is martial arts. Happiness awaits.
xoxo
Andrea
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I love reading this! I all is going well and you are having great new adventures in Arizona 😙
Thank you 🙂
Osu and thank you!